Person Growth, Goal V, and Navigating TECHNOLOGY
Technology on our campus is used with intention an discernment in alignment with the Goals and Criteria to enhance curriculum and deepen learning. Our curriculum leads, and technology follows -serving as a purposedful tool that enriches learning experiences, fosters critical thinking, and supports intellectual rigor. Guided by thoughtful instruction and reflective practice, our use of digital tools enhances ethical inquiry, creativity, and mastery while honoring the primacy of relationships, personal encounter, and discussion. Technology at ASH supports connection and engagement, strengthening- but never replacing- the formative power of teacher expertise, lived experience, and community." -Charlotte LaHaye, Ed.D., Curriculum Coordinator
online safety and technology in the classroom and at home
Every student’s online activity is monitered by Go Guardian. This program provides a safety net for appropriate web activity, blocking inappropriate and dangerous sites both at school and at home. If students search or access content online that is unsafe or inappropriate, it is flagged and our technology department is monitored. This program allows students to have some freedom with their devices with sturdy guardrails to keep them safe.
finding balance
Balance is central to responsible technology use. Children and adolescents need time for physical movement, creative play, quiet reflection, and unstructured social interaction. In The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt highlights a significant rise in anxiety and depression among young people beginning in the early 2010s, closely linked to increased smartphone and social media use—particularly during adolescence. These findings underscore the importance of helping students understand that technology should support their lives and learning, not dominate them.
Goal V, Criterion 5 also calls attention to the effects of tech on relationships. As students continue to develop empathy, responsibility, and integrity, they benefit from clear guidance about how these values apply in digital spaces. Online interactions carry real consequences, and reinforcing that kindness, respect, and honesty apply both online and in person helps students develop strong digital citizenship.
modeling good habits
Perhaps most importantly, students learn from what they observe. When adults—at school and at home—model balanced technology use, prioritize presence in relationships, and demonstrate thoughtful decision-making, students take notice. Consistency between home and school strengthens these lessons and reinforces a shared commitment to responsible freedom.
“Families should proactively think about their children’s media use and talk with children about it, too much media use can mean that children don’t have enough time during the day to play, study, talk, or sleep,” said Jenny Radesky, MD, FAAP of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “What’s most important is that parents be their child’s ‘media mentor.’
At the Academy of the Sacred Heart, responsible use of technology is not simply a policy—it is an expression of Goal V in action. By working together as educators and parents, and by modeling wise freedom ourselves, we support students in growing into reflective, disciplined, and connected individuals who are prepared to engage the world with confidence, care, and purpose.
