Op-Ed: Montclair Educator Wants ‘Grace’ In An Age Of Technology

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following op-ed comes courtesy of teacher and author Stephen Valentine, an educator at Montclair Kimberley Academy.

My writing partner and I frequently talk about a very simple word -- grace. We're not in a church or quoting biblical scholars. Instead we're talking about technology, and particularly the ways in which the online and offline world might connect. We publicly speak about this all over the country and have written a book about the ways in which educators and school leaders can function best in a world that, so often, ties together online and offline experiences.

Educators, school leaders -- all of us -- can be graceful in these transitions. We can exhibit manners and morals and all those intangible things that make human beings decent, kind, and productive.

So what, exactly, lends grace to online-offline shifting or, as it’s often called in schools and corporate settings, blended practice, and how can we (educators parents, caregivers and students alike) apply these practices in our respective roles?

Human Practice is a Must

Technologically speaking, it’s not rocket science. We can craft emails in a thoughtful way and reply to one another in a timely fashion. We can say thank you, whether that means writing a handwritten letter or a quick text. We can close loops, especially when people are waiting on us to make a decision or add input. These aren’t just good school practices and good business practices . . . they are good human practices.

Be Aware and Courteous

Simple things like being aware of social conventions in video conferences make a difference. Muting your microphone when not participating helps eliminate background noise when others are speaking. Moving participants to Bcc when they are no longer needed on an email trail prevents clogged up inboxes. Asking yourself, habitually, how can I structure my next communication in a way that adds clarity or value to the exchange instead of just buying myself time or passing the buck?

These are all small moves that show you're being considerate, graceful, and thoughtful while operating with a moral technology compass. Whether you are online or offline, connection is connection, communication is communication, and kindness is kindness.

Blending Best Practices

Effective educators know that how we teach is as important as what we teach and that the day’s true lesson often arrives as a burr on the coat of the intended lesson. I feel fortunate to have spent the last 15 years in a school where a culture of ethics is prevalent, allowing me to learn the lesson of how -- how we teach, how we create community, how we engage with the world -- again and again.

Teaching Respect through Technology at Home

As parents, we can practice respect through technology use. When Skyping with Grandma, for example, we can encourage our children to look right at the camera and pay attention, the online version of eye contact. We can also encourage them to send quick thank you messages via email or text.

Screen-to-screen contact is not almost as good as the real thing -- for young people, it is the real thing. As adults, we can rail against this eventuality, or we can jump in and lead by example. We can put our phones and tablets away for the night, making sure our children see us doing so, or we can engage in technology together as a family. We can talk about privacy, what it actually means to opt into “free” services, when and where it’s appropriate to silence notifications, and when face-to-face interaction is optimal.

And, perhaps most important, as my co-author and colleague Dr. Reshan Richards often says, “As we gain time through technological efficiencies, we can step away from work and technology to actually spend more time with the people we love, doing the things that matter.”

Photo: Montclair Kimberley Academy

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