TMST: Screentime Strategies

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One of the questions I often get asked from parents is about the amount of time our learners spend on screens during the school day.  With the influx of research on young brains and screens, it is logical for parents to have questions about our 1:1 iPads and how they are being used in classrooms.  

 I typically take those moments to help parents understand:

  • the difference between using an iPad for learning vs. as a home device
  • that being 1:1 doesn't mean our learners are 1:1 or on screens in all learning activities
  • how iPads are simply a vehicle for learning, not a curriculum
But as a parent myself, I can see the struggle in navigating this digital world both at school and at home.  It is so different than what we experienced, many of us parents can feel ill equipped to truly understand and promote best practices with our children.

I'll be the first to tell you that no one tool does everything (iPads included) but there is a feature of our iPads that can help us and our parents feel more comfortable with the time spent on them.

Meet Screen Time

Screen Time is a feature in iPad Settings that can be set up with reminders, restrictions and limits related to what you are using on your iPad.  Screen Time tracks the amount of time you spend in different apps and helps you to schedule downtime away from the screen when needed.


Screen Time can be a great way for you as an educator to track and show data to parents on how their child is using their iPad or for parents to learn about using at home.  On our CISD iPads, Screen Time is automatically enable but limits, restrictions and notifications need to be customized manually.



One way I would use it in an upper grade classroom would be to have learners reflect weekly on the activities they did in class by taking a screenshot of their Screen Time and writing about their learning activities in an email to parents.  That way, learners own the work they are doing and begin to understand how digital distractions can affect them at school.


Think of it kind of like a personal newsletter that the kids write themselves...how powerful would their ownership of their own learning be?



Like I said, no one tool or strategy is the golden key.  Screen Time without communication, awareness, character driven education and expectations is nowhere near as effective.  Learn more about engaging parents in this conversation at Common Sense Media, a great resource for both parents and educators.


Have YOU used Screen Time?  Want to learn more?  

Let me know in the comments!

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