By Joey Campanella
Based on my first-year experience as Head of School at High Point last year, it was clear to me, along with my leadership team and the Board of Trustees, that our school community would appreciate and benefit from increased communication and transparency regarding certain processes and inner-workings of High Point as well as interesting and helpful topics for parents. As a result, an important goal for this school year has been to provide more communication points for parents, which have included informal forums, monthly blogs, and parent education presentations. The feedback has been positive, and my colleagues and I, along with the Board, are committed to continuing to provide this level of transparency.
At last week’s “Cup o’ Joe,” my periodic informal parent forum, I shared with those present the next two parent education presentations that will focus on High Point’s math program (in February/March) and technology use for students (in the spring), leading to a good discussion about technology, both at school and at home, which has become undeniably ubiquitous over the last decade. As an educator, I fully acknowledge and appreciate the benefits of technology, and at High Point we are very intentional about students’ use of technology in the classroom as an effective learning tool that enhances access to and acquisition of curriculum. However, I am also very aware of the potential dangers of technology, especially social media. Another concern has emerged related to our ability–as guardians, parents, and teachers–to closely monitor virtually every aspect of our children’s lives through technology. Is this a good thing? In some ways, I think, yes, but the extreme, as with any other application of technology, is daunting. For us as adults guiding our kids/students through their development, it is imperative to find the right balance and level of moderation.
Recently, our Director of Teaching and Learning, Katie Currin, and our Director of Technology and Innovation, Dr. Jeffery Flagg, attended a presentation on this topic from Devorah Heitner, Ph.D., author of Growing Up in Public, a book I recommend to any parents whose children regularly utilize technology (which, really, is pretty much all of them!). My colleagues found the presentation to be extremely timely and informative. As a point of entry with this subject, I recommend this podcast/transcript in which Dr. Heitner offers guidance for parents, emphasizing the benefits of the proper use of technology in monitoring children, along with the inherent challenges of taking this to an extreme. A piece of advice from Dr. Heitner that really resonated with me was to “mentor more than monitor,” as I believe it is our fundamental responsibility to educate our children with knowledge and strategies to recognize and address challenges on their own whenever possible. Of course, there are situations when adults need to intervene, but empowering our kids with awareness and confidence to independently face and deal with adversity is crucial to their positive development. It’s up to us, as the adults in their lives, to determine when supporting them is necessary and when trusting them to manage themselves is appropriate.
Technology presents us with a vast range of benefits and challenges, and this topic is only one of many that parents must consider. New forms of technology will continue to both enrich our lives and present us with new potential pitfalls, and we must remain diligent in our efforts to help our children manage technology positively, productively, and safely. It is also crucial that we, as adults, model appropriate use of technology. The boundaries we set for our kids with technology and how we advise them in using it safely and responsibly are very important, but their observations of how we use technology has an even greater impact.
At High Point, our increased level of transparency and communication is reflective of our wonderfully tight-knit school community and the reciprocally supportive relationship between school and home. This partnership is essential in ensuring the best possible educational experience for your children, and I encourage you to take advantage of the upcoming parent education presentations.
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