NEIT+2013+OpenSpace+4J


 * Unplugging Open Session **
 * NYSAIS, NEIT 2013**
 * 2/1/13**

We agreed to create to collect and distribute resources, practices and initiatives that might help us gain better control of the technology currently driving us, especially email.

Hard to suggest topic of "unplugging". Students have grown up with it and we have the responsibility in tech to be available to fix 24/7.

No tech week. 2 sessions 1 fall semester (Columbus weekend), 1 spring (Easter weekend) for kids to detach. Homework is tech free and school asks for parent support at home. Here’s what one school sends home to parents in their e-note: // No Homework/Tech free Weekend: Twice during the year we designate a weekend where we do not assign any homework and encourage no use of technology. The idea of this weekend is to give students a break and an opportunity to connect with their family, read for pleasure, or play. We will hold our first such weekend of the year over Columbus Day weekend. Our hope is that students will use this time to engage in creative play and not use the weekend playing video games, on Facebook, or other more solitary pursuits. We appreciate your support at home. // No phones on school trips for students. Can contact via chaperone, if necessary. At home, families should: eat dinner together, talk, have clear expectations regarding device use at home and need relationship together. Parental controls on laptops not recommended, the students need to learn moderation. Vacations w/o tech.
 * __For students:__**

__At school__: Baskets for collecting phones before you enter class, pick up device at end of class. Student phones only in common area. Practice what we preach: hard when admin, staff and faculty are walking around attached to a device.

How much is their self worth based on "quantity" of friends on Facebook, amount of IM's a student gets?

Sequence of events: meltdown in class, child leaves, calls home, home calls school, teacher hasn't had chance to tell administration, instead of waiting a day, people have a chance to cool down, think about what happened.

Sets role of responsibility. I forgot something, call home, I get it. Not that there will be consequences.

We have to help students understanding ways to cope w/o emergency need.

Study abroad programs are suffering from being plugged in, creates isolation, not connection.

Cross train staff to alleviate being on call 24/7, especially when on vacation. Remove work email from phone. Meditate daily to not feel compulsion. No email on weekends, or check occasionally, read subject lines only Kept journal (on paper). Try something on a schedule to make a change. Moderation, know how to be in control when you use it, not it controls you. Limit time ( 2hours a day) online a day at home at night. Only check emails between classes Unspoken if school pays for your device, you are on call. No Twitter, No Facebook, no Fantasy sports Respond but can buy yourself time to fix problem. Not all crisis situations are the same. Reiterate troubleshooting steps.....reason w/what you know, take a breath are restart.
 * Suggestions for us (tech) on how to unplug:**

We as tech, carry the burden of immediacy. What data is so critical? Unhealthy to have that sense of urgency

We created the problem from being so immediate .....okay to wait a bit.


 * How much do we and students miss by not being in the moment and being attached to a device?**

John Knowles (article) ?