Like other districts around the world, the pandemic has resulted in New York City closing the digital divide by giving all students access to technology. However, we know that the use of technology carries risks. For example, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an urgent and extraordinary public warning that social networks represent “a profound risk of harm” for young people.
To help ensure that technology is used in ways that benefit them, students actively designed resources to support technological wellness. This conscious, student-led technology integration is being implemented in classrooms across the city.
Tips for Conscious Technology Integration
Energizing Activities
- Body tapping involves touching or patting different areas of the body with the intention of stimulating energy flow, promoting relaxation, and relieving tension.
- Seated or standing twists are yoga poses that involve rotating your upper body while keeping your lower body stable.
relaxing activities
- Mindful breathing involves paying attention to your breath on a deliberate, non-judgmental basis.
- Body scanning is a mindfulness practice that involves directing attention to different parts of the body to raise awareness of bodily sensations, release tension, and promote relaxation.
Construction of connections
- Contemplating strengths is a practice that invites you to reflect on your strengths, qualities, and positive personal attributes.
- Meta meditation, also known as loving-kindness meditation, involves generating feelings of goodwill, compassion, and love toward oneself and others.
Discuss healthy tech habits
- Discuss device addiction with students and how to “break” with your device.
- Discuss the emotional connections to technology use and some risks of using a self-calming device.
Conscious Technology Practice Integration
This work was implemented with educators throughout New York City. Educators explored research on digital health and the device usage habits of their students. Educators worked collaboratively with students to design a classroom environment that supports strong digital health practices.
From consumption to creation
One observation made by teachers was that students used their devices primarily to consume media or play video games, rather than to create content. To encourage creativity, an elementary school teacher started a Minecraft club, which not only inspired the students but also resulted in their victory in the municipal championship. Another elementary teacher set up technology stations, such as the STEAM Station, School News, and Virtual Cozy Corner, to give students new avenues to creatively use their devices to create videos or solve problems.
Peer Mentoring
Teachers also found that students themselves had concerns about the use of their devices and the use of devices by their peers. To address these concerns, the students took the initiative to create podcasts. In an elementary classroom, students created a podcast focused on teaching their classmates how to care for their eyes in a high-tech world. In another elementary class, students created a podcast about AI and its applications in the classroom, as well as their concerns about its use.
Optimization of device on/off time
Educators found that while students were aware of the negative effects of excessive screen time, they had difficulty identifying alternative activities to engage in when away from their devices. In a District 75 special education classroom, students hosted a hobby fair to spark interest among their peers in off-device activities. In a high school classroom, a teacher integrated mindfulness practices and mind breaks to help students optimize their time with and without devices. Additionally, a high school teacher established shared guidelines around device use and guided students on how to make productive use of their time away from screens.
Overall, this professional learning series fostered mindful technology integration driven by student voice. Educators collaborated with students to design a classroom environment that would support healthy device usage habits, encourage creativity, address concerns, and provide support for optimizing time both with and without devices. By involving students in these processes, educators empowered them to become active participants in their digital lives and develop a balanced relationship with technology.
