The purpose of Families Matter: St. Lucie Public Schools Parenting Guide is to give parents and families information about the resources found within our local community. The resources shared could be in the form of people connected to St. Lucie Public Schools like School Counselors, District Support Personnel or Educators on your child’s campus, or the resources could be found on our SLPS website, and it could be in the form of local community agencies that help your child achieve success. You play a pivotal role in the life of your child/children, and as always, our aim is to support you. Today, our purpose is to give you tools and resources to support your family with all things technology.
Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizen: A person who use the Internet regularly and effectively
A good digital citizen is one who knows what is right and wrong, exhibits intelligent technology behavior, and makes good choices when using technology. Much as we want our kids to be good citizens in the real world, we want the same in the digital world. Characteristics of a good digital citizen include:
- Being confident and capable of using information communication technologies
- Using technology to participate in educational, cultural, and economic activities
- Developing and using critical thinking skills in cyberspace
- Using technology to relate to others in positive, meaningful ways
- Respecting the concepts of privacy and freedom of speech in a digital world
- Contributing to and actively promoting the values of digital citizenship
Ensuring students understand the importance of good digital citizenship and the potential impact of a negative footprint requires the work of parents and educators. Here are some tips that both children and adults can use to maintain their digital footprint:
- Think long term. What seems fun today could have long-term consequences.
- Keep personal information private.
- Use privacy settings on your social network pages. Don’t use public posting.
- Protect your friends’ privacy as well as yours.
- Use the Golden Rule online – treat others the way you want to be treated.
Read more – https://www.commonsensemedia.org/kids-action/articles/teaching-digital-citizenship-has-a-real-impact
Social Media
A great resource for parents to learn about new technology their children may be using is – CommonSenseMedia.Org. Parents can look up apps and learn what Common Sense Media says about various popular apps. Parents can also read Parent Reviews created by other parents and also hear what kids say about the apps so you can make an informed decision when your child wants to create an account or get a new app. It also has YouTube channel reviews, Video Games, Movies, TV, Books and Podcasts. There are also parent tips by topic such as screen time, social media, online safety and more so it can be a great resource to help you have meaningful conversations with your child on important technology related topics.
St. Lucie Public Schools has a many great resources: check it out – https://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/parents-students/cyber-safety/social-media-101/
We encourage families to set safe boundaries at home regarding internet and social media use.
Tech Resources at Home
There are many technology resources families can access at home to connect home to school learning.