How to Use Tech Intentionally to Support Pre-Teen Learning at Home

In my last article, I encouraged middle school students to embrace a learning style called “DIY learning.” Essentially, DIY learning blurs the lines between learning for school and learning for fun. I hoped they would see that those lines don’t exist. Connections, extensions, and unique pathways are at their command. They just need to look for and capture them.

From Notebooks to Smart Phones

One way to capture those ideas is with a “my ideas” notebook. This is not a new concept. I was formally introduced to the idea while reading The Shallows: What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains (Carr, 2010). The book links culture, history, and technology into a fascinating reflection on our relationship with technology and its effects on our thinking. While ruminating on the renaissance era, Carr mentions widespread use of the commonplace notebook; a simple pocket notebook used by scholars, writers, scientists, and other great thinkers to capture their ideas in free-form. 

Carr’s main argument, however, is that our newest technologies (i.e. smart phones) have transformative effects on our brains that are historically unprecedented. It’s no surprise that, presently, 76% of middle schools across the U.S. are banning smartphones for non-academic use (Cabachnik, 2023).

I’d argue we don’t need slews of research articles to tell us what we can see with our own eyes. Smartphones are a very new and sometimes scary invention that has many seen and unforeseen consequences. But they aren’t going anywhere. We live in a highly technological society. The AI revolution is here! Part of our duty as parents and educators is to model and provide guidance on appropriate use. Both must happen for our message to resonate. Rather than confront technology with fear, let’s confront it with intention!

The Lemon Analogy

Consider the lemon analogy posed by Dr. Alok Kanojia (AKA “Dr. K”) to explain how our brains work. When we do things that are good, our brain releases chemicals to reward us and make us feel good. This makes us want to repeat that behavior. Our smartphones are literally designed to get our brains to release all of those chemicals as quickly as possible. But those feel-good chemicals are limited. Enter the lemon. 

Imagine each day we start with one whole lemon’s worth of happy brain chemicals. Once we squeeze it, there’s none left to give elsewhere. What’s elsewhere? It’s all of those things I encouraged kids to do in my first blog. Namely, capture their ideas, follow their curiosities, and build custom learning experiences in and out of the classroom. The motivation to do that requires some juice left in the lemon!
How can you be sure to maintain your “lemon juice?” As a family you could restrict smartphone use in your first hour of wakefulness. Why? Because the mundane tasks of the morning will have your full attention and receive healthy doses of lemon juice. In other words, you’ll feel better and your mind will be fully present to organize and prioritize your day. Another idea is to mix up your devices. Doing research on a laptop is quite different than on your phone. Or consider listening to music on a record player! There’s no incessant notifications coming out of a record player other than the occasional “pop” from a slight imperfection. Get creative! Commit to using the device most appropriate to the activity. Because, remember, the smartphone is an “everything device” that ironically destroys our motivation to do anything.

Technology With Intention

With that in mind, I have 3 simple steps a parent can take to support DIY learning. 

1. Get your child a “my ideas” notebook and encourage them to use it. 
2. Ask them regularly about the content they include in their notebooks. 
3. Have an intentional plan to model and monitor appropriate smartphone use. 

You see, as archaic as it may sound, the “my ideas” notebook is a much-needed alternative to smartphone use, complete with an ever-growing list of things to inspire imagination beyond the screen. That’s not to say you won’t ever use smartphones, computers, or technology to DIY learn. Instead you’ll adapt to using them appropriately while preserving your lemon juice for the real experiences that the notebook inspires. Lastly, there is a time for the “junk food” of technology (e.g., social media). Just let it occur after the thrills of the day have passed and you’re ready for some well-deserved downtime. 

Works Cited:

Cabachnik, C. (2023, October 9). Cellphone bans in schools: What you need to know. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cellphone-bans-in-schools/

Carr, N. (2010). The shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains. W. W. Norton & Company.