Shawn Franke

Wife, Mom, Educator, GT Specialist

[Camus @newstart_2024]

Shocking MRI study on preschoolers (ages 3-5): Just 2+ hours of interactive screen time per day linked to measurable loss of white matter in the brain—the "wiring" essential for language, literacy, and cognitive skills.

From Dr. John Hutton's 2020 JAMA Pediatrics research (scanning 47 kids): Higher screen use correlated with lower microstructural integrity and myelination in key tracts, plus poorer vocabulary, phonological awareness, and early literacy scores—even after controlling for age/income.

Professor Mike Nagel (UniSC) called it a gut punch: "I was not anticipating... such a profound effect from as little as two hours a day."

Broader trends since smartphones exploded post-2010: Skyrocketing teen psychological distress, self-harm (especially girls), mental health hospitalizations, poor sleep—and plummeting face-to-face time with friends.

Experts warn: We're risking a generation's potential. No screens in bedrooms/meals, none interactive under 5, max 30 min/day up to 12.

As parents, we know excessive screens = big emotions... but brain changes? That's next-level scary.

What's your family's screen rule that actually works? Share below—parents need real strategies.

[healthbot @thehealthb0t]

This teacher-turned-cognitive scientist shared a disturbing reality that left the room stunned.

“Our kids are LESS cognitively capable than we were at their age.”

Every previous generation outperformed its parents since we began recording in the late 1800s.

So, what happened?

Screens.

Dr. Jared Horvath explained:

“Gen Z is the first generation in modern history to underperform us on basically every cognitive measure we have, from basic attention to memory, to literacy, to numeracy, to executive functioning, to EVEN GENERAL IQ, even though they go to more school than we did.”

“So why? … The answer appears to be the tools we are using within schools to drive that learning (screens).”

“If you look at the data, once countries adopt digital technology widely in schools, performance goes down significantly, to the point where kids who use computers about five hours per day in school for learning purposes will score over two-thirds of a standard deviation LESS than kids who rarely or never touch tech at school. And that’s across 80 countries.”

But screens aren’t just decimating learning and making new generations less intelligent than the ones before them.

[Education Week @educationweek]

School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where https://t.co/WSggAxmVW5

[Teacher2Teacher @teacher2teacher]

Ts, what strategies transform your Ss' engagement levels from 😴 to 🤩?

Check out some approaches that educator @leeannjung and @ASCD recommend! ⬇️

#StudentEngagement

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

Great guide for those first weeks of school conversations!

[Principal Project @PrincipalProj]

Making time to connect with students' families can be challenging, but this guide for 5-minute chats from @caselorg helps make every minute count.

https://t.co/tQiqQ1Dile

[Help A Teacher @HelpATeacher]

Important! 🙌

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

@EddinsElem @MrsTannersTweet Well deserved!

[Troy Mooney @TroyMooney]

Why are longtime conservative educators like me (lifelong R voter who voted for Abbott), posting and sharing this video?

Here is why:

Last Fall @GovAbbott recognized the statewide shortage of teachers, calling a special commission to address the issue. He was focused on public ed. But then, at some point he became fixated on vouchers and launched his Private school only tour where he began denouncing public ed calling us “Educrats” and indoctrinators.

His actions were then echoed by many in #txlege who began affirming their west texas donors. They started clout chasing voucher lobbyists (with photo ops, using their catchphrases) and blasting public school supporters as Anti Family and Anti-Freedom.

Then came the actual voucher bills in March.

The bills did not (and do not) actually guarantee any choice for parents. That could be remedied, but instead they created a choice only for the schools.

Further they exempted private schools from all the accountability and other compliance mandates which were being used to criticize schools.

“PubEd test scores are bad”—but voucher bills removed state testing requirements

“PubEd schools have too many admin”-but voucher bills exempted all the compliance, reporting, and mandates that require more admin etc.

Then there were the actual bill hearings where many #txlege used their time to fawn over lobbyists while blasting actual fellow conservative public school leaders

The icing was the recent public admission that the Governor is dangling any raise for teachers as a “carrot” for getting vouchers passed.

So here we are. Me, a long time R voter with Public, Private, and Charter service now finding alignment with the remaining pro public ed republicans and also leading Democrats, but largely abandoned by the state leadership.

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

#everydayhero380

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

Sounds about right. Will be voting appropriately.

[Jamie Wilson, Ed.D. @jkwilsiii]

To all educators across the state, you are the only state employees not getting a raise, our state values you less than school choice vouchers. Please see this letter from @KingForTexas regarding efforts in the house. @GregAbbott_TX promised to fully fund public schools.He failed

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

@texashealth My dad is in room 619. He has had a change and we are concerned he is septic. We need an infectious disease doctor and hospitalist in here immediately. Please send to 619. You are not seeing him during status changes.

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

#pizzahut seriously. On the phone forever. Nobody answering. Need the 5 pizzas you owe me. Where is my pizza? What the heck?

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

#pizzhut you did me wrong. Ordered 10 pizzas and got 5. Where are they? Need our pizza!

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

@SamsungUS I need a replacement right door bin for rs22t5201sr. Your website is hard to navigate. Help!

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

Took a great pork class at #tsmokehousebbq yesterday and, with the help of my trusty sidekick, smoking this beauty today! #drunclestyle

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

My coworker this morning. @thinkLawUS

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

Please consider helping my friend finish this fight!
https://t.co/qYZFGlPfnM

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

Back on Twitter! Could not resist taking this pic of our fearless, but soaked, leaders! #goldenyear #bellbuilds @laurenshappp

[Braswell Bravo Co. @TheatreBraswell]

Shout out to our FIRST EVER letter jacket recipient @ryan_howard1716 !! We are so proud! Can't wait for more students to letter this year!

[Shawn Franke @MrsFranke1]

There just aren't words to express how thrilled, humbled, and happy I am! Love you friends! @dentonisd @BellElemDISD @EddinsElem