As an educator and avid Apple device user, I have been impressed by the continual introduction of built-in tools and functionalities that promote digital wellbeing and time management. These tools can support students and families to attain a balanced approach within the classroom and at home. Three of my favourites are demonstrated in the video and summarised below.
Focus
Do your students get distracted by messages, notifications, games and entertainment apps? The built-in functionality of ‘Focus’ can help students to concentrate as they customise notifications and select which home screen pages they can access while at school. A Focus can be scheduled to turn on automatically at a set time or location.
Reminders
The ‘Reminders’ app gives your students peace of mind in terms of what they need to remember. You can create reminders with subtasks, attachments and set alerts based on time and location.
Screen Time Data
Apple devices give us access to data on how we are interacting with our device. For example, I’ve just discovered that last Thursday I received 186 notifications in one day! This has prompted me to change my notification settings. Screen Time data can help students to consider changes that may help them to better care for their digital wellbeing. The types of data available include:
- Average device use across a week (compared to the previous week)
- Time using particular apps
- The number of times you pick-up your iPad and which app you immediately go to
- The number of notifications received per day and how many notifications you receive from particular apps
- Check out the iPad User Guide to discover how to view your Screen Time data and more
I've attached a Numbers document to scaffold a lesson sequence to activate prior knowledge of student understanding of digital wellbeing, explore their own Screen Time data and apply learning towards the creation of a movie. Please feel free to download and personalise this document for your students.
August 05, 2023
These are such great tips for cultivating a more balanced digital life. I turn on Do Not Disturb throughout the workday to have more control over my notification and ensure greater focus when I'm on my device. I've also started using the Pomodoro Shortcut to help me create short windows of focus that build in time for breaks.
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