Summer and Technology

At the beginning of next year, IICS will hold its third annual Digital Citizenship Week. Within this week, secondary students will look at finding a digital balance while primary students will explore issues such as online safety and cyberbullying.

Before this happens though, we wanted to remind you of some resources that are available to parents regarding kids and technology. Our Technology Integration Specialist, Claire Wachowiak and Brycen Davis, created a Frequently Asked Questions page on the New Literacies website. Please take a moment to look through this information. Thanks!

Frequently Asked Questions

Technology Addiction

Do you worry if your child is addicted to technology? While searching for resources for next year’s Digital Citizenship Week, Brycen Davis and Claire Wachowiak, came across a page on Common Sense Media. This resource addresses parental concerns regarding addition and technology. Although technology is a prevalent part of our everyday life, check in to make sure your child is in control when using the Internet. To get to this page, please click on the image below:

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Internet Safety and Some Coffee

As part of Digital Citizenship Week, Claire Wachowiak and Brycen Davis, our Tech Integration Team, discussed Internet safety and digital balance with parents during a PTA Coffee Morning. Susan Taylor hosted the event.

IMG_2414During this time, a lively discussion took place regarding the concerns parents have about their children being online. While understanding that the Internet has become an integral part of our daily lives, students need to be guided on how to use this incredible tool as its significant functionality also comes with some inherent dangers.  We talked about what IICS is doing to help keep students safe online, including lessons and the Acceptable Use Policies, and also what parents can do at home.

While each home is unique, there are several suggestions below that may help guide students in making smart online choices and to develop healthy screen time habits:

  1. Talk with your child; make sure to check in with your child about their online lives
  2. Create an ‘at home’ media agreement with your child
  3. Talk to your child about Internet safety rules; don’t assume
  4. File_000Keep technology in a central location
  5. Limit screen time
  6. Be a role model for your child in using technology safely and effectively

To help with this, Claire and Brycen have also created a resource page for parents to get information about keeping their children safe online. Additionally, they have created a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) for parents to help navigate this ever changing landscape.

Thank you again to Susan Taylor and the PTA for hosting our Tech Integration Team. It was a lovely morning and we look forward to many more.

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Useful Resources for Parents and Tech

Below are several resources that we find helpful in managing technology at home:

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Privacy and Internet Safety (Common Sense Media)
Maximize the benefits of the Internet while minimizing the risks.

 

Questions Every Parent Asks (Common Sense Media)
How to take control of the technology in your child’s life.

 

3 Simple Rules for a Healthy Media Diet
How to manage screen time at home.

 

The Smart Talk
Help and guidelines for having a clear conversation with your kids about technology.

 

All About Cyberbullying (Common Sense Media)
Find answers to many questions regarding cyberbullying and resources to help.

 

Family Media Agreement (Common Sense Media)
Create an agreement at home with guidelines and rules when using technology.

 

Keeping Kids Safe Online

Please check out the presentation below to see what you can do to keep your child safe online.

Keeping Kids Safe Online

The presentation below was given to parents during the Primary ‘Parent-Teacher Conferences’ in October. Please see the presentation below for some tips on how to keep your child safe online.