The first three workshops in the Parent Technology Workshops series ran over the past two weeks with very positive outcomes for the families involved. The workshop series, aimed at supporting students and their families to develop positive, balanced and informed habits around the use of technology. These were hands-on in nature and designed to spark conversation giving parents the opportunity to make informed choices about what works best for their family circumstances. Resources from the workshops can be found below:
Family Technology Agreement Junior School workshop slides
Junior Primary Technology Agreement template
Middle and Upper Primary Technology Agreement template
Family Technology Agreement Senior School workshop slides
Middle and Senior Years Technology Agreement template
Online Safety Guide (eSafety Commissioner Resource)
Teens, Tech and Time Online webinar information sheet
The eSafety Commissioner website provides a range of high quality resources and advice for parents and young people. It covers relevant topics for every age group, and includes advice on how to have difficult conversations. Importantly, it also includes a section for young people where they can go to get advice on issues relevant to them. The website also provides support on how to report online abuse; this is worth looking at in advance as part of your family agreement on what happens when things go wrong. There is also advice on the content and appropriateness of a range of games, apps and shows.
The Commonsense Media website is a US based site that provides reviews of a huge number of games, apps, websites and so on, and is an excellent starting point for making an informed choice about whether content is right for your child.
Finally, the Technology at Home tile on Keystone contains curated resources, tips and advice around the use of technology outside of school by children and young people.
Please note that the workshop series will be repeated later in the term, and a range of new workshops will take place in Term 3. Parent suggestions on topics of interest/need are very welcome; you can reach out to me directly via anorman@stpeters.sa.edu.au.
Angela Norman
Director of Digital Innovation