kids to self-regulate more—which is our ultimate goal,” Knorr says. To raise good digital citizens, Rich-


ard Culatta, CEO of International Society for Technology in Education, in Arling- ton, Virginia, believes conversations about device use shouldn’t end with screen time limits and online safety. “Ask kids if their technology use is helping them be more engaged and find more meaning in the world or is it pulling them out of the world that they’re in,” he says. “Talk about how to use technology to improve the community around you, recognize true and false info, be involved in democratic processes and making your voice heard about issues you care about.” Parents are oſten uncomfortable with


their kids socializing digitally, but Culatta encourages the introduction of interac- tive media sooner rather than later, so they understand how to engage with the world online before they are old enough to have social media accounts. Geocach- ing, which uses GPS-enabled devices to treasure hunt, and citizen science apps provide family-friendly opportunities to engage in both outdoor activities and online communities. “Te majority of our kids will need


these digital communication skills to be able to work with anyone at any time,” says Murray. He’s witnessed the impact of connecting classrooms around the world, observing, “When students learn to navigate time zones and language barriers to com- municate and collaborate, they see that they can solve the world’s problems together.”


Raising Innovators “Te world doesn’t care how much our children know; what the world cares about is what they do with what they know,” says Tony Wagner, senior research fellow at the Learning Policy Institute, an educa- tion research and policy nonprofit in Palo Alto, California. In his latest book, Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for Te Innovation Era, he emphasizes the importance of creative problem-solving and the joy of discovery, especially as more jobs become automated. “We’re born with a temperament of creative problem solvers. But then something happens. Te longer


While most schools are slow to


We need to create an intentional family culture where virtues like kindness and respect are talked about, modeled, upheld, celebrated and practiced in everyday life.


~Thomas Lickona


kids are in school, the fewer questions they ask, the more they worry about getting the right answer and fewer and fewer think of themselves as creative in any way,” he says. “Instead of listening and regurgitat-


ing, kids need to learn how to find and be a critical consumer of information,” says Murray. Fewer employers are asking for college transcripts—including Google—as they discover the disconnect between what students are taught and what innovative skills they actually need.


adapt to the modern needs of the future workforce, parents can proactively foster the entrepreneurial spirit and discour- age a fear of failure at home by offering safe opportunities for risk-taking and independence. Aſter speaking extensively with compelling young innovators around the world, Wagner discovered that their parents explicitly encouraged three things: play, passion and purpose. Teir children were provided with


many opportunities to explore new inter- ests, as well as to learn from their mistakes. “Te parents intuitively understood that more important than IQ is grit, persever- ance and tenacity. You don’t develop that when Mom is yelling at you to practice; you develop it because you have a real interest.” To create a culture of innovation,


Murray encourages teachers and parents to get to know the interests, passions and strengths of today’s children “and prove to them every day that they matter.” When that interest blossoms into a passion, it can lead to a deeper sense of purpose and a desire to make a difference. According to Wagner, this happens


when parents and teachers instill one simple, but profound moral lesson, “We are not here on this Earth primarily and only to serve ourselves; we have some deep, profound obligation to give back and to serve others.”


PARENT RESOURCES


Common Sense Media (CommonSenseMedia.org) provides education and advocacy to families to promote safe technology and media for children. Tey pro- vide independent, age-based, media reviews for TV shows and movies. Each detailed review includes pertinent information for parents, plus talking points to foster critical thinking skills.


Let Grow (LetGrow.org) seeks to restore childhood resilience by pushing back on overprotection, and shows concern that even with the best intentions, society has taught a generation to overestimate danger and underestimate their own ability to cope. Its programs work with schools and parents to give kids more of the independence to do the things their parents did on their own as children—bike to a friend’s house, make themselves a meal or simply play unsupervised in the front yard.


Te Choose Love Movement (JesseLewisChooseLove.org) offers a free social and emotional learning program for educators and parents. Students learn how to choose love in any circumstance, which helps them become more connected, resilient and empowered individuals.


August 2019 25


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