Back when I was a classroom teacher, I developed a free, three-module Canvas course to address common technology management challenges. This self-paced curriculum serves both as a targeted intervention for individual students and as structured content for advisory groups. While some parts may have aged, districts and individuals may still find this premade course useful.

Course Overview

The course approaches cell phone management through three distinct competency areas:

• Notification management and digital wellness
• Digital privacy and security awareness
• Contextual technology use and etiquette

Each module follows a consistent structure built around experiential learning, incorporating:

• Pre-assessments to gauge initial understanding
• Hands-on experiments to demonstrate key concepts
• Multimedia learning resources
• Instructor-guided practice
• Mastery-based assessments

Implementation Flexibility

I designed this course with flexibility in mind, allowing schools to:

• Assign individual modules based on specific student needs
• Integrate content into existing advisory programs
• Use as a structured intervention for recurring technology issues
• Scale from individual students to small groups

The modular format typically requires about 50 minutes per module, though timing can be adjusted by breaking sections into smaller chunks. Most schools find spreading the content across several days allows students to fully engage with the experimental components.

Distinctive Features

Several key elements distinguish this course:

• Competency-based progression requiring demonstrated mastery
• Blend of online learning and in-person instructor guidance
• Real-world experiments that illustrate technology impacts
• Scenario-based assessments reflecting authentic situations
• Built-in opportunities for reflection and personal goal-setting

Required Resources

Implementation requires minimal resources:

• Access to Canvas LMS
• A “blank” cell phone for practicing settings management (Android or iPhone)
• Basic printed materials for certain assessments
• An instructor to guide specific activities and verify competency

Development Context

I created this course under a Creative Commons Attribution license to address recurring technology management challenges in secondary settings. The curriculum draws from both research-based best practices and practical classroom experience to help students develop healthier technology habits.

While the course materials reside in Canvas, the underlying instructional design principles and content could be adapted to other learning management systems. My goal was to create a resource that could evolve alongside changing technology while maintaining focus on core digital citizenship competencies.

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