uKnowKids (www.uknowkids.com) has released another eBook, which means another SlideShare too! This visually attractive and easy-to-digest SlideShare will give you all the information you need to know to make this year the best school year for your digital family! Download the original eBook for the full text and a free Internet and mobile safety pledge that you and your children can sign!
On National Teacher Day, meet the 2024-25 Kenan Fellows
Back to School Basics for Digital Families
1.
2. Introduction: The Internet and School
• You can't hide from technology, and back-to-school time makes technological savviness even more
important for both children and parents alike. Make this school year the one in which you finally
master the world of digital parenting and give your child the tools she needs to become a good,
informed, and academically insightful digital citizen.
• Early access to computers is correlated with technological savviness in adulthood. Careers in
engineering and computer science tend to pay more than many other careers, so by encouraging
your child's love of technology, you could actually be preparing her for a lucrative career.
• The Internet provides an easy, inexpensive way for you to communicate with
your child's teachers, other children's parents, and school administrators.
• Web access provides an important key to homework help. Children can
contact their teachers with the click of a mouse, post on classroom message
boards soliciting help from other students, compare notes with students via
Facebook, instant message, and e-mail, and sign up for homework help
websites.
3. The World of Digital Dangers
Reputation Issues
• The Internet is like a permanent record, except you can't have it expunged or sealed. Even if your child
eventually deletes her online postings, there may still be a cached record of them, and friends can
download and copy your child's photos without your child's permission. Employers now routinely Google
job applicants to see what they've been up to online, and this generation of kids is the first who will have
their entire lives tracked through digital records. Privacy needs to be a paramount concern when your child
gets online.
• At minimum, she should keep all of her social networking profiles private, and only add friends she knows
in real life. It's also critically important for you to talk to her about the importance of maintaining a good
digital reputation. Keep track of her social networking posts, and talk to her if you see anything
problematic.
Legal Issues
Safety Issues
Emotional Well-Being
Inappropriate Content
4. When Technology Becomes a Problem at
School
Cheating
The Internet has opened up new opportunities for students to cheat.
Your child needs to know that cutting and pasting someone else's work
– even if she re-words it – is always plagiarism and can land her in big
trouble at school. It's a good idea to check your child's work before she
hands it in. Try googling the paper to see if it resembles any other
online content or plugging your child's assignment into an online
plagiarism checker such as Copyscape or Dustball. Teachers are most
definitely using these tools, so it would behoove you to understand
them and use them to you/your child’s advantage.
Bullying
Defamation
Bad Sources
Hacking
5. Maximizing the Academic Benefits of the
Internet
• Rapid-Fire Communication
Just a few years ago, a student might have to wait an entire weekend to get an answer to a
single homework problem. But email and class websites mean he can now get in touch
with his teacher instantly. Encourage your child to shoot his teacher a quick email if he has
a homework question or can't find the answer to a specific problem. You may also want to
ask your child's teacher to set up a classroom Facebook page or website so that students
can easily access course materials outside of school.
• Proper Research Techniques
• Online Tutorials and Supplemental Material
• Collaborating With Other Students
• When to Abandon the Computer
6. Mobile Phones and the Internet
Phones at School
Texting and Data Overload
Internet Usage and Apps
• It can be challenging to monitor your child's Internet usage online, especially
when it comes to phone applications. Some apps have inappropriate content, so
you might want to ask your phone provider about limiting your child's ability to
download apps. Don't link your credit card to your child's phone; this prevents
her from downloading a paid app without your permission.
• You'll also want to periodically check your child's phone Internet history.
uKnowKids can help you keep track of your child's text messages, check-ins,
download data, and location information, making it much easier to ensure she's
using her phone only in the ways you've given her permission to.
7. Download the full text (for free)!
For the full list of back to school basics for the digital family, including
an Internet and mobile phone contract for you and your child to
sign and agree upon, download our free eBook!
“Back to School Basics for Digital Families”