Lincoln Kimbell works out of a textbook during Nikiski North Star’s ‘screen-free’ week Friday in Nikiski. Students and staff unplugged their technology for the entire week, giving the students a chance to compare their educational experience with and without technology. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Lincoln Kimbell works out of a textbook during Nikiski North Star’s ‘screen-free’ week Friday in Nikiski. Students and staff unplugged their technology for the entire week, giving the students a chance to compare their educational experience with and without technology. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Students, staff put technology away for a screen-free week

  • By KAT SORENSEN
  • Monday, March 5, 2018 8:57am
  • News

All the students in Ms. Barnes’ class agreed, the worst part about a technology free week was that they couldn’t listen to music.

Other than that, though, Nikiski North Star Elementary School’s ‘screen-free’ week was well received by students.

“I think our day goes by much faster without any screens,” student Kaydence Jeffreys said. “We learn more without technology. Instead of always being on a computer and focusing our entire attention on the computer, we focused on our work and each other.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The week long experiment, dubbed ‘Nikiski North Star Unplugged’ started on Monday in hopes of giving students the chance to reflect on what education and learning look like with and without technology, said Nikiski North Star Elementary School Principal Margaret Gilman. Students in kindergarten to fifth-grade are technology natives which, for the most part, is a good thing, she said. The young students, though, have never been in a classroom without technology.

“It’s not that we’re saying technology is bad,” Gilman said. “We just want the students to have an opportunity to look at it both ways.”

A screens-free week means no computers, no televisions, no tablets and no smartboards. Gilman found herself hand-writing staff reviews and teachers throughout the school took attendance by hand instead of submitting it through the computer.

So, when Kristine Barnes fifth-grade class could, technically, have continued their daily practice of listening to music but they had no way to play music without a screen.

In lieu of the tunes, though, the students said they found themselves positively interacting with each another more.

“I made new friends without the computer,” said student Alekzander Angleton. “Without going to the computer and fighting over who would get to use them first, we were able to talk more. I learned a lot about my classmates that I hadn’t known before.”

Gilman said she was excited to see how behavior changed without screens, since students would have to be more hands-on and vocal about what they were learning.

“A big part of what the teachers have done is utilizing a station rotation model,” Gilman said. “Say you have four stations for math or reading, typically two are technology based where the kids are practicing the skills using an iPad or laptop. During the week, they still do that model but the teachers have to be very purposeful about what those stations look like without technology.”

Barnes’ classroom found themselves going through what the students described as “stacks and stacks of paper,” but other classrooms used different tools to replace technology.

“In math, we were weaving string and learning that way,” said second-grader Julieann Martin. “We made blankets which was fun and weird at the same time. I’m more used to using iPads and it can be hard to learn without computers but I did still learn all week long.”

Many of the students said that they found themselves learning more, getting more work done and remembering more of what they were taught in the classroom.

“They’ve really matured from this and they know what it is to get their work done,” Barnes said. “They’re really proud of themselves and I’m really proud of them. We need to teach how to learn from computers instead of using them as a distraction.”

Barnes’ students said they hope to make the week-long experiment a part of their classroom routine by limiting screen time and technology to the necessities, and music is “definitely” a necessity.

Reach Kat Sorensen at kat.sorensen@peninsulaclarion.com

Students in Kristine Barnes’ fifth-grade class at Nikiski North Star Elementary spent their class period drawing a timeline of the American Revolution as part of Nikiski North Star Unplugs, a week without screens and technology. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

Students in Kristine Barnes’ fifth-grade class at Nikiski North Star Elementary spent their class period drawing a timeline of the American Revolution as part of Nikiski North Star Unplugs, a week without screens and technology. (Photo by Kat Sorensen/Peninsula Clarion)

More in News

Jason Criss stands for a photo in Soldotna, Alaska, after being named a qualifier for the Special Olympics USA Games on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna athlete to compete in 2026 Special Olympics USA Games

Thousands of athletes from across all 50 states will be competing in 16 sports.

The entrance to the Homer Electric Association office is seen here in Kenai, Alaska on May 7, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
HEA opens bids for real property

The deadline to submit bids is 5 p.m. on Aug. 11.

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. (right) attends a change of plea hearing related to the October 2023 fatal shooting of Brianna Hetrick on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025, at the Homer Courthouse in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Mondragon-Lopez sentenced for death of Homer woman

Arturo Mondragon-Lopez, Jr. accepted a plea deal in February for the shooting of Brianna Hetrick.

Soldotna City Hall is seen on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 in Soldotna, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna OKs $395,000 capital plan

This year’s list of capital projects is “nominal compared to some past years,” according to officials.

A map of areas proposed for annexation by the City of Soldotna. (Provided by City of Soldotna)
Soldotna adds annexation proposal to ballot

The proposed annexation is split across five small areas around the city.

Nets are extended from North Kenai Beach in Kenai, Alaska, during the first day of the Kenai River personal use dipnet fishery on Thursday, July 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
‘A really good day’

Kenai River personal use sockeye salmon dipnet fishery opens.

The entrance to the Kenai Peninsula Borough building in Soldotna is seen here on June 1. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough assembly to consider ordinance to increase residential property tax exemption

If approved by voters in October, the ordinance would increase the tax exemption by $25,000.

Vice President Kelly Cooper speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Borough considers seasonal sales tax rate

Borough sales tax would be modified from a flat 3% to a seasonal model of 4% in summer months and 2% in winter months.

Most Read

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in