Step one in fulfilling this responsibility is for us to go where our kids go (online.) I strongly encourage parents to spend time with your children online. Ask them to show you all of the cool things learned at school! If he/she has an email account or uses social networking (Facebook, Google+, texting, etc.), periodically look over your child's communications. This is not being nosy, it is keeping our children safe while guiding them in making good choices. Trust me (and I speak from experiences), we can find many "teachable moments" as our tech-savvy children share their email communications, texts, and social networking posts.
It is also necessary to touch base on an important issue that escalates with our increased use of social media - cyberbullying. We've all heard stories recently in the news (or in our own lives) about cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is the use of technology to tease, harass, embarrass, or threaten another person. It can include sending messages anonymously, spreading gossip via social networks or email, pretending to be another person, or sending/posting harmful messages.
As parents and teachers, what can we do to keep our children safe and to help them make good choices online? Let me share an analogy - Think of water safety....When a child is an infant, the adult carries the child in the water. As the child grows, the adult teaches the child to swim, yet is always an arm's distance away. As the child grows to be a better swimmer, the adult moves farther away, yet is still at the pool with his eyes always on the child. We should do the same when teaching our children how to use the internet - We would never throw our non-swimmer into the pool and assume they could swim - yikes!
Additionally, whether or not we like the water, we know it's imperative to teach them how to swim.
There are many resources available to help our children learn to be safe online. Hopefully these are helpful to you ...
Digital Citizenship Resources
I am thankful to be at a school where the staff strives for a safe environment, both at school and
online. 3rd - 5th grade classes participate in lessons about digital citizenship - internet safety
and cyberbullying - at the beginning of the year. Teachers reteach making good
choices online as technology is integrated into much of our students' learning;
we encourage parents to do the same by continuing to be aware of their child's
activities online.
And, to my dear Underwood families....if you have any questions or concerns about your child's digital citizenship skills, you know that I am always available to talk. Together we can safely move our students through the 21st century!
And, to my dear Underwood families....if you have any questions or concerns about your child's digital citizenship skills, you know that I am always available to talk. Together we can safely move our students through the 21st century!
