As educators and administrators, we stand at a pivotal intersection between two worlds: the curated world of online platforms and the raw, unfiltered realities of offline life. From this crossroads, we strive to sharpen digital literacy skills that prepare students for work and life in the digital age.
Try as many lessons as you’d like, but when it comes to fostering digital purpose and resilience, students learn best from true-to-life examples. In other words, educators must model intentionality in their tech use, as well as create spaces for meaningful offline connections and equip students with the skills needed to critically engage with digital content.
What does that look like in practice? Here are a few ways to infuse intentionality and digital balance into your lesson plans:
Go beyond functional digital literacy to uncover the mechanisms that drive engagement.
Students should understand how algorithms work, why platforms prioritize sensationalism, and how emotional manipulation is baked into social media algorithms.
Use real-world examples: Present side-by-side comparisons of clickbait headlines and reliable journalism. Ask students to evaluate what grabs their attention and why.
Introduce tools like NewsGuard and Ad Fontes Media Bias Chart to analyze media credibility and bias.
Guide discussions with questions like:
Empower students to question, analyze, and reflect on the media they consume. Teach them that digital spaces are not neutral, and that they are built with goals in mind (often at odds with the user’s well-being).
Develop classroom activities around the ASK framework:
Assign a media comparison exercise: Have students review the same event as reported by multiple outlets to identify discrepancies in tone, bias, or emphasis.
Digital thriving happens when students learn to value unfiltered, offline experiences. Whether it’s through face-to-face dialogue, collaboration, or quiet reflection, fostering real-world connections is essential.
Host screen-free days in the classroom to emphasize face-to-face interaction.
Use collaborative, real-world projects like debates, science experiments, or creative writing workshops to encourage teamwork and critical thinking.
Incorporate mindfulness practices, such as journaling, mediation, or deep-breathing exercises, to help students reconnect with their inner lives.
Students learn by watching the adults around them – including their teachers. Demonstrate a healthy relationship with technology by being intentional about when and how you use it.
Narrate your decisions: “Let’s turn off our smart panel to engage in a more direct discussion.”
Share tools you use to manage screen time or notifications, such as Focus Mode (Android) Focus Mode (iPhone) or Screen Time on your devices.
Set professional boundaries, such as “no emails after a certain time”, and explain how this contributes to digital balance.
Help students recognize the emotional highs and lows of seeking validation online and guide them toward internal sources of self-worth.
Use role-playing scenarios: Act out what happens when someone posts a photo and receives both likes and negative comments. Discuss how this impacts emotional regulation.
Encourage reflective journaling with prompts like:
Balance is key, and a great way to balance screen time is with equally enriching unplugged activities. Help students discover activities and hobbies that enrich their lives outside of technology.
Organize passion projects where students dedicate time to learning a new skill, like painting, playing organized games, cooking, or playing an instrument — entirely offline.
Promote participation in extracurriculars like sports, drama, or student government (or help organize a new club that meets students’ interests).
Share stories of how you spend time offline pursuing hobbies or spending time with loved ones.
Digital spaces thrive on connection. But too often, they also amplify division and negativity. Teach students to engage with empathy and integrity.
Encourage students to pause before posting or commenting. Ask them to consider: Is this true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?
Role-play challenging online scenarios: What would you do if you saw a friend being bullied online? How could you support them?
Facilitate discussions about online boundaries, respect, and safety using tools like Smart Talk and Be Internet Awesome.
Help students recognize when technology is controlling them, rather than the other way around. Building self-awareness and emotional regulation is vital.
Teach the “Pause and Reflect” strategy: Before picking up a device, take five deep breaths and ask, “What do I need this for right now?”
Create screen-free zones in classrooms, such as device-free discussions or mindfulness corners.
Gamify focused work or study time using apps like Forest.
To make thriving a shared goal, collaborate with families and communities. Digital well-being shouldn’t end at the classroom door.
Host parent workshops on managing screen time at home and setting tech boundaries (I can help. Don’t hesitate to reach out!)
Distribute family-focused tools like The Smart Talk, Meet Circle, or our SEL Tool Kit (coming soon) to encourage consistent digital habits.
Advocate for broader conversations around digital wellness within school boards and administrative teams.
Digital thriving doesn’t start overnight – for you or for your students. Start modeling intentional technology use now to give your students a leg up on forming self-regulating technology use habits.
Educators like you deserve to digitally thrive, too. Discover how unsustainable tech habits contribute to teacher burnout in our new online course, Thriving in a Digital World.
In this free, self-paced course, you’ll explore practical strategies for combating digital fatigue as a teacher, and how to positively influence your students’ tech use.
You can also check out this month’s One-to-One podcast featuring an interview with Beck Tench from the Harvard Center for Digital Thriving (and yours truly).
Holly assists educators throughout the state in addressing digital responsibility, fostering positive online behaviors, and enhancing social-emotional skills among students.
Sam leads and supports the execution and growth of LTC services through the development and creation of innovative, impactful, and timely digital content.
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