FCPS is celebrating Digital Citizenship Week from October 21-25, 2019! This year’s theme is Media Balance and Well-Being: Developing a Healthy Relationship with Your Technology. Celebrate Digital Citizenship Week with activities focused on developing healthy habits around technology use.  As a family, select at least one activity each day that matches the daily theme.

• Monday: Reflect on your technology use
• Tuesday: Exercise a healthy tech habit
• Wednesday: Use technology to actively create
• Thursday: Use high quality age appropriate media
• Friday: Take a break from screens

Monday: Families are encouraged to reflect on their own relationship with technology, their media habits, and begin to think of ways to make some healthy adjustments. 

• Reflect on the role technology plays in your life with Google’s technology self-assessment.
• Track your screen time on Apple and Android devices.
• Check out Google’s Digital Wellbeing tools.
• Use this On-Task Self-Monitoring Sheet and a timer for one day to become more aware of whether technology is distracting you from your homework or other focused work.
• Create a family media plan to reflect on your current practices and plan to incorporate healthy media habits into your home.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics Family Media Planner
  • The SMART Talk 
  • Common Sense Media Device Contract and Media Agreement (K-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Tuesday: Students and families are encouraged to exercise healthy tech practices such as managing notification settings and turning off screens an hour before bedtime.

• Consider making phone-free zones in your home.
• Promote better sleep by disconnecting from screens at least one hour before bedtime and charging your phone outside of the bedroom.
• Change your phone’s notification settings to minimize distractions or try some of these suggestions.
• Visit Google’s Focus Your Time page for suggestions to track usage and manage your time on Android apps as well as time management suggestions for Youtube and Gmail.
• Try some family mindfulness activities with GoNoodle’s Flow channel.

Wednesday: On this day, students and families are encouraged to think about how technology can be used to create original works.  Encourage students to favor the active use of technology for creation over passive consumption. 

• Use Common Sense Media’s App Reviews to learn about your child’s favorite games and apps and what you might need to teach them in order to use it safely.
• As an FCPS student, your child has access to a number of digital tools that promote creativity including Wixie (elementary only), Voicethread, and G Suite including Google Docs, Slides, Drawings, and more. These tools are available for students to create outside of school too!
• Students are also encouraged to experiment with computer coding at home. Code.org has activities that teach students to use coding to design games, apps, drawings, and websites.

Thursday: Students and families are encouraged to think critically about the media they consume and actively evaluate and select high quality, age-appropriate media.

• Help your child become a critical consumer of media by discussing these 5 questions with them when you consume media together such as books, movies, and news articles.
• Consider Common Sense Media’s reviews of movies, apps, TV shows, video games, websites, and music for information that can help you decide if the media your child is consuming is appropriate for them.
• Check out this tip sheet with your child and emphasize the importance of choosing quality resources.
• Try these additional tips on how to establish expectations at home around media use.

Friday: Students and families are encouraged to practice media balance by taking a break from screens to engage in real-world experiences and quality time with their friends and family.

• Have a device-free dinner and focus on connecting as a family.
• Take on a Phone-Free Day challenge as a family and commit to leaving the phone at home when family members go to school or work.  Notice how your day changes and discuss the benefits and challenges together.
• Have a family board game night instead of playing video games or watching TV.
• Make a phone call or write a letter to a family member or friend instead of sending a text or email.
• Spend time outside as a family and leave the phone behind.

Thank you for participating in Digital Citizenship Week!  Take good care of your body, mind and your relationships and enjoy the benefits of using technology in a healthy and balanced way.