Organizing for Successful Students

Have you ever fallen through that internet rabbit hole where you look at the time and realize you've been scrolling for 45 minutes (or more) and have no idea what you just read?

This can happen to our students too, especially when much of their work is done on a computer. In order to organize their time, they may need some "scaffolding", an organizational structure on which to hang their assignments. We want to give students a way to manage their time so that they can complete assignments with the greatest amount of learning and the least time wasted.

Since CCS uses G-Suite for Education and Google Classroom, there is a built in structure or scaffold for students to take advantage of. For example, the Google Classroom has a feature called the To-Do list which shows students all of the assigned work they have for all of their classes. They also have access to their Google Calendar which will show them, by date, when upcoming assignments are due. Parents might want to take a look at this helpful video called, "How to Use Google Classroom for Parents!" to get some practical tips. Although each teacher's Google Classroom may look a bit different, each one will explain expectations for assignments, link students to required resources, and allow students to turn in their work digitally.

Students in grades 6-12 have access to email which they can use to contact their teachers for assistance. A meaningful subject line and clearly stated question will allow teachers to respond most helpfully.

The FACTS Family Portal lists the lesson plans for each class each week and provides a basic structure to follow. These lesson plans can be printed out and used for reference when completing assignments in Google Classroom.

Although paper assignment books may seem like a thing of the past, some students benefit greatly from a hands-on, check-it-off-when-done approach to completing their school work. 

So, as we approach a new school year, let's leverage all of the technology we have available, along with some good old fashioned pencil and paper tools, to help students stay organized and make learning happen!

"Common Sense" Tech Help for Parents

With the glut of information, websites, apps, games, YouTube Channels, TV shows, and films out there these days, parents might need some help to figure out what is appropriate for their children of different ages. We want to know what's good, what's great, and what we might want to avoid. Younger and younger students have access to media, many on their own phones or devices, or those of their friends. This infographic illustrates "Media Use by Tweens and Teens 2019." It is pretty astonishing!

Having open and transparent communication within our families regarding the choices we make when it comes to media is a key factor, of course. But we might need some help and expert information about what is out there. I suggest checking out Common Sense Media. This website is always up-to-date and will give you some great insights on the latest movies, TV shows, and apps. Though the site is not coming from a Christian perspective, it is a great first place to turn for information which you can then interpret through a biblical lens. It can give you a springboard for discussing the choices that your you and your children make concerning media. They have "Best of..." lists, reviews, parent guides (like this one on "5 Conversations to Have with Your Kids After 'Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker'"), and much more. Check it out, and feel free to let me know what you think!

Viral Internet Challenges

It happens all the time. Some new viral internet challenge pops up, and everyone hears about it and passes it on via social media and just plain rumor. Sometimes these challenges are fun and goofy. Sometimes people do them to support a cause.(Remember the ice bucket challenge?) But sometimes they are scary and encourage people to do dangerous things. (There was the Tide Pod challenge in 2017.)

There are lots of evil and frightening things out there on the internet, and we all need to be vigilant with our own intake of information and especially with what our children and teens are exposed to. The latest “Momo Challenge” is an example. There is true and false information out there about this, and we should always do our due diligence to be sure that the information we have is accurate. Check out Snopes and reputable news sources for information.

What is the best way to respond when something new comes down the pike? Well, honestly, don’t wait until something scary comes along. Families need to preemptively address this type of thing with children and teens. Set limits for children and screen time. Have children use the internet in a common area of the home where you can monitor what they are doing. Use a filtering device or software on any devices that your children use. Talk openly with your children of any age about what they are doing online. Tell your children that if they see anything scary or worrisome that the first thing they should do is to come to you.

We will soon be giving you information about a product available from Securly (our filtering and monitoring solution for our Chromebooks) that can be used to filter and monitor internet traffic on your home WIFI. There are also other parental control products out there, some of which include monitoring of cellular internet traffic.

God’s Word reminds us in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Blue Light Special - Sleep and Screens

Lately I have been reading about the effect that looking at screens near bedtime has on our sleep. Several studies have concluded that the blue light from our phones, tablets, TV's and computers can influence our brains and degrade the quality and length of our sleep. In addition, any interaction with technology right before trying to fall asleep can impact the ability to do so.

An article in Science News for Students last November cited a study published in Chronobiology International, The Journal of Biological and Medical Rhythm Research which found that "evening light exposure to computer screens disrupts human sleep, biological rhythms, and attention abilities."


Another study, published in 2014 concluded that "Use of electronic devices is frequent in adolescence, during the day as well as at bedtime. The results demonstrate a negative relation between use of technology and sleep, suggesting that recommendations on healthy media use could include restrictions on electronic devices."


According to a survey done by the National Sleep Foundation in 2014, "Parents report that nearly three out of four (72 percent) children ages 6 to 17 have at least one electronic device in the bedroom while they are sleeping." This report quotes Orfeu Buxton, PhD, Harvard Medical School as saying, "To ensure a better night’s sleep for their children, parents may want to limit their children using technology in their bedroom near or during bedtime."

More information and links to additional studies can be found in this easy-to-read article (updated 2022) about how technology affects sleep. You can also read about how how streaming videos affect sleep in an article entitled "Streaming Content and Sleep – 2018 Study." 

Hoping you get a good night's sleep, and that our students do as well!

Real Books

I love technology. Of course I do! I manage the school’s website, keep our social media platforms updated, and spend a lot of time sitting at a keyboard and looking at a screen. I take digital pictures and process them on my computer. I read articles online and pass on helpful hints to the teachers via email to make learning more interesting and engaging.

However, I also love books. Real books. Paper and ink books. Books that I borrow from the library, buy at a yard sale, or receive as a thoughtful gift. I hope that as our students move into the future, and technology takes up more and more of their time, that they also develop a love of books and of reading. The kind of thinking needed to read a book, to digest and revel in the words, to enter into the lives of the characters, is unparalleled. No Facebook post or Instagram caption can even compare. Scrolling through endless pictures on social media or mindlessly watching a parade of YouTube videos does not engage the mind the way that sitting down and reading does.

So my hope is that although technology is integral to our lives today (and this is a technology blog, after all), our students will also learn to adore books. So, turn off the screens, go to the library, plan to buy some books at the book fair, or see what you have on the shelf in your house already! Encourage a love of books and reading in your home. Screens can take a back seat to paper and ink for a while.

Responsible Computer Disposal

It happens. Computers come to the end of their useful lives. This week we said goodbye to about 30 desktop computers that served us well, some for more than a decade! But it was time to put them to rest. We feel it is important to dispose properly, so we wait until we have enough units to warrant having an electronics recycling company come and then send them off. Goodbye hard drives, RAM, motherboards, and cases. Thanks for your service!

Family Tech Talk

I've recently become aware of a website that may give families a jumping-off point for discussing all things tech. Each week, the blog suggests a technology topic for families to explore. The topics can all be found at the website and include such things as Sleep and Screens, Smartphones, Social Media, Online Shopping, Addiction, Bullying, Sexting, Video Games, and Homework, just to name a few.

This is not a Christian site, but it does contain some thought- provoking questions and interesting talking points. Perhaps in the slower pace of summer, your family could tackle some of these subjects. Since technology is such an integral part of our lives, it seems it is worth some insightful conversations, and as believers in Jesus, we can add the biblical view to our discussions as well. Even technology (or perhaps especially technology) must be handled with God's gracious best for our lives clearly in view.

The site is called "Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age" (the name is the same as a movie created by the founder) and the blog/discussion part of the site is called Tech Talk Tuesdays, and includes conversation starters about social media, video game use, tech tips, latest research and more.

If you have thoughts about this, let me know! You can email me at the school.

https://www.screenagersmovie.com/tech-talk-tuesdays/