Heart-to-Heart (30 Mins) 

Students work collaboratively.

1. Group class into two equal-sized groups.
2. Arrange them in 2 circles, one inner and one outer so that the students are facing each other one to one. 
3. Ask your students to discuss the following discussion prompts with their partners. Allot a few minutes to each prompt and then have the outer circle move one position to the right for the next prompt.

How would you feel if campus was completely tech-free? 

What conditions help you focus best on your work? 

How much do you think technology impacts your learning in a positive way? 

How much do you think technology impacts your learning in a negative way? 

What tech tools do you use the most? 

Ask your students to share some highlights from their conversations.

Key Learning: Students engage in honest conversations with classmates who might have different opinions from their own. They get a range of perspectives and reconsider some of their own.

Learning Plan (30 Mins)

Students work individually or collaboratively.

Pretend you are in charge of a school. Come up with a learning plan for a post-Pandemic world. Would you implement a 1:1 program? How would you implement technology to enhance learning and make students feel more connected to each other? 

Key Learning: Students problem-solve and brainstorm ways to layout an educational environment that would facilitate learning for themselves and their fellow classmates.

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More topics, discussion questions and movie clips relating to "Learning Plan": 

1:1 Programs

When schools provide their students with digital devices to use in the classroom and at home, this is known as a one-to-one or 1:1 program. These programs have been increasingly gaining popularity over recent years. A 2018-2019 Consortium for School Networking study found that 40% of K-12 school technology leaders report having a 1:1 program at their school.

Does your school provide or have a plan to provide every student with a digital device to use in school and at home? If so, how has it impacted your school’s environment?

Review some of these studies from "Away For The Day" for a deeper understanding of the impacts of tech in schools.

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How Covid-19 Changed Tech In Schools

In 2021, 90% of high schools and middle schools ended up adopting a one-to-one program, because of the Covid-19 Pandemic. When it became unsafe to be in a classroom with other students, schools had to rely on technology, whether they liked it or not.

When the Pandemic struck, what changed at school? What was different socially, academically, etc., and how did you cope and adapt?

Do you think relying on technology during the Pandemic helped or hindered your learning? How do you think it impacted other students?
(Consider students who didn’t have access to a device or reliable internet during the Pandemic, students who already relied on adaptive / assistive technology, the distractions every student faced when learning from home, and the increased screen time everyone was faced with.)

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Should Phones Be Put 'Away For The Day'? 

Many schools are implementing “Away For The Day” policies, where phones are either prohibited from being out during class time, or prohibited from being out anywhere on campus during school hours.

Which phone policy would you prefer at your school? One that’s lenient and allows students to make their own decisions about where and how they use their phones, or one that prohibits phones from being out at all?

Tech All Around Us (15-20 Mins)

Students begin by working individually and then discuss with classmates. 

Look around your classroom. How many screens and pieces of technology can you point out?

Discuss with other students: Were there more or less screens in your classroom than you expected? Do you think always being surrounded by technology has an impact on us? 

Key Learning: Students recognize how ubiquitous technology is and get to form their own opinions about how present it truly is.

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More discussion questions and movie clips relating to "Tech All Around Us": 

No school has screens “figured out.” Teachers, administrators and students all have different ideas about how to best handle personal technology in schools, and with so many different techniques and ideas, it’s hard to determine which path to take when it comes to screens and education.

One student from the film argues that student phone use should be up to the discretion of each student.

What is your school’s policy on personal digital devices on campus and in the classroom?

How do you think you would function in a classroom that leaves phone rules up to the students?

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Storytelling (15-20 Mins)

Students work collaboratively. 

• Split up into pairs. One person will be the storyteller and the other person will be the multi-tasker.
• If you have access to a computer in your classroom, have the multi-tasker use it while the storyteller speaks for a few minutes. 
• If the teacher is the only one with access to a device, have a student volunteer tell them a story while the teacher uses their device. 
• Discuss: can the multi-tasker summarize the storyteller’s story? How much of it do they remember? How much of it did they forget?

Key Learning: Students develop a deeper / new understanding about how their brain functions through real life experience.

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More topics, discussion questions and movie clips relating to "Storytelling": 

While multitasking can feel like a great way to balance work and entertainment, data shows that it isn't as effective as we may think it is.

In the clip to the right, Delaney chats with a student from the film, who explains that her phone distracts her so much during class that she can't focus on what her teachers are saying.

Psychology professor Sherry Turkle, PhD, explains the science behind multitasking, and why it isn't as effective as we might think it is.

There have been a number of studies on the negative effects of multitasking on learning. A few have looked at how using technology in an off-topic way during a class or lecture can impact test scores and comprehension.

How do you feel when students around you are on their phones, in class and on campus in general?

Child development researcher Dimitri Christakis, MD explains the fatigue that can take place in our brain when we try to multitask.

Have you noticed whether multitasking affects your ability to focus and complete tasks?

Did the Storytelling activity change the way you think about multitasking?

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