Presented by the University of Louisville’s Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute in collaboration with the Filson Historical Society. A reception will be held from 4:30-5:25 pm with the lecture following from 5:30-6:30 pm.
Brains haven’t changed; technology has. Children haven’t
changed; childhood has. In an era when young people’s mental health has
prompted a Surgeon General’s warning, the average 8-year-old spends over seven
hours per day on screens (outside of school), and schools regularly dole out
iPads to kindergartners, how can we prepare children for a future that grows
more technological by the day while preserving and protecting the skills and
experiences we know children need to thrive? The answer is by reshaping schools
using a Tech-intentional™ framework.
A Tech-Intentional Framework consists of four foundational
principles. First, while children do need access to technology, they do not
need individual devices for school. Secondly, children need ample opportunities
for skill-building through play and social interactions in the real world.
Third, learning is relational. Teachers and school leaders must prioritize
human connection over reliance on technologies such as AI. Finally, a
tech-intentional school differentiates between EdTech (educational technology)
and Tech Ed (technology education) and defaults to technology-based tools that
are proven to be safe, effective, and legal.
A former classroom teacher, Emily Cherkin, aka The
Screentime Consultant, has spent many years working with parents, schools, and
families in her quest to build a more tech-intentional world. Her approach is
supported by independent research, rooted in child development, and free of
judgment. A mother of two teenagers herself, Emily knows firsthand the
challenges of parenting in the digital age.