Thinkuknow.org.au has the answers to promote positive conversations around sensible digital citizens
After being a parent for almost a year now I can relate to the phrase ‘it takes a village to raise to a child.’ Without the help of family, friends, next door neighbours and work collegues my wife and I would not be able to do the job that we are doing, raising our daughter. If we think of the village as not only those whom we converse with but as the digital village, we open up a whole new minefield of mixed opinions and advice.
Where can we go to get sound advice about how to navigate our children through the complexities of digital citizenship and how to instill sensible and respectful behaviour online?
An organisation sponsored by the Australian Federal Police, Microsoft, Datacom and Commonwealth Bank called ‘Think U Know’ offers an excellent resource for schools, teachers and parents. Situated in the website https://www.thinkuknow.org.au/parents-portal parents can find answers and strategies to many challenging questions around digital citizenship.
An excellent resource found here is a comprehensive list on how to apply parental controls to technologies in the home. These include Apple devices, Samsung, Microsoft, Xbox and PlayStation. It is a good idea to understand how to use these parental controls effectively to ensure our children are safe online.
In terms of parental control, we need to ensure that we are not blocking our children from what is out there but instead guiding them through the use of online tools. A proactive approach needs to be taken and educating and guiding your child through the correct choices online is imperative for success here. This is where creating a contract with your child about how to navigate the Internet can provide the backbone to a sensible digital citizen. A guideline on how to frame this discussion and contract can also be found in the same section of the Think U Know website.
As always, if you have any questions about this or you would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate in contacting me or popping in to see me in my office at Wyvern. I will also be discussing other strategies and resources for parents at tonight’s (Thursday 8th June) P and F meeting. Hopefully I will see you there.
Regards
Tony Cross
eLearning – Wyvern House and Lindfield Preparatory School
