1. Be a Student of What They are Learning
What does a
tower in ancient times built to reach the heavens and a cell phone have in
common? A lot more than you think. The people responsible for the tower of
Babel, the uh Babel-ers we’ll call them, took the technology, the tools of
their day and used them in a way that elevated themselves and took God out of
the picture. And the reality is that you and I have tools in our hands, the
technology of our day, that we take and use in similar ways. The technology
itself isn’t bad or good. It’s neutral. But like the people of Babel, how we
choose to use the technology is important—it reflects the kind of relationship
we have with it. And the right kind of relationship with technology will help
us to do the right kinds of things with it.
Session One: I <3 Technology (Jan. 8th)
Many of us are in a serious relationship—with technology. We love it. We need it. It’s a big part of our lives. But some of us could care less. We’re just not that into it. We don’t need to text someone every minute. Some of us don’t even have a Facebook page. (Gasp.) But whether we are totally committed to it, or could easily see our lives without it, we can’t escape the reality that technology exists in our lives. And that’s not always a bad thing. Because technology isn’t evil. But what we do with it, how we use it, says a lot about our relationship with it.Session Two: My Profile (Jan. 15th)
Who are you? That’s a good question. You can let everyone know who you think you are. You can upload pictures, list out your likes and dislikes and have people comment on your clever posts—allowing other people to get an idea of who you are. But what if in the effort to try to manipulate our identity we have lost sight of who we really are? And who are we really? Who really has that say? Technology gives you the illusion that you do, but what if our real identity went much deeper than what our latest status or profile said of us? Technology does not have the final word on who we are. It never has. But who does?Session Three: Social Network (Jan. 22nd)
Today’s technology gives us the ability to connect with people in more ways than ever before. And with that ability comes an incredible power—the capacity to affect other people. We can use technology to encourage people or show compassion. We can use technology to help people in need. Or we can use technology to hurt, slander or even destroy someone. So how will you use technology? How will you use this tool to affect the people around you?
We know that
many of you have set up guidelines for your kids about how and when they can
use different pieces of technology like Facebook, texting, etc. We want you to
know that we will uphold those values in our messages. We want to partner with
you in creating healthy boundaries and guidance for your students in how they
use the technology around them. If you have any questions about how we will be
presenting this material, please feel free to ask.
2. Be a Student of Your Student
Most people
know teenagers have technology issues. Here’s an interesting article that might
help you understand your teenager—and how they really feel about technology and
social media—a little bit better:
We all think
our students have addictions and issues with their technological devices. But
if you took away an adult’s connection with the outside world—their cell phone,
Facebook or Twitter accounts, texting or computer—many of us would find it hard
to function too. Technology is a part of all of our lives, not just a
student’s. And it’s become such a big part, that many of us aren’t even
conscious of how much we check that phone or FB—even in a place you might least
expect it. Here’s an article from the Fuller Youth Institute to give us a
little food for thought on this idea of technology, and how it affects all of
us.
The happiest place to text
By Brad Griffin
Recently I spent a day at Disneyland with my
family, riding rides and battling crowds at the “Happiest place on earth.”
Despite my cynicism for over-commercialized places and my frustration about
marketing to kids…we had a great day and my kids had a blast.
But there was one thing that distracted me over
and over throughout the day. It wasn’t all the teenagers attached to their cell
phones—I actually saw most of the teenagers engaged in real-life conversations
with the people around them.
It was the parents.
I couldn’t help but notice how many parents of
kids of all ages were getting off rides and immediately checking their email
and text inbox, ripping back responses as they floated behind their kids to the
next attraction. Maybe they were bored out of their minds to be spending the
day with their kids, but I doubt it. Maybe they were just distracted at that
ONE time at the point I happened to see them (and I happened to catch about a
hundred of them at just the right time).
Or maybe they forgot what boundaries are and how
to give their kids the gift of presence.
I get a lot of things wrong in parenting. But
the more I saw this behavior, the more I was determined to completely ignore my
phone (and it was my birthday!) to be present to my kids. I have to wonder,
though: if this is what kids see at Disneyland from the adults around them
(parents or otherwise), what are we as a culture showing them day after day in
our “normal” lives?
I suspect that if we want them to put their
phones down every now and then, we have to go first.
Originally
published at http://fulleryouthinstitute.org. Reprinted with permission from the Fuller Youth Institute.
3. Action Point
In the above
article, Brad Griffin talks about “going first” in the battle to create
boundaries around the technology that is present in our everyday lives. It’s
not that we have to delete our Facebook account or throw our iPhones out the
window for dramatic effect. But we do have the opportunity to model good
technology boundaries to our kids so they can start to think critically about
the technology that surrounds them everyday, and how they choose to use it.
The XP for
this series encourages your student to take a break from a particular
technology or social media tool for one week. You may have heard the moaning
and groaning already if your student has made the choice to participate. So, in
the spirit of unity and empathy, we are encouraging you to do the same. For
this action point, you are going to make a list of your top 5 favorite social
media/technology tools (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, texting, cell phone, phone
apps, etc.). Once you have your list, prioritize each of them from one to five
(one being the most important/most used and five being the easiest to live
without).
Now, here’s
where it gets tricky. Just as your student has made a commitment to fast from a
technology tool for one week, you are going to get rid of the number five on
your list for the next week. (We’ve tried to make it easier by giving you the
option to get rid of your number five, but feel free to get serious and axe
number one on your list.) Sit down and show your student your list and then let
them know which particular technology you are fasting from. In order to help
you both stick to your fast, choose a reward—some sort of activity or special
outing—that you and your student can look forward to once you both make it
through the week without using your chosen technology. Encourage each other
throughout the week and check in to see how things are going. At the end of the
week—either during your reward outing or maybe during a mealtime or your
morning drive to school—ask each other these questions:
- Was this fast from technology easier or harder than you thought it would be?
- What was the hardest part?
- Were there any unexpected benefits that came from giving up this particular technology? If so, what were they?
- Do you think you would be able to give up this particular technology long term? If not, could you use it on a more limited basis?
- Name one way that you could use this particular technology to help others or to do something good for someone else.