A flexible, community-centered training model to build shared understanding between families and schools around digital well-being.
About This Resource
Building trust between schools & families
This training is not about persuading families toward one approach — it's about shared understanding, trust, and practical strategies.
This ETLA Member resource supports districts in building a clear, consistent, and community-centered training plan for parents and caregivers around screen time, digital well-being, and effective technology use in schools. The model is intentionally flexible so districts can adapt it to their community context, grade levels, and available time.
Three-Session Model
Three complementary sessions
1
District Technology Use & Security
Transparency around how the district uses technology, protects data, and supports safety.
Explore session →
2
Student Panel & Youth Voice
Hear directly from students about their technology use, habits, and what support they need.
Explore session →
3
Parent-to-Parent Conversation
Parent-led discussion normalizing challenges and sharing strategies around screen time at home.
Explore session →
Delivery
Two flexible delivery options
Option A
One-Evening Experience
All three sessions in a single 75–90 minute event — ideal for family nights and community forums.
Opening welcome: 10–15 min
Three session rotation: 60–75 min
Each session: 20–25 min
Works well for back-to-school events
Option B
Standalone Sessions
Each session offered separately — in-person or virtual — over multiple events or by grade band.
Across multiple evenings
By grade band (elementary, middle, HS)
Ongoing parent education series
Community coffee series
Training Content
Session guides
Detailed content and facilitation guidance for each of the three sessions.
1
District Technology Use & Security
Builds transparency and trust by explaining how the district uses technology to support learning while protecting student safety and data.
Key Areas to Address
💻
Technology Use for Learning
How technology supports instruction, student engagement, and curricular goals.
📋
App & Tool Selection
Evaluation and approval criteria: instructional value, data privacy, accessibility.
🔒
Student Data Privacy
What data is collected, how it's protected, and vendor compliance requirements.
🛡️
Filtering & Monitoring
Internet filtering policies, threat monitoring systems, and escalation triggers.
🔔
Escalation & Response
How concerns are reviewed and when families are notified. Student well-being is prioritized.
📚
Homework & Screen Time
District guidelines for tech-based homework and expectations across grade levels.
🎓
Professional Learning
How teachers are supported with effective technology use and digital citizenship.
Key takeaway: Families should leave with confidence that technology use in the district is intentional, monitored, and aligned with student learning and safety.
2
Student Panel & Youth Voice
Elevates student perspectives to help families understand how children and adolescents experience technology today. Hearing directly from students provides insights adults cannot access on their own.
Sample Discussion Questions
📝 Facilitator Question Bank
General Use & Habits
What kinds of apps or platforms do you use most often?
When do you usually use screens during the day?
How do you decide when to stop using a device?
Self-Regulation & Limits
Do you have rules about screen time at home? How do they work for you?
What makes it hard to put devices away?
What helps you manage your screen time better?
Social Interaction
How do you communicate with friends online?
What feels different about online conversations versus in-person ones?
How do conflicts or misunderstandings happen online?
Adult Support & Expectations
What do adults sometimes misunderstand about how you use technology?
What kinds of rules or boundaries feel fair or helpful?
How can parents or teachers support you better with technology use?
Guide for Selecting Student Panelists
RepresentationMix of genders, backgrounds, and varied technology use patterns.
Grade levelsInclude representation across grade levels when possible.
ComfortStudents should be comfortable speaking in front of adults.
PreparationBrief students on topics in advance. Emphasize honesty over "right answers."
ConsentParticipation is voluntary; parental consent must be obtained.
GoalAuthenticity, not perfection. Hear real student perspectives.
3
Parent-to-Parent Conversation
Centers parent voices and normalizes the challenges families face with screen time, technology boundaries, and digital behavior at home. This is parent-led, not expert-led.
Suggested Discussion Topics
⏰
Managing Screen Time
Strategies for setting and enforcing healthy limits at home.
🏠
Boundaries & Routines
Establishing consistent household expectations around device use.
📖
Homework & Devices
Balancing school-assigned technology use with broader screen limits.
⚠️
Inappropriate Content
Navigating access to mature content and having open conversations.
📱
Social Media
Concerns, conversations, and strategies around social platforms.
🎮
Gaming & Online Play
Managing gaming habits and online social interactions.
🌙
Bedtime & Sleep
Addressing device use before sleep and its impact on rest.
🏫
School vs. Home Rules
Bridging the gap between school technology expectations and home norms.
Facilitation Guidance
Begin by establishing shared norms: listening, confidentiality, and non-judgment.
Emphasize there is no single "right" approach to technology at home.
Encourage parents to share what has worked and what has been difficult.
Avoid solving every problem — focus on connection and shared understanding.
Goal: Parents leave feeling heard, less alone, and better prepared to engage in ongoing conversations with their children.
District Planning
Event planning checklist
Track your preparation progress. Click each item to mark it complete.
Use this checklist to plan your Parent Technology Training event. Items are organized by phase and tagged as Pre-EventDay Of or Follow-Up.
0 of 20 tasks completed
1
Pre-Event Planning
0/6
✓
Determine delivery format (Option A: one evening, or Option B: standalone sessions)Pre-event
✓
Select and confirm date, time, and venuePre-event
✓
Identify a neutral facilitator for Session 3 (Parent-to-Parent)Pre-event
✓
Recruit and prepare student panelists for Session 2 (voluntary, with parental consent)Pre-event
✓
Prepare district presenter for Session 1 (technology use & safety overview)Pre-event
✓
Send family invitations with event details and purposePre-event
2
Content Preparation
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Customize Session 1 content for your district's tools and policiesPre-event
✓
Select and review student panel questions appropriate to your grade levelsPre-event
✓
Brief student panelists on expectations, topics, and the importance of honestyPre-event
✓
Identify parent facilitators for Session 3 and provide guidance and supportPre-event
✓
Prepare a shared resource list to distribute to familiesPre-event
✓
Create "carpool conversation starters" handout for familiesPre-event
3
Day of Event
0/4
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Open with welcome and framing from an administrator or superintendent (10–15 min)Day of
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Establish shared norms before Session 3 (listening, confidentiality, non-judgment)Day of
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Distribute resource list and conversation starter handout to attendeesDay of
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Close with a brief reflection, Q&A, and information on follow-up contactsDay of
4
Follow-Up
0/4
✓
Send a thank-you communication to attendees with any shared resourcesFollow-up
✓
Collect and review feedback from families and presentersFollow-up
✓
Identify follow-up contact person for families with additional questionsFollow-up
✓
Consider scheduling additional standalone sessions based on community interestFollow-up
For Families
Resources & conversation starters
Shareable resources to support the ongoing conversation between schools and families about digital well-being.
CoSN — Screens in Balance Toolkit & Community Resources
CoSN · 2025 Blaschke Report Toolkit
2025
Screens in Balance: Education, Technology & Community Conversations
CoSN's flagship 2025 report and toolkit for school leaders on navigating screen time with community input — examining smartphones, EdTech, and screen-based entertainment in K–12 schools.
ETLA Community Resource · Featured in the Blaschke Report
2025
Family Guide to Technology in Schools
A visual, community-facing guide developed to help families understand how schools use technology intentionally and safely. This resource was cited in the CoSN 2025 Blaschke Report as a model for district-to-family communication.
CoSN's first-of-its-kind national survey of district EdTech leaders on data privacy practices, gaps, and resources — including the Trusted Learning Environment Seal framework.
Common Sense Media — Research & Family Guides (2024–2025)
Common Sense Media · 2025 Research
2025
Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight
Released February 2025: 40% of children have a tablet by age 2, gaming has surged 65% in four years, and short-form video is on the rise — with key guidance for families navigating early childhood screen time.
Social Media & Youth Mental Health: A Double-Edged Sword
May 2024 report with Hopelab on how diverse communities of teens and young adults think about social media's complex role in their mental health and well-being.
The Dawn of the AI Era: Teens, Parents & Generative AI
September 2024 nationally representative study on how teens are adopting AI tools at home and school — and what parents and educators need to know about guiding them.
Parents' Ultimate Guide to Social Media (2024 Edition)
An updated, comprehensive guide for parents on the major platforms, what kids are doing on them, red flags to watch for, and how to have ongoing conversations about social media use.
How to Help Teens Manage Social Media & Mental Health
Updated April 2024: Signs to watch for, how to create a family media agreement, and how parents can help teens build healthier relationships with social platforms.
Updated April 2025: When to give a child their first phone, what to set up before handing it over, and how to start the right conversations about responsible use.
Family Engagement for Digital Well-Being (FACE Program)
Tools and strategies for schools and districts to partner with families on digital citizenship — including family tech planners, shareable guides, and the FACE implementation program.