Technology Information Night
Welcome parents and colleagues! This page is a compilation of the ideas presented at the Technology Information Nights. You will find several articles that lay the foundation for our approach to Cyber Safety and Awareness. I have included links to many of the YouTube videos shared during the presentations, and I have included links to videos I used from Netsmartz.org. I suggest parents preview the videos to find the ones you feel are most relevant and age appropriate for your daughter. Then sit down together to review the page, watch the videos and discuss the ramifications.
With the near ubiquitous use of technology our jobs have changed - our jobs as teachers and our jobs as parents.
21st Century Teaching means
- Connecting
- Collaborating
- Innovating
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
Our job as teachers and parents is to
- Guide
- Nurture
- Facilitate
- Educate
- Encourage
- Empower
- Protect... the list goes on and so does the job!
Developing tech skills is just the beginning! With what we know about the internet and how our students interact online, Larry Magid says, "Online safety needs to be seen in the context of participatory culture and democracy." This link explains it best: Online Safety 3.0 - on and off the fixed and mobile internet; Empowering and Protecting Youth
Connect Safely lists the following kinds of 'Online Safety:'
Physical safety – freedom from physical harm
Psychological safety – freedom from cruelty, harassment, and exposure to potentially disturbing material
Reputational and legal safety – freedom from unwanted social, academic, professional, and legal consequences that could affect you for a lifetime
Identity, property, and community safety – freedom from theft of identity and property and attacks against networks and online communities at local, national, and international levels.
Families and the school need to work together to help our students be safe in the real world and online.
Developing skills of digital citizenship (from Nancy Willard's writings - be sure to check out the list of recent blog posts to the right of the lead post):
- How to be safe online
- Passwords, keeping them private - Password Rap; Use Your Netsmartz;
- Keeping your password private - even from your best friend!
- Privacy settings on Facebook,and know how to block
- Not revealing personal information - address, phone #
- Be careful about publishing a schedule of activities
- Be careful about 'checking in" at a particular location
- Don't click on ads, unknown attachments, pop-ups - A Lesson in Computer Viruses
- How to present a positive image
- Be yourself, be who you are
- Choose 'usernames' that portray you in a positive light - Profile Penalty
- Communicate online the way you would in person
- Use appropriate language
- What you post is out there, out of your control
- A text message that goes viral - Mike-Tosis
- How to do the right thing
- Be sure of the facts of what you post
- Think before you post
- Only post what you are comfortable sharing with your parents, teachers, grandparents... or a high school admissions counselor!
- Sexting - 20% of teens admit to sending racy photos
- Don't pass along or forward unacceptable material - You Can't Take It Back!
- Tell a parent, guardian or adult if you ever feel uncomfortable about something you encounter online.
- How to take responsibility for the well being of themselves and others
- Zero tolerance of unacceptable behavior! - Free Speech? or Doing What's Right?
- Report abuse and be part of the solution, not the problem
- Be an ally! Be courageous!
- Setting limits - Parents, don't be afraid to set limits:
- Collect everyone's cell phones at night
- Charge them somewhere besides the bedroom
- Limit screentime
- Model good behavior!
If you have thoughts and suggestions you'd like to share, feel free to email me; maybe we'll call on you to participate on a technology panel!
And check out all the links on the Internet Safety Information Page! The links will change from time to time, so visit often!
