Finsk stad skippar skärmar till förmån för papper i skolan | NTD NYHETER

In this classroom in Rihimäki in Finland, the students go to the old school and exchange their portable computers and surfboards for paper and a pen. It is part of an initiative from the city that is located about 70 km north of Helsingfors, since Finnish parents and teachers have become increasingly concerned about the impact of the screens on the children. Finland's public education system has been world-famous for its good results in recent decades, and for its willingness to try new teaching methods. Many schools have recently released free portable computers to all students, already from the age of 11. But in the whole of Finland, the children's learning results have slowly deteriorated in recent years. Rihimäki has since 2018 stopped using most of the books in the high school. The total amount of time should be minimum, so not hours spending in front of a screen, but something less. Brains are very vulnerable with multitasking, and especially when you are this young age, so they cannot manage well. You are doing math in computer, and then you go to check Instagram. Are there any messages? And then you come back to math. And then you go to Snapchat, and then you come back to math. Finnish teenagers stare at screens on average up to six hours a day. Pelto Poro says that excessive digital use poses both physical and psychological risks, such as eye problems and growing anxiety. The Finnish government is planning a new legislation that prohibits the use of personal devices, such as telephones, during school. The 14-year-old, Elle Sokka, says that the screens can be a problem. Maybe when we used the Chromebook more, sometimes I would drift off to different websites. Maybe I didn't always focus on the essential things. It's a pretty nice thing, because the ability to concentrate improves. And also, for example, if you have to do homework late at night, it's easier to go to sleep when you haven't just been looking at a device. I find that I can concentrate much better. And doing homework is easier, because I don't have to, like... I don't need a device for it. And writing, it can be a bit tiring, but I, like, learn easier. Maya Kaunonen, an English teacher, says that she is happy about the change in Riihimäki. I am not at all opposed to digital materials. I have used them for many, many years. But I was not impressed with, first of all, the digital material. It wasn't ready. It wasn't good enough, I think, for teaching purposes or learning purposes. And I do think that it has sort of made young people concentrate more during lessons. And there are less distractions with the books. And I do think it is much better.