Schools are rethinking whether every student needs a laptop

Simply reducing students' screen time at school will not prepare them for a world increasingly shaped by data and AI. Klaus Vedfelt/Digital Vision via Getty Images When the COVID-19 pandemic forced in-person classroom instruction to go virtual, students suddenly needed to have their own laptops or tablets in order to interact with teachers and complete assignments. Most states used federal pandemic funding to address the digital divide. This refers to the gap between students and families who…