Digital Pipeline: To Home and Back

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Originally published in TEACH Magazine, Digital Citizenship Special Issue, 2020

By Kimberly Nava Eggett

“Are you coming to our class so we can play with robots?!” asked a curious seven-year-old at my elementary school. This conversation would not have taken place ten years ago, but these days, our students are constantly surrounded by innovative technology. They read text online to learn about the main idea of a topic or tinker with a robot to understand the basics of computer programming. Our students are digital natives that seek instructional technology in their learning environments.

I have watched this evolution take place over fifteen years. During that time I have worked as a Grade 4 and 5 classroom teacher and, for the last seven years, I have been our school’s Digital Lead Teacher. My role is to support students, staff, and families as we consider thoughtful technology integration. We use innovative devices in our learning environments.

Parents and families are finding themselves faced with digital dilemmas at home. The amount of mobile media time has grown substantially in the last six years among zero to eight-year-olds, with a daily time of 5 minutes in 2011 increasing to 48 minutes in 2017. Within that same age group, the number of kids with their own tablets has also risen from less than 1% in 2011 to 42% in 2017.

This means that parents and caretakers are faced with helping their children navigate the digital world when they themselves did not have the same experience. So how do we support them? Here are some ways that educators can help:

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Kimberly Nava Eggett, MEd, is a Digital Lead Teacher in Asheville, NC, and currently a doctorate student at Appalachian State University seeking an Educational Leadership in Instructional Technology degree.

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Kimberly Nava Eggett
Kimberly Nava Eggett
Kimberly Nava Eggett, MEd, is a Digital Lead Teacher in Asheville, NC, and currently a doctorate student at Appalachian State University seeking an Educational Leadership in Instructional Technology degree.

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