As a 1:1 learning environment, Burlington Public Schools are committed to preparing students to be responsible and productive digital citizens. To achieve this goal, all schools in the district provide age appropriate digital citizenship education. Topics in the curriculum include Internet safety, privacy and security, online relationships and communication, information literacy and copyrights, cyberbullying and self-image. Extending digital citizenship education beyond the classrooms and into the home is the best way to support your children as they navigate their way through an increasingly complex digital world.

Being aware of current and emerging technologies, including social media, is important in keeping your children safe and productive online. However, with technology changing so rapidly, we realize keeping up with your children in a digital age may be a challenge. With so much information available online, you may be asking yourself, “where do I being?” This year, the BHS Help Desk is offering support to parents and has compiled a list of helpful resources for all grade levels. We hope these resources will serve as a starting point for conversations with your child about his or her online activities and behaviors. And if you missed Parenting in the Digital Age– A BPS Edtech presentation by Jenn Scheffer & Patrick Larkin, stay tuned for future events this spring!

 

CYBERWISE
Excellent resources for parents are available from Cyberwise.org. Cyberwise is an online resource dedicated to helping parents understand how they can encourage their children to use digital media safely and responsibly. Are you keeping up? Take the Cyberwise New Media Quiz to test your knowledge of the latest digital tools!

 

COMMON SENSE MEDIA
Common Sense Media provides fantastic resources for parents of children who are growing up in a digital age. The site features comprehensive reviews and ratings on apps, TV shows, movies, games, books, websites, and more. An explanation of the rating system used by parents can be found here. Their parent blog addresses a wide variety of issues facing families and offers practical advice on how to raise digitally responsible children. If you are looking for a place to start, and want to establish expectations regarding your child’s school-issued device, try this Customizable Device Contract or the Common Sense Media K-12 Family Media Agreements. With Common Sense Media, it is easy to stay up to date with the latest types of technology tools your child may be using. Check out 11 Sites and Apps Kids Are Heading to After Facebook and be just as tech-savvy as your kids are!

RESOURCES FROM GOOGLE:

“Good To Know” Guide to Staying Safe & Secure Online
Google’s Safety Tools
Tips from parents at Google (videos)
Google’s Family Safety You Tube Channel

 

RESOURCES FROM CONNECTSAFELY.ORG
Parent guides provided by ConnectSafely.org
A Parent’s Guide to Facebook
A Parent’s Guide to Instagram
A Parent’s Guide to Snapchat
A Parent’s Guide to YouTube

 

 

RESOURCES FROM FACEBOOK:

Although many students have migrated from Facebook onto different social media sites, it’s still important to know that Facebook as a company is concerned about teen safety. Facebook has a dedicated Family Center and provides tips for students to stay safe online. These tips can certainly be transferred to a variety of other social networking sites. We’ve also highlighted a video from Facebook employees which underscores the company’s commitment to providing a safe experience for their younger users. Be sure to check out Resources from Facebook’s Family Safety Center, Help Your Teens Play It Safe, and Safety Tools.

 

 

 

Resources from Edutopia
A Parent’s Guide to 21st Century Learning
Transition Resources for Parents (elementary, middle, and high school transition advice)

 

MUST READ & LISTEN TO RESOURCES FOR PARENTS:

1. Resources from parent, author, blogger, and speaker Will Richardson
2. Podcasts targeted to parents from the BAM Radio Network
3. The PBS Parents Page (Resources for Pre-K through high school)
4. eFace Today-Joe’s parent centered blog
5. Global Parent-Teacher Twitter Chat