In today's fast-paced world, information is at our fingertips 24/7. It can be a bit overwhelming, but when you find a way to filter the information, the potential for learning is incredible. For me, subscribing to blogs is a way to get bite-sized pieces of information straight to my email inbox. Sometimes I read through each post, sometimes I save them for later, sometimes I delete them. One thing is for sure, though: I learn SO much from bloggers in the education community. One blogger you should know is Seth Perler. Perler is an Executive Function and Twice Exceptional Coach out of Colorado, and his information is WONDERFUL. If you aren't familiar with the term executive function, or even if you are, I suggest you read Perler's article here. It gives a very clear, easy-to-read explanation of executive function and what we need to do to help students who struggle with it.
In a nutshell, students who struggle with executive function are those kids who just can't do school. They can't seem get their homework done and they are disorganized. They have been groomed to think they are dumb or lazy, and their teachers think they have all this potential and they "just need to get it together." Really, these kids are as Perler calls them "out-of-the-box thinkers". It's not that they are dumb or they are wasting their God-given talents; rather, these students don't operate in a way that allows them to be successful in the traditional school setting. I have had so many kids that fit this description in my years as a classroom teacher, and I know I didn't always help them like I needed to, because sometimes I just didn't know how. Perler provides a plethora of resources for students, parents, and teachers. The videos for students are awesome, and he speaks in a way that definitely connects with kids. I highly encourage you to check Perler out. I guarantee when you start reading, students will start coming to mind, and hopefully you will be able to help them improve executive functioning, giving them a leg up in school and in their future.
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Let's start with some research. Common Sense Media is an awesome organization for parents and educators to find resources on managing life in a digital world. They surveyed teens on screen time and its effect on their lives. What have they found? Teens' relationship with social media is very complicated. For example, according to their 2018 report, "Social media helps alleviate teens’ depression by connecting them to support and inspiration, and also contributes to depression for those who get stuck in a loop of isolation and self-abnegation" (p. 24). Watch the video below to see teens' explanations of this complex relationship. So what do we do? As educators, we have to help students navigate the confusing and sometimes treacherous waters of the digital world. Instead of being unaccepting of teens' obsession with being plugged in all the time, we must accept it and help them. As a mom of two toddlers, I've read time and time again, kids need limits. We adults must provide these limits. I teach my son that, no, it's not ok to touch the hot stove because he'll burn himself. Just like we teach kids limits in these other areas of life, we also have to teach limits on screen time. In addition, we have to address their social-emotional needs and make sure they have the skillset to handle what comes their way. We have to keep lines of communication open so they can discuss what they see and hear. Sometimes, I think adults are just as bad (or worse) than kids. Sometimes, I get sidetracked looking at Snapchat Stories and my daughter so nicely tells me, "Mommy, get off your phone." It happens. Luckily, the tech world understands this, and companies are coming up with solutions to help us and our kids. Apple's newest iOS release unveiled the Screen Time feature, which allows you to monitor your phone usage and the usage of family members. I have mine set so I only get 30 minutes of social media usage per day, and then those apps essentially shut themselves off. All of my apps except messaging and phone calls turn off at 10pm, to help me quit scrolling through Instagram and go to sleep instead. If you have an iPhone, I highly encourage you to check it out.
Overall, screen time is a complicated subject, and one on which we don't have a lot of longitudinal research. Having an open dialogue and setting limits seem like a good start in getting a handle on things! Learn more about Apple's Screen Time here. For non-iPhone users, Android has the ability to manage screen time as well, and there are many apps out there that you can install to monitor screen time. I've got two quick updates for this Digital Tool Tidbit! First, Pear Deck just came out with a Chrome Extension called Pear Deck Power-Up. This extension, when installed, allows you to play your videos, animations, and GIFs while presenting in Pear Deck. This adds functionality to your interactive presentations, making them even better than before! Go here to install the extension. Second, Google Classroom continues to improve since its initial update. Now, you can add the Classwork page to old classes. This is great for teachers who reused their classes at the start of this year.
To add:
You can find more information on the initial update to Google Classroom in my post here. |
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April 2020
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