Giving Compass' Take:

• Ana Homayoun, writing for EdSurge, is helping schools brainstorm ideas on creating curriculum and school policies that help curb students' digital distractions. 

• How are educators monitoring education technology in the classroom? 

• Read about the opportunities for technology within school districts.

Students today feel overwhelmed trying to juggle their academic, social and extracurricular experiences online and in real life, and educators play a role in providing support and structure to help students develop better habits to promote social and emotional wellness. According to the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of teenagers check their phones as soon as they get up (and so do 58 percent of their parents), and 45 percent of teenagers feel as though they are online on a nearly constant basis. Interestingly, and importantly, over half of U.S. teenagers feel as though they spend too much time on their cell phones.

It’s no secret that students today face the ultimate paradox—the same tools they need to use to complete their work can also provide their biggest distractions from completing work.

In providing students with technology, we haven’t provided students with guidance around critical executive functioning skills. As schools have increased the use of technology in the classroom, teachers can quickly feel at a loss for how to help students navigate online distractions, especially as they may be facing similar challenges.

Over the past two years, I’ve traveled to more than forty cities visiting public, private, charter and independent schools around the United States, meeting with students, parents, educators and administrators. Initially, I was consulting with schools that were bringing technology into the classroom on ways to promote better executive functioning skills. More recently, my time has been spent helping schools think through effective curriculum and policies around social media and technology wellness.

Overwhelmingly, I’ve found students open to and interested in tools to help them effectively navigate distractions and promote their social and emotional well-being, and that teachers benefit enormously from professional development centered around technology use, executive functioning skills and intrinsic motivation.

Read the full article about managing digital distractions by Ana Homayoun at EdSurge.