What Happens When Tech Becomes a Barrier to Learning?
Michael Drezek has spent years integrating technology into classrooms—not as a distraction, but as a tool for creation, connection, and collaboration. But something changed. He began to notice that even in his most engaging classes—game design labs, interactive projects, cutting-edge tools—students remained tethered to their phones, scrolling endlessly.
“They weren’t creating with tech anymore,” Michael explains. “They were just consuming it.”
This growing disconnect led him to develop Device Freedom, a flexible, project-based learning experience designed to help students—and educators—rethink their relationship with the devices in their pockets. Not to ban them. Not to shame them. But to help them understand them.
The Project: Device Freedom
Device Freedom invites middle and high school students to take a closer look at their digital habits through guided reflection, collaborative research, and real-world storytelling. The project encourages students to ask:
Why are we so connected?
What does “digital wellness” mean to me?
How does device use impact my relationships, creativity, and mental health?
What would balance look like—and how do I create it?
Built to be easily adapted by teachers across content areas, Device Freedom includes media literacy, mental health, and civic engagement components. Students might launch a podcast, write a public op-ed, or design a social campaign—all while learning to use tech as a tool, not a trap.
More Than a Ban
The timing couldn’t be more relevant. New York State’s student phone ban is now in effect, and reactions have been polarizing. Michael’s project isn’t about enforcing compliance. It’s about fostering understanding.
“We’re not trying to take away connection,” he says. “We’re trying to help students see that they don’t have to be controlled by their devices. They can control how they use them.”
That perspective is gaining traction. In conversation with fellow educators and through the Thinkering Fellowship, Michael has begun to map how this project could scale—with entry points for teachers, integration with partners like Same Here Global, and alignment with events like Screen-Free Week and Device-Free February.
Student-Centered, Teacher-Driven
Michael emphasizes that this isn’t a top-down curriculum. It’s a guide that can be adapted by teachers and personalized by students. Whether a health class, an English unit, or a cross-school collaboration, Device Freedom offers options for low-, medium-, and high-intensity implementation.
And while it’s still in early stages, the feedback has been clear: this work matters.
From Passive Use to Purposeful Connection
In an age where students are handed smartphones before they can ride a bike, Michael is asking the right question: How do we help kids find agency in a hyperconnected world?
Device Freedom is his answer. It’s not a recipe—it’s a movement toward intentional tech use, deeper learning, and student well-being.
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