Lesson Plan
Tech Habits: Who's in Control?
Students will be able to identify personal technology habits and understand their potential impact on well-being. Students will also explore strategies for developing healthier digital boundaries.
In an increasingly connected world, understanding and managing technology use is crucial for mental health, academic focus, and strong personal relationships. This lesson helps students build essential self-awareness and self-management skills.
Audience
9th-12th Grade Students
Time
20 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, self-reflection, and practical strategy exploration.
Prep
Review Materials & Setup
5 minutes
- Review the Tech Habits Lesson Plan, Tech Habits Slide Deck, My Tech Check-Up Worksheet, Group Discussion Prompts: Tech & You, and Parent Guide: Navigating Tech at Home.
- Ensure projector or smartboard is ready for the slide deck.
- Make copies of the My Tech Check-Up Worksheet for each student.
Step 1
Warm-Up: Quick Tech Survey
3 minutes
- Distribute the Tech Habits Warm-Up.
- Instruct students to quickly answer the questions.
- Briefly discuss their initial thoughts as a class, without judgment, just to get ideas flowing.
Step 2
Introduction & Setting the Stage
2 minutes
- Use Slide 1 and Slide 2 of the Tech Habits Slide Deck to introduce the topic.
- Emphasize that this isn't about shaming technology, but understanding its role in our lives and empowering students to use it mindfully.
Step 3
Understanding Our Tech Habits
5 minutes
- Present Slide 3 and Slide 4.
- Distribute the My Tech Check-Up Worksheet.
- Allow students 2-3 minutes to individually complete the worksheet, reflecting on their own habits.
- Transition to a brief pair-share where students can discuss one or two reflections from their worksheet with a partner (1-2 minutes).
Step 4
Group Discussion: Finding Balance
7 minutes
- Display Slide 5 and Slide 6.
- Facilitate a whole-group discussion using the Group Discussion Prompts: Tech & You.
- Encourage students to share insights from their worksheets and pair-shares, and to brainstorm strategies for healthier tech use.
Slide Deck
Tech Habits: Who's in Control?
Understanding our relationship with cell phones, social media, and constant digital connection.
Welcome students and introduce the topic. Emphasize that this is a safe space for open discussion, not a lecture on 'bad' tech. The goal is self-awareness.
It's Not You, It's Me... and My Phone
How does technology fit into your life? Is it a tool, a companion, or something more?
Today, we'll explore our digital habits and learn strategies to take control.
Ask students what 'healthy relationship with technology' means to them. Briefly jot down some keywords on the board if time permits.
Why Does It Matter?
Explain that while technology offers many benefits, overuse or misuse can impact sleep, focus, mood, and relationships. Connect to their real-life experiences.
Common Tech Habits
Prompt students to think about their own routines: when do they pick up their phone? What apps do they use most? When do they feel 'pulled' to check it?
Finding Your Balance
It's not about ditching technology, but about using it mindfully.
What does 'balanced' tech use look like for you?
Introduce the idea of intentional use. How can they use technology to enhance their lives rather than detract from it? Facilitate discussion using the discussion prompts.
Strategies for Healthier Habits
Brainstorm with students. Encourage them to share what works for them, or what they've heard others do. Write ideas on the board.
You're In Control!
Technology is a powerful tool. You decide how and when to use it to support your goals and well-being.
Empower them. Remind them they are in charge. Technology is a tool, and they get to decide how to use it.
Your Next Step
What's one small change you can make this week to build a healthier tech habit?
Ask students to verbally share one small commitment, or just think about it. End on a positive, empowering note.
Warm Up
Tech Habits Warm-Up: Quick Check-In
Instructions: Answer these questions quickly to get us thinking about our tech use. There are no right or wrong answers!
1. What's the first app you usually open when you pick up your phone?
2. How many hours a day do you estimate you spend on your phone (outside of schoolwork)?
3. When was the last time you intentionally went more than an hour without checking your phone?
4. Finish this sentence: "My phone is mainly for..."
Worksheet
My Tech Check-Up: Reflecting on My Habits
Instructions: Think honestly about your technology use and answer the questions below. This is for your personal reflection.
## Part 1: My Daily Digital Diet
1. List the top 3 apps or digital activities you spend the most time on each day.
1.
2.
3.
2. When do you find yourself reaching for your phone the most? (e.g., when bored, stressed, waiting, before bed, first thing in the morning)
3. How often do you listen to music through headphones/earbuds? Is it almost constant, or only at certain times?
4. Do you ever find yourself texting or checking social media while you're supposed to be focusing on something else (like homework, talking with family/friends, or in class)? Describe a recent situation.
## Part 2: Impact & Feelings
5. How does your technology use sometimes make you feel? (e.g., connected, entertained, overwhelmed, anxious, distracted, happy, tired)
6. Have you ever felt like you needed to check your phone, even when you knew you shouldn't? What was that feeling like?
7. Describe one positive way technology enhances your life.
8. Describe one way your tech use might be negatively impacting something important to you (e.g., sleep, grades, friendships, hobbies).
## Part 3: Looking Forward
9. What's one small change you could try to make this week to have a healthier relationship with your phone or social media?
Discussion
Group Discussion Prompts: Tech & You
Instructions: Use these prompts to guide a thoughtful conversation about our relationship with technology. Encourage students to share their reflections from the My Tech Check-Up Worksheet while respecting everyone's privacy and opinions.
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## Opening the Conversation
1. Based on your 'Tech Check-Up,' what was one surprising thing you noticed about your own tech habits?
2. When does using your phone or listening to music feel truly beneficial or relaxing? When does it feel like a burden or a distraction?
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## Exploring Challenges
3. Many of us constantly text or check social media. What are some reasons we do this, even when we know we should probably put our phones away?
4. How might constant cell phone use, especially during conversations or social gatherings, affect our relationships with others?
5. Do you ever feel pressure from social media (e.g., to look a certain way, have certain experiences, or respond immediately)? How does that pressure manifest?
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## Finding Solutions & Setting Boundaries
6. What are some practical strategies you or your friends have tried to reduce mindless tech use (e.g., turning off notifications, setting time limits, designating 'phone-free' times or spaces)? What worked or didn't work?
7. How can we encourage each other, in a supportive way, to develop healthier tech habits?
8. If you could give one piece of advice to a younger student about technology use, what would it be?
Reading
Parent Guide: Navigating Tech at Home
Dear Parents/Guardians,
In today's fast-paced digital world, helping our children develop a healthy relationship with technology is more important than ever. This guide offers practical tips and conversation starters to support your high schooler in navigating their digital lives.
## Why Focus on Healthy Tech Habits?
For teenagers, technology is deeply integrated into their social lives, learning, and entertainment. While it offers incredible benefits, it can also lead to challenges such as:
* Distraction from Academics: Constant notifications and social media can make focusing on homework difficult.
* Impact on Sleep: Blue light from screens and late-night scrolling can disrupt sleep patterns.
* Mental Well-being: Social media comparisons and cyberbullying can affect self-esteem and mood.
* Real-Life Connections: Over-reliance on digital communication can sometimes diminish face-to-face interactions.
## Practical Tips for Parents
1. Be a Digital Role Model: Your tech habits influence your child. Demonstrate mindful tech use yourself.
2. Establish Tech-Free Zones and Times: Designate areas (like the dinner table or bedrooms at night) or times (during family meals, an hour before bed) as tech-free. This creates space for other activities and conversations.
3. Encourage Open Communication: Talk with your teenager, not at them. Ask open-ended questions about their online experiences, what apps they enjoy, and what challenges they face.
* Conversation Starter:
Reading
Guia para Pais: Navegando na Tecnologia em Casa
Prezados Pais/Responsáveis,
No mundo digital acelerado de hoje, ajudar nossos filhos a desenvolver um relacionamento saudável com a tecnologia é mais importante do que nunca. Este guia oferece dicas práticas e sugestões de conversa para apoiar seu filho adolescente na navegação em suas vidas digitais.
## Por que Focar em Hábitos Tecnológicos Saudáveis?
Para os adolescentes, a tecnologia está profundamente integrada em suas vidas sociais, aprendizado e entretenimento. Embora ofereça benefícios incríveis, também pode levar a desafios como:
* Distração dos Estudos: Notificações constantes e mídias sociais podem dificultar o foco nas tarefas escolares.
* Impacto no Sono: A luz azul das telas e o uso noturno podem interromper os padrões de sono.
* Bem-estar Mental: Comparações nas mídias sociais e cyberbullying podem afetar a autoestima e o humor.
* Conexões na Vida Real: A dependência excessiva da comunicação digital às vezes pode diminuir as interações face a face.
## Dicas Práticas para os Pais
1. Seja um Modelo Digital: Seus hábitos tecnológicos influenciam seu filho. Demonstre o uso consciente da tecnologia você mesmo.
2. Estabeleça Zonas e Horários Livres de Tecnologia: Designe áreas (como a mesa de jantar ou os quartos à noite) ou horários (durante as refeições em família, uma hora antes de dormir) como livres de tecnologia. Isso cria espaço para outras atividades e conversas.
3. Incentive a Comunicação Aberta: Converse com seu filho adolescente, não com ele. Faça perguntas abertas sobre suas experiências online, quais aplicativos eles gostam e quais desafios enfrentam.
* Início de Conversa: