District expands digital citizenship lessons, pilots indoor recess screen-free idea

District staff told the board they've adopted Common Sense Education lessons at the elementary level and are sequencing six focus areas so each grade receives age-appropriate digital citizenship instruction. Summer, a TIE-team presenter, said librarians have delivered weekly lessons with topics such as cyberbullying and media literacy and that some elementary lessons already include basic AI concepts like spotting fake images.

"We've pulled that content and made weekly or monthly lessons," the presenter said, noting the district is trying to make lessons manageable for classroom schedules. At the secondary level, staff plan to add explicit AI-literacy lessons next year to the advisory and library schedule.

School staff also proposed piloting an "indoor recess screen-free" initiative to offer non-screen alternatives during free time. Board members and parents raised concerns about inconsistent use of free time in classrooms and supported clearer expectations and administrator-backed guidance.

District staff said the goal is to align curricular priorities, reduce passive screen use, and give teachers tools to be intentional about device use while preserving equitable access to digital resources.

Next steps: continue rollout of Common Sense lessons, develop AI-literacy scope for middle and high school, pilot indoor recess screen-free practices, and gather teacher and parent feedback.