Schools and Screens

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Long before Chromebook giveaways and remote learning, screen media technologies were promoted by American education reformers as solutions to educational challenges. Despite the enthusiasm surrounding film screenings, television programs, and computer games, the transformation promised by advocates never materialized. Victoria Cain chronicles key moments in the history of educational technology, detailing how reformers, technocrats, public television producers, and computer scientists sought to leverage screen-based media to influence generations of students. Starting in the 1930s, proponents viewed screens as vital for training citizens, showcasing films for educational purposes, including the controversial Birth of a Nation. In the 1950s and 1960s, both technocrats and leftist educators utilized screens to prepare young Americans for Cold War citizenship. From the 1970s to the 1990s, the introduction of commercial television and personal computers in classrooms reflected a more privatized vision of education and civic engagement. Cain argues that the narrative surrounding screens in schools transcends the quest for effective technological tools; it highlights persistent tensions regarding citizenship, racial politics, private funding, and teacher distrust. Ultimately, she reveals that the technologies envisioned to enhance education and civic training instead exacerbated educational inequities.