Balance In All Things

By. Meredith Biesinger

Technology is highly beneficial, and I am grateful for all that it offers as an educator and individual. However, as much as it can simplify life, it complicates it.

There are screens everywhere these days! Students often struggle to pick up a book, read it, and comprehend the text. This is an ongoing challenge for teachers, parents, and students.

A certain amount of screen time is acceptable and helpful, but children (and adults, too) still need to know how to communicate, read a book, and do something creative.

We all need to put our phones and tablets down and engage in something else.

How do we engage learners?

For teachers of younger elementary-aged students, many different types of multi-sensory-based learning centers can be used to engage younger learners without having to use a screen.

Use items like shaving cream, magnetic letters, sidewalk chalk, play-doh, sand, sugar, salt, piper cleaners, or wikki sticks to practice writing letters, make words or word families or decode unknown words. Your students will love it!

For older elementary-aged students and middle school students, consider an experiment that aligns with your curriculum.

Consider conducting a tornado in a glass experiment, make a square bubble, or teach about density and ask your students to bring in spare change (which they will return at the end of the lesson). This age group, in particular, loves STEM based experiments, so be sure to involve them in their learning process!

For high school students, the world is your oyster! Consider service-based or project-based learning that will encourage students to use personal development and social skills.

Balance is essential in all things. I use technology a lot, and I’m grateful for its role in our lives. However, I still prefer a traditional paper book over a tablet. I love to watch shows on various streaming subscriptions, but I also enjoy going for walks outside and working in my yard.

There has to be a balance. Some students don’t know what balance looks like or feels like, and teachers have the opportunity to provide balance through various instruction and learning engagements. Variety and balance in the classroom are not only healthy, but they are also fun!