AP Corner

Students and Technology

When I started elementary school, we didn't have a computer, video games, cell phones, or tablets. However, by the time I graduated from college, the world had changed. Elementary schools had computer labs, video game systems had multiple versions, and cell phones were on the horizon. It's crazy to think how much the world has changed in the last 30 years alone!

Many of our parents also grew up either in a technology free culture or in an era where technology was newly developed. The games we played were Super Mario Brothers, Tetris, or the Legend of Zelda (I recognize I'm dating myself). These games didn't enable us to reach out around the world and, although some had fighting, were very cartoonish and boxy, so seemed less like reality than the games today do.

In quite a few parent meetings these past few weeks, I've noticed that many of our parents don't seem to realize what their children are accessing online. This often stems from the fact that, like me, they didn't grow up with technology. Our students are spending 2-5 hours on tablets, phones, and video games daily (not including weekends) often with little supervision. As a result, we are seeing the impact at school-- shortened attention spans, exhaustion, and access to content beyond their ages.

So what can we do? We can educate our families on ways to manage technology in their households. If you have time, join Joyce on March 7 for a family workshop on children and technology. If you can't make it, please make sure to spread the word to our families.

Important Reminders:

 *Family surveys need to be handed in to Rachel by EOD on Thursday!!!

*3rd- 5th Grades:

     *All ICAs need to be completed and scored in Illuminate by EOD on Thursday

     *STAR Ren window opens on February 25. This is an extremely important assessment, especially for   

      our ELs who need a score for reclassification. Please make sure your students understand the value

      of this test.