ACTIVITY 1 (20 minutes): TECHNOLOGY GRAFFITI

Technology blesses our lives, but it also complicates our lives. In this lesson, we will be reviewing the different roles that we each play as consumers, creators, and citizens in the context of technology. In addition to reviewing the challenges, students will be encouraged to create positive solutions in each of these roles.

Have a class discussion:

• We are constantly hearing parents and teachers warn about the negative effects of technology use. Why do you think they are so concerned?
• What are some of the most common concerns you hear about?

Using a graffiti discussion strategy, have 3 chart papers hanging around the room. Give each student a black marker and invite them to rotate through the chart posters and write down ideas that come to mind about each of the prompts.

Chart Paper 1: Negative effects and concerns about technology use

Chart Paper 2: Rules and policies regarding technology at school

Chart Paper 3: Rules and policies regarding technology at home

The chart papers will be used throughout the activities as a way to access students’ prior knowledge as well as to add New knowledge.

ACTIVITY 2 (20 minutes): DIGITAL DANGERS

One of the concerns often cited in the research and also from parents and teachers are the dangers that students can be exposed to when consuming digital media.

Introduce the phrase: Digital Dangers: Be alert and ready

Research from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) teaches us that children of all ages might be exposed to the following when using technology apps and websites:

• Violence and risk-taking behaviors
• Videos of stunts or challenges that may inspire unsafe behavior
• Sexual content
• Negative stereotypes
• Substance use
• Cyberbullies and predators
• Advertising aimed at your child
• Misleading or inaccurate information

If you were an adult trying to protect your own children or students, what systems would you put in place to be alert and ready?

• What is your current technology plan at home? How does it protect you from these dangers? What dangers still need to be addressed in your technology plan?
• What is the technology policy at school? How does it protect you from these dangers? What dangers still need to be addressed in our school technology plan?

You could bring in a guest speaker to share important information about these dangers with your class and community. You could invite the technology specialist from the school/district or a member of the admin team to review the technology policy of the school and explain the reasoning behind the different policies.

ACTIVITY 3 (30 minutes): POSITIVE PEER PRESSURE AND SELF-IMAGE

Another concern often expressed is online peer pressure and comparison.

Through a class discussion, have the students create a definition of peer pressure.

• Can peer pressure ever be positive?

Divide students into 4 small groups and give them a few minutes to brainstorm ideas when peer pressure might be a positive event. Have groups present their ideas and discuss them as a whole class.

Self-image is “one’s view or concept of oneself. Self-image is a crucial aspect of an individual’s personality that can determine the success of relationships and a sense of general well-being,” according to APA Dictionary. Our self-image includes all areas of well-being and can be broken down into 3 elements:

1. The way we see ourselves.
2. The way we think others view us.
3. The way we would like to be.

Self-image can make us feel whole and happy when it is high; however, low self-image has been connected with feelings of depression. “When we feel bad about ourselves, it’s natural that our perception of ourselves can suffer.” (Courtney E. Ackerman, MA.) Luckily, practicing healthy self-image habits can help.

Watch the video, “Small Talk–Peer Pressure–CBC Kids,” by CBC Kids. Ask for a show of hands for those who have ever felt peer pressure. Then read the definitions for explicit and implicit peer pressure.

Part of our self-image considers what others think of us. Peer pressure is defined as “the influence exerted by a peer group on its individual members to fit in with or conform to the group’s norms and expectations.” (APA Dictionary) Peer pressure can be categorized as either implicit or explicit:

• “Explicit pressure happens when someone directly comments on a peer’s behavior or suggests they act in a certain way. For example: ‘We’re all skipping math because Mr. X is such a jerk. Ditch with us.’” (Crystal
  Raypole)
• “Implicit pressure happens when someone changes their behavior to better fit in with the people around them. This unspoken influence often comes from popular trends. It may help explain clothing choices you see as baffling, or your child’s desire to play a video game they’ve never expressed interest in before.” (Crystal Raypole)

Have a discussion with students:

• How can you use positive peer pressure to make choices that align with your values?
• How can you identify negative peer pressure? What are the warning signs?
• Who is someone that you have observed using digital media in a positive way? What did you like about their usage?

Have students get into small groups of 3–4 and brainstorm ways to use technology to encourage others to make healthy choices or value-based choices.

In those same groups, have students create posters as part of a “Cool Is…” positive peer pressure campaign. Students can hand-draw or digitally design posters to post around the school that encourage other kids to be truly “cool.” Encourage students to include important values (e.g., being helpful) in each of their examples, as well as strong pictures or visuals that support their messages. Posters should be relatable for their peers that will see them. Some ideas for groups that are struggling include:

• Finding power in numbers.
• Brushing off negative peer pressure.
• Standing up for others.
• Saying no to things that may hurt or harm.

ACTIVITY 4 (20 minutes): DIGITAL DISCERNMENT

Not all policies and plans can account for every digital situation. You might have strong rules in place at school and at home but you might visit a friend’s house where there are no rules and filters. How can you make choices about what you will do in those situations?

Look at the chart of positive values or traits together.

One way to think about this is to reflect on your own personal values and what your ideal technology use will look like.

You can ask yourself questions to see if your media choices align with your values:

• What would a loyal person do if their friend was being made fun of?
• What would a mature person do to protect themselves?
• What would an honest person do if lies were being spread around?

Invite the class to brainstorm a few more sentences using the sentence frame and the values and traits chart: “What would a _______ person do if…”

Share the definition of discernment or the ability to judge well.

Digital discernment means to judge between right and wrong as well as to judge between if the information you are viewing is reliable and trustworthy. 

We can use digital discernment to decide if an app or website aligns with our personal technology plan. Divide the class into groups of 3–4 students. Invite the students to think of a technology scenario in which they will need to discern in the moment as to what is right and wrong. Invite each group to come up with 2–3 solutions and phrases they can use when saying no to technology.

Invite the groups to share. An extension to this activity would be to invite groups to create posters or technology presentations to share with younger students that helps them discern and say no.

ACTIVITY 5 (25 minutes): SOURCE RATING GUIDE

We can use our critical thinking skills to help us discern and judge if the sources of technology we are viewing are right or wrong as well as reliable and trustworthy. When we critically think about a source, we ask ourselves the following questions:

• Does this source help me gain new knowledge?
• Does this source help me make connections to important ideas?
• Is this source reliable? How can I tell?
• Does this source present multiple perspectives?
• Is this source relevant and useful?
• Does this source provide opinions or facts?
• Does this source provide facts that I can use to inform my opinions?

Review the infographic about the sites most visited by teens.

Divide the class into 10 groups and assign each group an app from the image to discuss. Have each group critically think about the source and give it a discernment rating. Remember, digital discernment means to judge between right and wrong as well as to judge between if the information you are viewing is reliable and trustworthy.

How can using a discernment rating about the various apps and sources you view help you make informed decisions?

Invite students to create a source rating guide (much like a TV/movie rating guide) for other students.

• What steps do you take to judge/discern about the things you are seeing on social media or through various forms of technology?
• Does your family have a technology plan in place to help you discern or judge what you are seeing?

Invite students to work with parents to create a technology plan that addresses technology use at home and elsewhere.

Encourage them to include some personal values in the plan.

ACTIVITY 6 (20 minutes): CHOICES & CONSEQUENCES

Invite students to think about the rules they are asked to keep at home and at school regarding technology.  Have a discussion. Make a list on the board. Divide the class into groups of 3–4 students and divide out the rules among the groups. Invite each group to answer the following questions:

• What is the rule?
• What is the rule trying to protect us from?
• What are the short-term consequences of not keeping the rules?
• What are the long-term consequences of not keeping the rules?
• What are the barriers to keeping the rules?
• What strategy or plan could you put in place to help you establish and adhere to your personal boundaries and rules?
• How can you use freedom of choice (think: agency, choice, and voice) while also acknowledging and even honoring societal rules?

Divide the class into groups of 3 or 4. Remind students that consequences come as a result of choices. If we think about the consequences (both good and bad), it can help us make better choices. Thinking about short-term and long-term consequences can also help us make better choices. As a group, discuss the following choices addressing the questions asked.

“Should I visit this site/app?”

• What are the natural consequences (good and bad) of this choice?
• What are the short-term and long-term consequences of this choice?
• What other options do I have?

“Should I post this information?”

• What are the natural consequences (good and bad) of this choice?
• What are the short-term and long-term consequences of this choice?
• What other options do I have?

“Should I respond to this post?”

• What are the natural consequences (good and bad) of this choice?
• What are the short-term and long-term consequences of this choice?
• What other options do I have?

Once groups have discussed all 3 questions, have each group share their ideas with the class.

Finally, invite students to write their own “report card” in which they grade themselves based on how well they are following through on their responsibilities and making positive/healthy choices with technology. Have students add comments that defend the grade.

Extension: As a class project, have students design a digital brochure detailing safety issues and procedures regarding common technology scenarios and behaviors. Share the brochures with younger students in your area. Set up a time to go and visit with select classes at the junior high or middle school and invite high school students to share what they have learned and what they wish they would have known back in those grades. 

ACTIVITY 7 (25 minutes): DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS

Review the infographic again and have students estimate how much of their personal time is spent on the various social media apps. Then have students respond to the journal prompt questions.

• Which apps and websites do I visit the most?
• How much time do I spend on apps and websites?
• What are the positive and negative consequences of my use of time?

Modern technologies can be wonderful tools, but they can also be great for wasting time. It is important that we balance our online media time with our other needs and interests.

Invite students to read the article, “Too Much of a Good Thing: The Impact of Technology on Teens’ Mental Wellness,” by Clarity Child Guidance Center. (digital link) This article summarizes the effects of too much technology into 4 main categories:

1. Identify, Self-Esteem, and Body Image
2. Relationship Development
3. Lack of Empathy
4. Emotional Development

Have a discussion:

• How does too much screen time result in distractions that take away from important skills that you could be developing?
• How can you tell when you have had too much screen time?

Many researchers have found that too much screen time has negative effects on our health. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, too much screen time may lead to:

• Sleep problems
• Lower grades in school
• Reading fewer books
• Less time with family and friends
• Not enough outdoor or physical activity
• Weight problems
• Mood problems
• Poor self-image and body image issues
• Fear of missing out
• Less time learning other ways to relax and have fun

Strengthening our well-being includes controlling the content that enters into our mind so we can better facilitate our overall health and happiness.

Introduce students to the phrase: Digital Distractions: Keep your focus and know your purpose. 

ACTIVITY 8 (ongoing): SCREEN-FREE TIME

Read the book, “TEK: The Modern Cave Boy” by Patrick McDonnell. Ask students to turn to a neighbor and discuss the theme or moral of the story. Share a few answers with the class.

Have a discussion:

• Why is it important to balance online time with offline time?
• What constitutes “screen time”? (e.g., TV, phones, tablets)
• How much screen time do you think doctors recommend we have?

Pass out the Technology and Well-Being handout. Read the following quotes and invite students to fill in the chart with ways that screens and media can impact each area of their well-being. Some areas may not be covered in-depth, so you can fill those sections in using inferences or ideas.

• “Children and adolescents spend a lot of time watching screens, including smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, TVs, and computers. On average, children ages 8–12 in the United States spend 4–6 hours a day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to 9 hours. While screens can entertain, teach, and keep children occupied, too much use may lead to problems.” (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)
• “The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children younger than 2 and recommends limiting older children’s screen time to no more than one or two hours a day.” (Mayo Clinic)
• “For ages 6 and older, encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.” (American
  Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry)
• “Social media can affect users’ self-esteem, confidence, and mental health. Research has also shown that social comparisons are cognitively inefficient and require a lot of mental resources to process. Those who are solely focused on social comparisons can experience detrimental effects, including decreased appearance satisfaction, low self-evaluations, higher negative mood, insecurity, and anxiety. Since social media influencers’ whole lives and careers are invested in social media, many experience these negative effects. Additionally, consumers of social media often engage in upward social comparisons that can negatively impact mental health. This is especially true for influencers, as they constantly look up to, and compare themselves with, other high-status influencers.” (Robert T Muller Ph.D.)

Extension: Invite class members to complete a week-long screen-free challenge. Rather than focusing on all of the “dos” and “don’ts,” emphasize and celebrate all of the new things that students can try. Pass out the Scree-Free Week Challenge handout to each student. Invite them to look over the chart at the bottom and have a discussion about more screen-free activities that they might like to do. Have students write down the activities that they do every day and bring back the handout at the end of the challenge. You can provide a small treat/prize for students who bring back their completed papers. Keep this activity positive and encouraging and make sure to share some personal experiences, as well.

ACTIVITY 9 (20 minutes): CONSCIENTIOUS CITIZENS

Watch the video, “Make Digital Citizenship about the Do’s, not the Don’ts,” by ISTE. Review the 5 Competencies of Digital Citizenship:

• Inclusive: I am open to hearing and respectfully recognizing multiple viewpoints, and I engage with
  others online with respect and empathy.
• Informed: I evaluate the accuracy, perspective, and validity of digital media and social posts.
• Engaged: I use technology and digital channels for civic engagement, to solve problems and be a force for
  good in both physical and virtual communities.
• Balanced: I make informed decisions about how to prioritize my time and activities online and off.
• Alert: I am aware of my online actions, and know how to be safe and create safe spaces for others online.

Have a discussion:

• How have computers and the internet impacted citizenship?
• How can media and technology affect rights and responsibilities?
• What is one thing that you could do to be a better digital citizen?
• What is one thing that our school could improve about the digital citizenship at our school?

Invite students to journal for 5 minutes on the following prompt:

• Journal: What values are most important to you in your life? What do you hope for your future and the way you will contribute to the world?

After the journal, have students discuss with a partner how social media both contributes to and hinders their values and the way they want to go about their world/lives. Call on a few students to share their thoughts.

After the class discussion, invite students to think about how to be more conscientious of the influence that social media has. Ask them to spend 10–15 minutes thinking of ways to be more intentional with social media and to better align their values and actions. They can pick from the following ideas or come up with their own:

• Write about/decide/reflect on your purpose/intentional choice with being on or off of social media (including the particular media you choose to engage in and not engage in)?
• Reflect on how much time you would like to spend on social media.  What can you do to ensure you stay within that goal?
• Go through who you follow, particularly people you don’t know personally. Do these people and their posts/content align with your values and goals of social media?
• Search for people you could follow that do align/more closely align with your social media purpose.
• Send 5–10 positive messages to friends/families/influencers that have made a positive impact on your life.
• What does your legacy of social media look like? (e.g., If you combine your DMs, comments, posts, messages, etc., does that reflect the legacy you want to leave?) How can you better align your actions and your values/goals/vision for your life on social media?

Have students monitor their social media use for a week, after making the changes/goals in the activity presented earlier. Hold a class discussion on how it has changed their mindset, interactions, and view of themselves and others.

ACTIVITY 10 (45 minutes): CREATORS, CONSTRUCTORS OF KNOWLEDGE

The English Language Arts standards encourage students to use technology, including the internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

ISTE. The International Society for Technology in Education advocates the following ways that students could use technology as constructors of knowledge:

1.3 Knowledge Constructor

Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

1.4 Innovative Designer

Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

1.5 Computational Thinker

Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.

1.6 Creative Communicator

Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.

1.7 Global Collaborator

Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.

Invite students to make a list of current general problems in the community, nation, or globally. An alternative activity is to invite students to review the article, “Ten Big Global Challenges Technology Could Solve,” by Industry Wired.

Divide students into 5 groups and choose an area that they want to use technology to create, solve a problem, or connect with others. Invite students to analyze the following:

• How has technology contributed to the problem?
• How is technology being used to address/solve the problem?
• How could you design a solution using technology to solve the problem?

Invite students to work together in groups to research the problem and possible technology-based solutions.

Have a group discussion.

• How did technology leverage the solution vs not using technology?

Activity 11 (20 minutes): WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Create a class definition for good written communication. Then discuss how, even though written communication is straightforward, misunderstanding could result from a simple difference between a comma or a hyphen. For example, the sentence “Most of the time, travelers worry about their luggage” is completely changed without the comma. (“Most of the time travelers worry about their luggage.”) Continue to discuss the following prompts:

• In a digital world, where so much of our communication is typed out, what do you think our biggest challenge is when it comes to effective communication?
• In a digital world, where so much of our communication is typed out, what do you think our biggest challenge is when it comes to effective communication?
• Has someone ever misunderstood a text message or something you posted on one of your social media accounts? What caused the misunderstanding? What did it take to fix the misunderstanding? Why do you think written communication lends itself to being misinterpreted?
• Do you consider GIFs, memes, and emojis communication? If so, what type of communication are they? What role do they play in communication?