Three Skills Students Need to Become Digital Citizens
By Andrew McPeak One of the challenges of our role today as educators is that we often assume that the elderly are the most vulnerable population to online hoaxes, fake news, and scammers. However, this is, quite ironically, a bit of misinformation (or “Fake News”). In fall 2021, a teacher named Amanda Gardner, who had two decades of experience, began what she
Strategies Schools Are Using to Curb Social Media Abuse
By Tim Elmore - These days, I’m reading about school decisions regarding smartphone use, ranging from banning portable devices to displaying laissez-faire attitudes regarding phones. Many educators and support staff feel that students' constant access to social media on their smartphones harms their mental well-being and hinders their ability to learn. Some educators go so far as to say that students are
Taking the Easy Route
By Tim Elmore Most moms with young children are exhausted. At least the ones I meet are. They don’t regret having kids, nor do they resent the parenting journey. They’re just weary. Younger kids can sap the energy right out of you. I recall a humorous story about a mom who was with eight children at the park one day. A
The Connection Between Portable Devices and Substance Abuse in Teens
By Tim Elmore In the past few years, there has been an alarming rise in substance use among youth in the U.S. The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports that 2.08 million teens, ages 12 to 17, reported using drugs in the last month. They deemed this issue a public health crisis. We already know the high rates of teens and young
Creating a Game Plan for Educators and Parents on ChatGPT
By Tim Elmore If you haven’t yet heard of ChatGPT, you need to look into it. It is a new app from Open AI, a Silicon Valley tech company that’s heralding it as a game changer. Unfortunately, it may not be changing the game for the better on all fronts. ChatGPT enables you, as a user, to input information and, almost like
The Shift Away From Instagram and Why It’s Happening
By Tim Elmore I could hardly believe my ears. Six freshmen college students participated in a conversation I hosted informally on their campus. I brought up the popularity of Instagram accounts, and they immediately smiled, as if they had a secret they were keeping from me. When I asked why they were smiling, two of them chimed in, saying, “We’re no
Five Steps to Help Students Avoid the Comparison Trap
Over the last five years, I’ve heard dozens of authors and speakers talk about the “comparison trap.” I believe it’s because people are not only prone to compare themselves to each other, but social media has exacerbated the problem. The student focus groups we hosted two years ago illustrated this challenge for teens. Here are some of the statements we