Engaging Parents in. Technology

Transcription

1 Engaging Parents in Technology Cyberbullying Social Media Safety Assistive and Inclusive Technology Digital Citizenship Safe and Supportive

2 Everything we do at the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) is designed to support student achievement and well-being. We adapt to our ever-changing world so we can help our students achieve their full potential. DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP Social networking sites can have many benefits for children, such as allowing them to explore new interests and interact with peers. It s also important to remind them to be safe and to create a positive digital footprint for their future. At the SCDSB, we are committed to character education and we promote 10 character attributes in our schools. Character education is a deliberate effort to nurture universal attributes that transcend racial, religious, socioeconomic and cultural lines. It is a whole school effort to create a community that promotes the highest standards of student discipline and citizenship. Our character attributes are integrity, cooperation, optimism, honesty, inclusiveness, responsibility, empathy, respect, caring and courage. We encourage our students to commit to these attributes at school, at home and online. Understand and explore the different social media tools available and get to know them. Here are some tips to share with your child: n Remind your children that what they put online can be permanent - even with programs such as SnapChat, people can take a screenshot and save the image. n Many post-secondary schools and employers are now including prospective students / employees digital footprint in their screening process. n If you wouldn t say it to someone s face (or to your Grandma), don t say it online! Today s students have grown up with technology it s a regular part of their daily lives. n Talk to your child about the possible social, academic and legal consequences of sexting. Sexting is the sharing of sexually explicit photos, images, text messages or s using a phone or other electronic device. They could face humiliation, lose educational opportunities and get in trouble with the law. n Encourage your child to not be a bystander or an instigator. If he or she receives a sext, discuss why it is important that he or she not forward the image to anyone else. n Maintain open lines of communication with your children - make sure they know they can talk to you or a trusted adult about social media. Most importantly, help your child develop empathy and respect by setting a good example. Think about what you post on social media and how you are a role model.

3 New Health & Physical Education Curriculum In February 2015, the Ministry of Education announced a revised Health and Physical Education Curriculum that will be in place at all Ontario public schools in September The revised curriculum contains new material related to important issues healthy relationships, consent, mental health, online safety and the risks of sexting and is more inclusive of Ontario s diverse population. The wide-scale use of the Internet, social media and smartphones means that students are constantly connected to information, to their peers, to the world. Students will learn about safe and respectful use of technology; social, emotional and legal implications of online behaviours such as sexting; and potential negative impact of sexting on relationships and future employment. Students need information before they make critical decisions that can impact their physical and mental health. The revised curriculum ensures that students are taught about the potential consequences of their choices before they make them. For more information, visit: SAFETY Get to know the websites, social media platforms and apps your kids are using, review the privacy policies with them and try them out. Ask teachers what technologies are being used in the classroom and how you can help support your child. For more information on learning and technology in SCDSB classrooms, and how we are protecting student privacy and personal information, visit: Online safety tips: n Encourage your children to keep their personal information confidential. Personal information includes your name, the names of friends or family, your address, phone numbers and the name of your school. n Recommend that passwords shouldn t be shared. Cyberbullying Tips n Tell your child not to respond to rude s, messages and comments. n Save the evidence, such as and text messages, and take screenshots of comments and images (for information on how to take a screenshot, visit: Also, take note of the date and time when the harassment occurs. n Tell your child not to forward cruel messages to others, or participate in online polls for rating people or their appearance. n If harassment is through , social networking sites, instant messaging and chat rooms, instruct your child to block bullies or delete your child s current account and open a new one. n If harassment occurs through text and phone messages, change the phone number and instruct your child to only share the new number with trustworthy people. Also, check out phone features that may allow the harassers numbers to be blocked. n Submit a report to and if you feel something illegal has occurred, inform law enforcement. If your child is being cyberbullied or is participating in cyberbullying, contact your child s school and work with staff to bring about the best resolution. n Make sure that only friends can see your child s profile info. You can make changes to who can access your account under personal settings or settings. n Keep the family computer in an open environment in the home and make sure mobile technology (phones, tablets) are used out in the open. n Know shortforms and chat lingo children and teens use to text and talk online - great resources include transl8it.com and texted.ca/app/en. n Tell your child that if he or she does not recognize the name of a sender, they shouldn t open or answer the message. Keep the lines of communication open with your child and have regular discussions about online activities. Asking questions, creating basic Internet safety rules together and putting technology in a high traffic area in your home (instead of in a bedroom) all decrease the risks of negative online experiences. Find a balance between respecting your children s privacy and keeping them safe. Talk to your child about what to do when things go wrong. Ensure they know who or where to go to for help.

4 ASSISTIVE AND INCLUSIVE TECHNOLOGY For students who require assistive technology in order to access the curriculum, special Ministry of Education funding is available for those who qualify according to Special Education Amount (SEA) Funding Guidelines. Students using SEA equipment will have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) that includes how the technology will be used and what areas of learning it supports. Parents whose children use assistive technology (as per an IEP accommodation or SEA equipment) should consider the following: n Teachers and other school staff have received general training and may also receive more individualized training. If your child has SEA equipment, the school should invite you to attend a training session for your child. If you don t recall the invitation, just ask for one. Assistive Technology is a range of specialized technology to support students in the areas of reading, writing, numeracy, organization and/or communication. Many assistive technologies are available for all students to use. Do you use spelling or grammar check or benefit from auto text or word prediction tools? Do you use SIRI or speech recognition to help you create text? Do you take notes or use a highlighter for key information? These are all types of assistive technology. As you know, technology is always changing and evolving. Depending on the device you are using there are assistive technologies available. The Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee (OSAPAC) makes recommendations to the Ministry of Education about the programs to purchase for Ontario public board use. Sometimes the purchase also includes student take-home opportunities. Find out if there are assistive technologies for home use by contacting your child s school. n Your child may have to use the technology for a little while before it is easy to use. Determine what your child needs help with and what he or she is good at. Start with one tool and get to know it well. n Not all children need the same technology - and that s ok. There are many different types of assistive technology to help in different areas. Talk to the school staff to see what has been recommended. Contact your child s school to find out what resources are available. Ask teachers what technologies are being used in the classroom and how you can help support your child. Some assistive technologies are available for ALL students to use at home. These may have been purchased by the board for use at home. For tutorials on what is available and how to use the assistive tools, visit: Examples of assistive technologies are technologies that provide text-to-speech, word prediction, speech-to-text, screen readers and augmentative communication devices. Concept map programs and numeracy tools may also be considered assistive technologies to support concept formation and understanding. n All students may wish to use assistive technology available on their personal devices or computers. n Assistive technology may help with reading, writing, spelling, organization, math, communication, etc. n Students who use assistive technology may need help in one particular area. n Assistive technologies are also available for students in college and university. Many assistive technology tools are available for all students at school or at home. ios Devices (iphones, ipads, ipods) n Go to Settings and check out the Accessibility features Google Chrome (Using Google Chrome, Google Drive, Google Docs, etc.) n Go to the Chrome Store and search accessibility, text to speech, speech recognition, etc. PCs/Macs n Look into the features of the operating system n Windows accessibility features (Speech Recognition, Speak in Word, etc) n Mac/Apple accessibility features Android Devices n Go to Android Accessibility Help Centre

5 Sources and Additional Resources Kids Help Phone: CODE Parent Toolkit: ISTE: Real Life Online: NetSmartz: MediaSmarts: mediasmarts.ca COPA: copahabitat.ca/en/bullying Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario (LDAO): ldatschool.ca/classroom/executive-function/information-tools-and-resources/ Simcoe County District School Board Education Centre 1170 Highway 26 Midhurst, ON L0L 1X0 Phone: Facebook: facebook.com/scdsb Instagram: instagram.com/scdsb/