Today's Newsletter: All I Want For Christmas is My Smartphone Screen

T&L Advisor Guest post — Carl Hooker, Director of Instructional Technology, Eanes I.S.D., and author of the Mobile Mindset series: As someone who speaks to parent groups in my own community and around the country, I can tell you there is one bit of advice I give to parents that doesn’t go over too well. When talking about screen-time and sleep cycles, I suggest that families place their devices into a “nest” to charge for the night that is away from their beds. Parents usually nod their heads in agreement until I tell them that they too must model this behavior, at which point they turn into teenagers with comments like, “You mean take away my device at bed time? But I use it to read! I use it for an alarm clock!” This recent study by Common Sense Media shows that there is a tension between what parents say to their kids and what they do. Many parents are concerned about social media use by their kids and 41% of parents actively monitor their kids’ social media accounts. Just like our President-Elect, they have to know that everything they post can be seen and has repercussions. On a positive note, according to the report, 94% believe that technology can help with their child’s education and helps prepare them for 21st Century jobs. In the end, it’s really all about balance….now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go Tweet that!