Participate 4 - Digital Health

While thinking about becoming an online teacher, I know that it will be important to maintain a balance between technology and well-being by setting boundaries. Just as we set boundaries for our students, we need to set boundaries for ourselves. Allowing ourselves time to disconnect with the digital world and balance our online community with our face to face lives. Scheduling time each day to step away from the computer and setting an alarm to remind you to stand up and stretch or go for a short walk. I often sit down to work and lose track of time. I think setting an alarm is a great way to know that I will get a short break and reconnect with my face to face word. This offers a good mental break and provides me for a fresh look at the work I'm engaging in. All of these strategies should be shared with students as a reminder to safeguard good health while getting the most from technology. 

The Apple Watch has a feature called the “Stand Reminder”, which is a gentle reminder to stand up every 50 minutes and move around for a bit. The Stand Reminder feature is aimed at combating the incredibly detrimental health consequences of sitting too much, something that nearly all of us with desk jobs do, and there is a gentle tap and chime that makes it quite effective.

Below is a snapshot of the watch that I would use as a virtual teacher, and also a sample calendar with a schedule designed to improve digital health.

This article from The Atlantic suggests to work for 52 minutes and break for 17, that is what my schedule would look like.