About
We are Brunswick parents, educators and neighbors who want technology in our schools to be a deliberate choice.
Why
In a few short years, laptops, tablets and learning apps have become part of nearly every school day, often starting in the earliest grades. Some of that technology helps. Some of it simply fills time, divides attention or collects data about our children.
Meanwhile, a growing body of research, and the experience of many teachers, suggests that children learn and connect best through focused attention, handwriting, printed books, movement and face-to-face conversation. Communities across Maine and the country are asking the same questions we are, and schools are listening.
BITS began so that Brunswick families and educators could ask those questions together, calmly and with good information.
What we do
- Share research and practical resources with families and educators
- Host community conversations, screenings and book circles
- Support phone-free school days
- Ask for clear, published guidelines on classroom screen time, platforms and student data
- Help families of classmates connect and make decisions together
How we work
We are not against technology, and we are not against our schools. Our teachers and administrators care deeply about our children. We hope to be good partners: listening first, bringing evidence, and working through the school board and existing channels.
We also try to hold these questions without judgment. Every family makes its own choices at home. What we can decide together is the kind of learning environment our schools provide.
Neighbors
We are grateful to, and learn from, groups doing similar work nearby and beyond: