A Montclair Instructor is Behind New Jersey's First Classroom Screen-Time Cap

As students in New Jersey return to classrooms, students in Lebanon Township are walking into a bold experiment in classroom technology – led by the district's superintendent, a Montclair State University adjunct instructor and alum.

Kindergarten through eighth grade classrooms in the district are capping screen time at two hours a day – a first-in-the-state policy – under Superintendent Harold Abraham '11, '15 MA (Educational Leadership), who also teaches in the Educational Leadership program at Montclair's College for Education and Engaged Learning.

"The policy intentionally reduces student screen time throughout the school day, with a renewed emphasis on hands-on learning, meaningful interaction and authentic engagement in the classroom," Abraham says.

In an interview with CBS News New York, Abraham adds, "I think the landscape of educational technology has morphed over time, and it's become too pervasive and inconsistent. So this is us taking the lead, putting parameters around technology each and every day and finding a balance.”

Since the school board passed the policy, dozens of other districts have already reached out asking for a copy. The change comes as a new state law takes effect requiring all New Jersey districts to limit student cellphone use during the school day.

"Technology is important. It's not going anywhere. It's here to stay. But the beauty in life and in our society is in connection, and we want to make sure we capitalize on that," Abraham said.