It is vitally important that we as a community work together to address issues of digital citizenship. What we do as a school is only effective if parents are reinforcing the message in the home environment. This also applies visa versa.
Currently as a school we have created an iTunesU course titled Digital Parenting. To find this, simply access iTunesU, search for Oakleigh State School and subscribe to the appropriate course. At the end of last year we offered parent workshops to the Year 3 parents – in order to provide some support to those parents before their children entered the BYO program at our school. Our TechWeb also has a section on Digital Citizenship and profiles the first 6-7 explicity lessons we offer our new Year 4 students in each year. These lessons will be taught this term to our 2016 Year 4 students.
We are also working towards eSmart accreditation – an eSmart Schools Framework is designed to help schools improve their digital citizenship model through a community approach. It has been adopted by over 2000 schools across Australia.
Our key recommendations for parents in managing their child’s device use include that:
- Screen time should be monitored in the same way that all activities are monitored.
- Screens should be in a public space.
- The use of Family Sharing should be used to manage app download and that ‘ask permission’ is always turned on.
- The use of restrictions within the settings on the device should be used to ensure that students are not able to access restricted websites, apps, music etc.
- Similarly, within settings, location services should always be turned off.
- Screens should never be in bedrooms overnight.
Most social media has clear rules that limit use to those who are 12+.
Over the last two days there have been explicity warnings about an app called Tinder for Kids. Once students have created a Facebook account (which is also limited to 13+), it allows easy access for Tinder for Kids to be accessed. We would strongly suggest that parents do not allow access to this site.
Another site that is being used by students is a music video sharing site titled Musical.ly. This is limited to 12+. Seemingly innocent – with children creating lip syncing videos – it allows sharing in an open forum. Going into settings however, allows you to make this account private. There is also the facility to turn off the location.