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District staff previews draft EdTech plan, emphasizes graded screen-time limits and cautious AI use
Summary
Matthew Binder, the district’s director of educational technology, outlined a 2026–29 draft EdTech plan that prioritizes intentional device use, digital safety, grade-specific screen-time benchmarks and a cautious, limited approach to AI tools.
Matthew Binder, director of educational technology for Pacific Grove Unified, presented a draft EdTech plan to the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee that the district said will guide how bond-funded classroom technology is used through 2029. Binder told the committee the plan groups work into six areas — classroom technology use, digital safety and citizenship, an AI strategy, technology management, services and support, and signature projects — and that the board will review an updated draft June 4.
The plan emphasizes ‘‘intentionality’’ in device use and sets baseline maximums for student screen time by grade band, Binder said, noting benchmarks vary from early elementary through high school. ‘‘At the high school level … they’re essentially preparing for work, career and college,’’ Binder said, adding that younger students will have substantially less device time and more hands-on activities.
Binder said the district bases the screen-time approach on peer-reviewed research, including guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics and education-technology research models. He described staff work to align homework expectations with what is taught in class and to limit passive consumption of digital content.
On artificial intelligence, Binder said the district is proceeding ‘‘with extreme caution’’ and is blocking most externally hosted AI models. Staff allow use of Google Gemini, which Binder described as an in-ecosystem model that the district can control; other AI services remain blocked while policy and controls are developed.
Committee members asked how the plan defines screen time and how the benchmarks will be enforced. Binder said the plan treats screen time as periods when students work on individual devices and that the district will set maximums by developmental band and session counts. He said site visits and committee input informed the plan, which the district will revise after recent board feedback.
The presentation also listed signature spending priorities for the EdTech bond portion, including device refreshes for students and staff and audiovisual upgrades in non-instructional spaces. Binder said the district received board feedback last week and expects to return the plan to the board for further review and finalization.
