just be a good role model

Last weekend, I took my 10 year old daughter to a birthday party.  Twenty minutes into the party, one of the girls pulled out her cell phone and they all got together for several group photos.  My immediate thought was "I hope these girls are good digital citizens". I then looked around at the adults and felt ashamed and annoyed!  We ALL were playing on our cell phones.  We weren't watching our children skate or talking with each other. We were too involved in our phones and not in the moment.

We can talk about lessons, posters, videos, and activities that help students better understand what it means to be a good digital citizen ..but.. are we modeling what we say?

Our actions speak volumes to the world around us.  At that party, the actions of the moms (including myself) was the phone was more important than interacting with each other and watching our own children.

We have to be good role models when it comes to being a good digital citizen. We have to show our children and students there is a time and place for cell phones (and technology) and that time and place is not 24/7.  We have to show our children and students that limits need to be set and enforced not only for them but for us as well. 

We have to show our children and students WHAT we post and share is just as important as how often we pick up the device.

We have to be role models and let our actions speak louder than our lessons, posters, videos, and activities.