A Dichotomy of Calendar Dates: Digital Learning Day & National Day of Unplugging

Sometimes as the Lower School Technology Specialist, I have an internal struggle. I've mentioned my love-hate relationship with technology a time or two. At times, I picture it like the little angelic version of me on one shoulder and the devilish one on the other. I've been using the ScreenTime feature that's now part of iOS12, writing down my weekly stats for about 3 months now, and I know exactly how much I'm on my phone and my iPad, and how many times I pick them up. Numbers that are sometimes startling! But, I know that there's so much value in using educational technology as a tool in our lives and our classrooms.

That's in part why it strikes me that these two calendar days are a mere 24 hours from each other. Both equally vital. Both as opposite as can be. Both completely worth registering for!

1. Digital Learning Day ~ February 28, 2019 
Since 2012, Digital Learning Day has served as an innovative inspiration, bringing technology and education together. The goal: to improve student outcomes and engagement through a foundation of learning with digital tools.

To dive deep at their website and get inspiration on how to plan your own Digital Learning Day, here are a few links to learn from:
--Digital Day 2019 Graphics
--Activities & Ideas
--Digital Tools
--Online Resources
--Check out their Interactive Lesson Plans
--Watch their 2018 video
--Watch their Live Webinar: How School and District Leaders Can Create the Conditions for Innovation and Change (10:30 am EST)


2. National Day of Unplugging ~ Sundown to sundown March 1-2, 2019
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the National Day of Unplugging and goes off the idea of this quote by Anne Lamott: "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you." Last year, 65,000 people took the world wide unplugging pledge. As I read in both Florence Williams The Nature Fix and Jean Twenge's iGen, there's many reasons to unplug! I've got 3 more books on my bookshelf on the same subject, waiting to be read!

To get some great ideas from their website, check out these links:
--Take the Pledge
--Host an Event & Get Toolkit Resources
--Youth Kits for Unplugging kids of all ages
--Download posters
--Unplugging Stories & News

Header image created on Canva. Logos from the Digital Learning Day & National Day of Unplugging websites.