Meet Eisha Buch, Head of Teaching and Learning

This former teacher guides digital citizenship learning at schools around the globe, keeping the needs of educators and families at the center.

October 16, 2024

Topics: Cyberbullying Learning Online Privacy and Safety Technology in the Classroom Cyberbullying Learning

Meet the Experts image with Eisha's face and title.

The "Meet Our Experts" series uncovers our team's superpowers and showcases the unique human talent behind our mission to improve the media landscape for kids and families. See our previous articles on Amanda Lenhart, Jill Murphy, Betsy Bozdech, Danny Weiss, and Merve Lapus.

Eisha is the head of teaching and learning at Common Sense Media. She oversees Common Sense's award-winning Digital Citizenship Curriculum, a free K–12 curriculum for schools. Eisha's work is focused on building successful research-based programs and curricula that promote media literacy, social and emotional learning, and youth agency for school-based communities.

What's your career backstory, and what do you bring from it to your work today?

I started my career at Procter & Gamble, working in market research for successful brands like Old Spice and Olay. Working at P&G, where marketing research was pioneered, taught me the importance of championing the voice of the consumer. And as I pivoted into education, I became a champion for hundreds of students across New York City public schools who were seeking a high-quality education. It was my mission to be their strongest advocate and to create meaningful and engaging classroom experiences that fostered self-confidence, grit, and a love for learning.

Here at Common Sense, helping students thrive in a tech-filled world is at the core of what we do and why we do it. And a big part of my role is market research—staying up to date on the intersection of tech trends and youth culture, concerns, and stressors. I'm dedicated to developing content in tandem with researchers, educators, and students, to make sure what we create is relevant and has a positive impact on young people.

What's the biggest thing your team is working on right now?

Common Sense's free K–12 Digital Citizenship Program helps parents and caregivers, students, and educators to navigate the opportunities and challenges of the digital world. Today, the program reaches more than 1.3 million educators and 88,000 schools across the U.S. (including 81% of Title I schools and over 5,000 schools globally).

While our mission hasn't changed during the 15+ years we've had this program, the landscape certainly has. We have regularly made revisions to the curriculum to ensure its relevance, and the team is currently working on a significant update that will be released in 2025. Our kids are facing new issues with media and tech, including concerns over youth mental health exacerbated by social media. And with recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), the very way in which young people are interacting with each other, with social platforms, and with information is changing by the day. This presents new opportunities for learning and creativity, as well as challenges around ethical use, the continued proliferation of misinformation, and safeguarding their own identities.

Digital citizenship and well-being are more important than ever before, and we're excited to be meeting this critical moment with a thoughtful, research-backed curriculum that provides depth and nuance to young people's digital lives.

What's one issue you see happening in education that you think many people are missing?

With all the hype around AI, or any new technology for that matter, I think it's easy to either approach the newness with fear and resistance or to go all-in and give the shiny new object too much importance. As a society, we run the gamut as it relates to our understanding (and stance) on AI, and the education space is no different. This is something we at Common Sense are addressing by developing professional development resources to help educators. We want to help them build common ground and a basic understanding of the technology, reduce fear, and also ensure responsible use that centers on us (the humans) vs. the tools.

On a more philosophical level, I think we have to start articulating what it is that we as human beings value about ourselves and, ultimately, how we can (and must) shift what and how we teach to reflect those values. My list is still evolving, but for now, I'm honing in on the following (in no particular order):

Critical thinking
Curiosity
Creativity
Human connection
Agency

Clarifying our values is the only way to ultimately act with intention. And it's what's needed in order to support a generation of young people who deserve a high-quality education that meets this moment and supports their well-being.

What were some of your favorite shows when you were growing up, and why?

The first one that comes to mind is Full House—what a classic. I loved that the show was centered on the idea of family (and that it was a nontraditional family structure) and that I never knew if Michelle Tanner was Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen! But most importantly, I loved my routine, watching it with my brother after school with a stack of Chips Ahoy chewy chocolate chip cookies. Nothing could beat that.

And then there's Friends. I loved the relatability of the characters and that it so beautifully captured the essence of young adulthood and friendship. The show has stood the test of time.