Vermont Commons School Presents "The Triumphs and Pitfalls of Parenting and Technology"

“What parent doesn’t struggle with technology and child rearing?” asks Chance Cardamone-Knewstub, Dean of Students at Vermont Commons School. “I can’t count the numbers of parents who come to my office to talk about how to finesse the difficult relationships they and their children have with technology. As a school, we have similar issues. So, I thought, let’s bring in some experts and have a conversation.”

The goals for this discussion are:

How to address stress and conflict in families related to children’s use of digital technology.
How to identify and maintain boundaries around digital technology that will work for your family
Envisioning what a healthy and relatively stress free family relationship to digital technology might look like

During the evening we will have break out sessions to share, with our panelists and fellow parents, the triumphs and pitfalls we experience in the face of an increasingly technological world.

When and Where: Thursday, February 5th from 6:00-8:00 pm at Vermont Commons School, 75 Green Mountain Dr., South Burlington, VT.

The Panelists

DR. ELAINE YOUNG: Dr. Young is a professor at the Robert P. Stiller School of Business at Champlain College where she teaches courses in Digital Analytics and Analysis, Advanced Digital Marketing, Community Management, and the Marketing Capstone. She is also the author of “Tuned in Family: How to Cope, Communicate and Connect in the Digital World”.

SUSAN HENNESSEY: Susan is the Professional Development Coordinator at the Tarrant Institute for Innovative Education at the University of Vermont. Prior to her involvement with the Tarrant Institute, Susan was the Library Media Specialist and an English teacher and English Department Chair at Harwood Union Middle School. Susan has years of experience playing with educational technology as well as the insights gained from having two tween-aged daughters.

ARI SHAPIRO-MILLER: Ari is the school counselor at Vermont Commons School and a therapist. Ari has extensive experience working with youth as a counselor and as a coach. Both in his work at school and in his private practice, Ari sees conflict over tech use between parents and teens as a recurring theme impacting family systems.

About the School

Vermont Commons School is an independent middle and high school for students in grades 6-12. The school offers a rigorous academic curriculum that includes a focus on community service and experiential education.