Parents, recently I had the opportunity to attend some digital awareness workshops. The first presentation I went to was put on by The White Hatter. Please check out the White Hatter website here and I would encourage you to follow The White Hatter on Facebook as well! The second workshop I went to was put on through Safer Schools Together. This workshop provided an excellent parent resource for Raising Digitally Responsible Youth. Parents, please email me at mvanderhorst@schoolathome.ca if you would like copies of the parent resources from these two workshops.
Your children, my students, are living in a digital age and as parents, you need to be extremely aware of what your child is doing online. Be their best parent, not their best friend. The first step is making sure all devices – iPods, cell phones, computers and TV’s stay out of the bedroom. I encourage you to do your part in connecting with your child about their online activities and setting strict guidelines, maybe even create a contract with them. Look into web filters and monitoring devices for your family as well. I have heard that the Circle with Disney is an excellent tool for families.
Students, are you aware of the digital footprint you are creating? Please read the following article from the NetNanny website, What Every Teen Needs to Know About Their Digital Footprint. Highlights from this article: Understanding Your Digital Footprint, Why Good Digital Citizenship is Important for Kids, How Kids Can Improve Their Digital Footprint and more.
And lastly, a few reminders for the students on how they can finish strong in their courses:
- Create a daily/weekly schedule
- Communicate with your teachers via email or TLA chat. They love to hear from you!
- Check your TLA webmail daily (maybe even a few times a day)
- If you need help with course selection or adjustments to your schedule send Mrs. VanderHorst an email – mvanderhorst@schoolathome.ca
