Thursday, April 20, 2023 Volume 17 Issue 27
In the last couple years, Digital Citizenship has become a more important topic for our students than ever. Since the pandemic, student have had more access to screens, particularly during times of remote learning. Since students each have access to their own device, this provides new opportunities, but also new potential problems.
Librarian Michael Zetterberg provides lessons in digital citizenship to students at TME. Using the Common Sense Digital Citizenship Curriculum, students are learning how to stay safe on-line, how to be responsible and respectful to others on-line, what type of information must be kept private, how to be upstanders if cyber bullying happens, and how to report problems that come up when they are on-line.
Students begin to access technology at a younger age in today’s society. It is not uncommon to see children scrolling on phones and iPads well before they enter school. While our students are clearly “digital natives” and are comfortable with the use of technology, they are still children who need the guidance of adults to shape the decisions they make on-line and to help protect them from potential dangers.
Access to inappropriate sites is a concern for many parents. Student computers at school have strong filters preventing them from visiting sites that contain mature content. However, this is not true for students’ phones, which operate on a network independent from the school. Our school expectation is that student phones are turned off and put away throughout the school day. If students need to call home, they are welcome to do so from the school office. Students are able to access their phones on the bus, and many students play games on their phone as entertainment during a long bus ride. If students are not using their phone appropriately on the bus, they will be asked to keep it put away and given a seat near the driver to ensure appropriate supervision. Students who are getting used to the freedom in communication that texting gives them may get carried away. Parents may want to check in on the texting their child is doing from time to time.
Outside of school hours, it is important for parents to continue the conversation with their child about what apps they use and which sites they visit. You may consider asking your child to sign an agreement about using technology in accordance with your family’s values. You can find examples of Family Media Agreements here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/family-media-agreement .
You may also want to consider limiting your child’s access to more mature media. Common Sense Media has resources for setting parental controls that can block adult content, help regulate phone usage at bedtime, and help you create safe access to certain sites. You can find this here: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/how-to . Our students are curious and without guidance, can find their way into information that you might prefer they not access.
Technology can help students create, communicate, and enrich their learning. The trick is finding a healthy balance of technology use with other types of learning and teaching students to use this tool in a responsible way. Making sure that your child uses technology with the guidance and oversight of adults will help to ensure a positive experience. I encourage you to check out the Common Sense Media site and all it has to offer.
