Leah Plunkett

We’re living in a post-normal world. Our last "normal" school year for primary and secondary (K-12) schools was in 2018-2019. During the last year and a half, digital tech has shaped the lives of elementary, middle, and high school students in ways that were unthinkable in February 2020. As we move through and rebuild from the pandemic, now is the moment to take stock of what we’ve learned about the opportunities and challenges of digital tech for our kids and teens—by looking ahead, even as we’re looking back. Let’s dive into hypothetical future extreme scenarios, both positive and negative, starring our children, our educators, and current & emerging digital tech against a backdrop of fictional high-stakes circumstances. By looking at the extremes of what could be, educators can engage their imaginations, their common sense, their values, and their professional expertise to proactively design for the ways they want their school/district/association to engage digital tech, for both daily and crisis modes. There’s no going back to normal. Let’s go to next.

We’re living in a post-normal world. There hasn't been a "normal" school year for high school students since 2018-2019. During the pandemic, digital tech has shaped teens’ lives in ways that were unthinkable in February 2020. As we move through and rebuild from the pandemic, now is the moment to take stock: How has digital tech impacted your education and everyday life? How can we approach digital tech so that we're using it instead of it using us—or do we want the tech to be leading the way? What kind of future do you want for yourself, your friends, and your world—and what role do you want digital tech to play? Let’s dive into hypothetical future extreme scenarios, both positive and negative, starring you, your teachers, and current and emerging digital tech against a backdrop of fictional high-stakes circumstances. By envisioning made-up stories for the near and distant future (as crazy as that may seem!), you can engage your imagination, your values, and your insights into designing the ways you think digital tech should be used. There’s no going back to normal. Let’s go to next.

In March 2020, our primary and secondary (K-12) schools had to move overnight into remote learning mode. Get a handle on how and why to protect student privacy in our “new normal” and get ahead of the curve in exploring opportunities to strengthen digital privacy protections for your K-12 learning environment as we look ahead to the "next normal" of the other side of pandemic life.

In our "new normal" of remote learning, parents have become part of the classroom in a whole new way. As school systems make plans for this collaboration to continue, in some form, for a long time, how can educators make parents a productive part of the digital learning team? Unpack common sources of stress around digital learning between parents and educators and make an accessible, values-based plan for not only addressing these problems but identifying opportunities for new digital collaboration between home and school.

Clubs, sports teams, and other organizations that bring kids valuable athletic, recreational, and other activities are embracing digital technologies, especially in pandemic life. But many organizations haven't yet thought through how to use these technologies (by leadership, staff, volunteers, parents, and kids themselves) in ways that both advance organizational mission and protect kids' and teens' privacy. Develop a practical map for taking ownership of your organization's approach to digital tech to limit your risks and to enhance how you serve kids and teens.

The New Yorker heralds Leah's book from MIT Press– Sharenthood: Why We Should Think Before We Talk About Our Kids Online– for offering "gripping moments" where Leah envisions "scenarios that seem both far-fetched and, when you think more deeply about the direction of technological innovation, a bit inevitable" for how our digital tech choices as teachers, parents, and other trusted adults impact our kids' privacy and life opportunities. Join Leah for an inclusive and imaginative dialogue about tech innovation and the future of our kids— and of childhood itself. This talk looks at the ways that adults' everyday tech choices are already impacting our children's lives, as well as the inevitable (or not?) ways that our choices about the tech that is likely to exist tomorrow will change our kids' futures.

Your kids may play a big role in the content you create and share, but as your brand and business grows, at what point are your children working for you? And when should child labor laws be taken into consideration? As influencers continue to succeed, they will need guidance to navigate the increasing potential for law enforcement action, as well as legal or regulatory reform of existing laws, which is becoming more likely as the influencer sector grows. Three takeaway points for this talk:
• Navigating the fine line between family and business relationships when those relationships are with your own children
• Understanding how current child labor laws intersect with influencers
• Best practice tips that influencers should consider

Now that grandparents and their grandkids are in digital mode more than ever before, what do grandparents need to know about protecting their grandkids' privacy online so they can engage meaningfully and safely?