Effective Cyber-Parenting@ Fourth grade

RBSJanuary 15, 2010

Computer Activity

• We are engaging children in appropriate, academic uses of tech at school that help them learn now and prepare them with skills that will serve them well in the future.

• Academic use and entertainment/social uses are pushing children to be online more than ever both at school and at home.

• The work of preparing students to make appropriate decisions, employ ethics, morals, and values when online is the work of both teachers and parents.

Safety Instruction at School

• Reading and discussion of Appropriate Use Policy.– Focus on protecting personal identity, not sharing too

much personal info: name, address, phone number– No typing of URLs at school, No Google– Avoid ads

• Use of internet safety games and activities: Carnegie Cadets, NetSmartz Kids, Disney’s SurfSwell Island

• Recent work in fourth grade writing Netiquette rules for appropriate online communication

Safety Measures at School

• Adult supervision in room• Predominantly desktops in use• Appropriate Use Policy– Pre-selected online resources– Limited access to search engines

• Web filter(s)• Limited use of email- Spam Filter

• Monitoring software available (but seldom used)• Admin controls by tech staff

Safety Measures for Home

• Communicate rules & values, have conversations with children about tech use

• Observing children’s computer use• Public space for desktop computer use• Limits on amount and kind of use, expressed and

enforced through tech measures• Parent as admin on machines, not child• Know child’s password• Filtering / blocking / reporting software

Resources for Parents

• commonsense.org• onguardonline.gov• getnetwise.org/

Software Tools

• Family Safety Package• NetNanny.org

• Filter your network• http://www.opendns.com/

• Block Advertising• http://adblockplus.org/en/

Risk Exposure

• Where are students most likely to run into problems?

Online Activities at School

• JK/SK multiple sites used with direct access via dock, (little or no instruction on internet and browsers)

• 1st – use some sites at school, two online accounts created (Kerpoof & Shidonni)

• 2nd – Individual VoiceThread accounts, non-interactive blogs & podcasts. Teacher-led wikis & Twitter.

• 3rd- Interactive blogs, VoiceThreads, portal use for research, tools, information and entertainment

• 4th – Blogs, VoiceThreads, keyboarding, portal, email accounts

Home Use

• Webkinz, Poptropica, Club Penguin• Disney ToonTown, • Google searches, especially image searches• YouTube searches & postings• Email• Instant messaging• FaceBook

Become an Expert CyberParent

• Start Early!

• Take a developmental approach

• Start the conversation – don’t wait for them to start it! (or continue it)

• Repetition is important

• Collaborate with other Parents

Become an Expert Cyberparent

•Limited expectation of Privacy

•All activities under open and direct supervision

•Monitoring software should be a second line of defense

Strategies for Effective Cyber-Parenting

• Computer must be kept in a public place

• Internet safety should be an ongoing conversation at home: Discuss your values!

• Teach and discuss with your child appropriate social skills for online communication

Strategies continued

• Establish standards regarding use of the computer when you are not present

• Be part of your child’s online experience

• MySpace and Facebook are NOT appropriate– e.g., Terms of Service states age 13 for you to even

have a Facebook account

Restoring Email

• Demonstrating Trust• Have discussed Netiquette, need practice• Told children email is not private, parents

should feel free to ask/know student passwords• Email at fourth grade is scaffolded use– a stepping stone to more complete email accounts

in fifth grade– mistakes are more contained than they will be after

4th