Students & their Phones

In the next few weeks, we will have completed our STEM Department's cell phone pilot with students. The students had to put their phones in a plastic sleeve and I can't wait to look through the student survey results to see what they thought about the pilot and whether it helped lessen their need to check their phones every minute or so. 

We will provide an update with those results. In the meantime, check out this thoughtful piece by Common Sense Media contributor, Ms. Christine Elgersma

Every generation faces its own challenges—and the ones left behind by those before it. Because the challenges are always different, it's impossible to parse out which group of young people has had it "the hardest." But it's undeniable that the students sitting at desks right now face a fractured, global political landscape as well as the fallout from a pandemic. That's not to mention climate change, soaring costs of college tuition, a mental health crisis, impossibly high property prices, an uncertain job market,; and a deep—often well-founded—mistrust of those with power.

It's also true that they're growing up in a world so saturated by media and technology that they literally don't know where to look. And after returning to the in-person classroom, some are also struggling with how to behave. Plus, grades aren't likely to motivate kids who emulate millionaire social media stars. Trying to fight this tide— this reality—is exhausting, so let's just stop and acknowledge that (pause for deep breath). 

There's also some power in accepting what is. I mean, picture yourself in middle school. Now picture yourself with an endlessly entertaining gadget in your pocket that actively courts your attention. Seriously, how are teachers supposed to compete? 

Between an increasingly distraction-prone present and the breakneck pace of media and tech (like AI) feeding an uncertain future, how can we keep kids engaged? And when they ask, "How is this going to help me later in life?" how can we possibly answer that question?

Maybe we can't—at least, not in the way teachers used to answer it. As the character Melissa from Abbott Elementary says, "We gotta respect their now while preparing them for the future," whatever it may be. Am I saying we should give up and let tech take us—and our kids—along for the ride? NOPE. We still need to work toward well-being and balance. But there are realities that aren't going to change dramatically today or tomorrow. So, I'm trying to see it like this: We can fight the tide, or we can help them row.  

Within the relatively tight parameters of a traditional classroom, what's possible? Maybe focusing on crucial skills they'll definitely need and modeling curiosity and inquiry about all the unknowns is one way to inspire them. Let's zoom out and consider some approaches that might resonate with their present and be beneficial for their future, no matter what it may hold: 

Social and emotional skills (SEL): 

• Leading with empathy and compassion is probably something you're already modeling, and  it can be woven into daily classroom routines.
• Online anonymity leading to cruelty and loneliness is a real concern that we can target through digital citizenship activities and having students reflect on the importance of in-person connection and feelings of belonging.
• Divisive discourse is something kids witness often, so learning to consider others' perspectives and communicate with kindness is key.
• Though it's unclear what direction social media will take, social comparison and pressure is very real right now, and we want our students to understand the illusion of it all and know they are enough, as is.

Critical thinking skills: 

• As tech continues to advance, how can we pause to think critically about potential impacts in the design stages?
• It's already a challenge to slow down and truly consider concepts, so the more we can teach our kids to allow time and space for real critical thought the better.

Problem-solving skills:

• It's likely our students will have to innovate environmental solutions and get creative with resources to create a more sustainable future.
• Along with practicing SEL skills, we want kids to be able to persevere through a problem and see it through to a solution.
• We want kids to value multiple approaches to a problem and see failure as a stepping stone.

Media literacy:

• In an age of deepfakes and disinformation, students need to be able to dig into a topic, see it from multiple sides, consider sources, and then come to conclusions.
• Instead of just consuming content, we want kids everywhere to be involved in media creation, so that all voices are heard and represented in media and tech.

Financial literacy:

• First, we want our kids to understand the financial world they currently live in, from the causes of inflation to how far a paycheck can stretch.
• Many students have experienced financial uncertainty, so instead of "building wealth," as it's sometimes framed, we can meet students where they are and build financial literacy from there.
• Without denying the statistical reality that a college degree can potentially lead to higher income, we want to be real with students about all the opportunities out there—and college isn't the only one.
• Will cryptocurrency truly take over? We don't know, but it's probably worth learning about!

FIND A NEW RESOURCE Need a News and Media Literacy Resource? Check out these curated resources we recommend to help kids of all ages gain critical media literacy skills.

GET SOME TIPS Strategies to Encourage Media Balance Use these tips to help students, families, and yourself find some sense of balance with screen use.