Technological Thanksgiving

I did this amazing lesson with my students today, or so I thought. We discussed global poverty through an activity produced by the United Nations. Each student read a biography of a teenager from different areas of the world that included information about their lifestyle. Many of the students were surprised by how little these kids had. Then we talked about how much we take for granted and how grateful we should be for these things we sometimes think we are entitled to. The lesson ended with each student making a list of things they were grateful for. It took me until this point to realize the kids had no idea what I was trying to get at. On every single list at least ¼ of the things they were thankful for were some form of technology. But don’t worry, I learned from my mistake. I know now that the kids in my class would rather have their cell phones than three meals a day. Good to know.