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. Our school is celebrating Digital Citizenship Week with spirit days and activities focused on developing healthy habits around technology use. Students will have a choice board to select at least one activity a day that matches the daily theme.

Below you’ll find the schedule of spirit days along with resources and suggested activities to help support healthy habits at home too. 

Spirit Days for the Week

• Monday: Hat Day - Put on your thinking cap and reflect on your media use and habits.
• Tuesday: Active Wear - Exercise your healthy tech habits.
• Wednesday: Dress as your Muse - Dress up as your favorite artist, musician, author, inventor, actor/actress, scientist, etc. and focus on how you can use technology to create original works.
• Thursday: Dress in Your Best - Wear your best or most professional clothing and focus on using high-quality media.
• Friday: “Lei” Off the Tech - wear Hawaiian clothing and take a break from screens to connect more in person.

Family Resources and Suggested Activities for Each Day’s Theme

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.
• 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 (also in Spanish!)
  • 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. Try some of these ideas:

• 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.

Wednesday: 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. Try some of these ideas:

• All FCPS students have access to a number of digital tools that promote creativity including Wixie and G Suite including Google Docs, Slides, Drawings, etc.! These tools are available for students to create outside of school on the Student Links page of our London Towne website!
• 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. Try some of these ideas:

• 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.

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. Try some of these ideas:

• Have a device-free dinner and focus on connecting as a family.
• Have a family board game night or spend time outside as a family 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.

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.