Student Devices for Learning
Student Devices for Learning
We believe that access to technology is an essential part of a modern education. Our device program is designed to extend learning beyond the classroom while keeping student safety, privacy, and well-being at the center of every decision we make. The conversation around screen time and young people is an important one, and we take our role in it seriously. Technology, when thoughtfully integrated, opens doors. It gives students access to tools that develop critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. At the same time, we recognize that devices carry real trade-offs. Time spent on screens matters, and how that time is spent matters even more.
Our approach is built on partnership. We work closely with educators, families, and students to ensure devices serve learning, not the other way around. We set clear expectations, provide guidance on digital citizenship, and actively encourage families to be part of the conversation at every grade level. Our Digital Learning Collective engages stakeholders in conversation around the role of technology in the classroom and informed our recently adopted instructional technology plan. Our continued work will be guided by this plan and active collaboration with families, students, and staff.
Contact Director of Technology, Michael Sammartano, or Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Dr. Joshua Deitch with any questions or to engage in conversation about technology in schools.
Technology Use at Bedford Road School
Students in grades K through 4 at Bedford Road School use technology sparingly and with clear purpose. Classrooms have access to highly restricted, managed iPads that are used only when technology is the right tool to meet an instructional objective. Devices cannot reach the open internet or YouTube and are limited to a small set of approved tools that support three specific areas:
Assessment. Teachers occasionally use iPads to administer required assessments and screeners. This allows for accurate, efficient measurement of student progress.
Access. Devices provide access to curricular resources, most notably digital books at students' individual levels, interests, and related to grade level units. This supplements, and never replaces, the print materials and hands-on learning at the heart of our classrooms.
Creation (grades 2-4). In the upper elementary grades, students begin using technology as a tool for creating and sharing their own work. This includes writing in Word, building simple presentations in PowerPoint, recording and editing audio and video, and exploring animation and design tools like Canva. These projects are teacher-directed and tied to classroom learning.
Our approach reflects the belief that, at this age, students learn best through direct instruction, conversation, play, and hands-on experiences. Technology at Bedford Road is a limited, intentional layer, never the centerpiece of the school day.
Pleasantville Middle School
