Less screen time, digital citizenship in the era of artificial intelligence, and technology’s role in active creation are among some of the initiatives Naperville School District 203 leaders are emphasizing as a new school year looms.
Jayne Willard, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and Matt Langes, director of innovation and learning, provided an update on Naperville 203’s digital learning initiatives for the 2026-27 school year at a meeting Monday, Aug. 3.
A balanced approach in the classroom
Naperville 203 first implemented a districtwide digital learning initiative more than a decade ago, in the 2015-16 school year. The initiative has frequently been updated and reviewed, administrators noted, as technology has evolved.
After several years under the microscope, Willard and Langes said the district’s digital learning initiative is ready for a refresh on the heels of research, educator collaboration, and stakeholder feedback.
Naperville 203’s latest guidelines around technology’s role in the classroom and overall learning environment are more balanced, with a call to supplement traditional learning practices with screen time.
“This is not about moving away from technology,” Willard said. “We believe our responsibility is to prepare students for a digital world that has constantly changed. Today’s students must develop strong digital and AI literacy, learn to think critically about the information they encounter, practice responsible digital citizenship, and understand the ethical implications of emerging technologies.”
Willard and Langes said Naperville 203 is doubling down on an emphasis that technology is to be viewed as a tool to enhance learning. It is not to be a means to drive learning.
“Students still need opportunities for productive struggle, to handwrite, for face-to-face discussion and problem solving, collaboration, for movement, experimentation, and authentic human interactions,” Willard said.
Specific guidelines, recommendations for new year
In the upcoming school year, several specific guidelines and recommendations in relation to the district’s digital learning initiative are on the docket.
The overall amount of screen time within elementary school classrooms, for instance, is expected to decrease from prior years.
One-to-one iPad devices issued from early childhood to grade 2 will remain at the school, under the revised protocols. In grades 3 to 5, the devices can go home up to two days per week for specific instructional purposes.
The district is also doubling down on how technology is to be used in classroom activities across all grade levels, favoring it for active creation, rather than passive consumption. Examples of active creation include peer collaboration, active problem solving, and assisting in creation.
“We want technology used when it adds value to the learning experience — not simply because we have it available,” Langes explained. “We want our students to increasingly use technology to create, communicate, collaborate, and think — rather than simply consume.”
Also on the docket in the year ahead is the implementation of a parent learning series around digital learning and continued, ongoing strides toward gathering feedback on technology use across all grade levels.
Board members share support for plans
At the recent board meeting, a number of elected officials commented on the updated digital learning initiative, with words of support.
“I think this strikes the right balance,” board member Holly Blastic said. “I really appreciate recognizing ‘productive struggle.’ I appreciate that we’re not replacing skills. We’re not going to voice type instead of handwrite. We still need to handwrite; we need to have the motion and movement in the classroom.”
Board member Joseph Kozminski also weighed in with words of support on district leaders’ revised plans.
“I really appreciate the balance,” Kozminski commented. “We’re surrounded with technology, we’re not going to avoid technology, but having the kids learn how to use technology responsibly in the schools, developing that digital citizenship, developing that AI literacy and responsible use … is so critical right now.”
Board member Kristine Gericke said she is hopeful the latest update will meet each student where they are at, based on the specific learning environment that best suits them. Gericke pointed to herself as an example, saying she best commits a thought to memory when it is written out in a paper-and-pen scenario.
“I appreciate, as the pendulum is swinging back, all of the styles of learning are enhanced, I suppose,” Gericke said.
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