Ep 8 | Digital Distractions – Are Students Really Learning?

Let's be honest — even the best digital lessons can fall apart when half the class is toggling between YouTube, Spotify, and TikTok. In this episode of Schoolwide Download, Dave and Robin tackle one of the biggest classroom challenges of 2025: keeping students focused when every device is a distraction machine. They unpack how digital self-regulation is a skill, not a given, and share simple, high-impact strategies you can start using tomorrow — from the Two-Tab Rule to building focus routines that work. You'll learn how to: ✅ Teach digital self-regulation without policing devices ✅ Build purposeful tech use that promotes focus ✅ Shift from "no phones" battles to "digital balance" habits ✅ Model the same focus strategies you expect from students Try This Tomorrow: Start your "Digital Focus Routine" — post one clear slide, remind students of the Two-Tab Rule, and run a three-minute focus sprint before questions. Because tech isn't the enemy — it's the environment. Let's teach students how to thrive in it. Resources & Links: 🌐 Learn more → bcesc.org/schoolwidedownload 📅 Register for the Schoolwide AI Conference → bcesc.org/schoolwideai #SchoolwideDownload #EdTech #DigitalLearning #TeachingAndLearning #FocusInClass