engage IT is an easy to read technology guide which aims to:
Contents:
The Department of Education would like to thank Acer, Lenovo, Iris Computing and ComputerCORP who have generously provided sponsorship to support the production costs associated with this publication.
Printed copies of engage IT were delivered to Tasmanian Government schools in mid June 2009. Schools were requested to distribute the guide 'one per family' - ie given to the oldest child.
A pdf version of engage IT is available.
Have access to the internet password protected so your child can only be online when you are there to put the password in. This may change as the child gets older and they have learnt safe internet use.
Have a negotiated time limit for being on the internet each day. Long periods of access can impair health and safety, for example eye strain and poor posture, and can lead to the development of an online world and life that excludes or limits normal social interactions offline.
Children must know and agree not to give any personal details away online such as their phone number, address, the school they attend or sporting clubs they belong to and so on. A fake name to use on line, a 'username', is a good idea.
Show by your own example how to use the internet by talking with your child about things such as what details you give out about yourself over the internet and correct use of copyright.
If children ever come across anything worrying, nasty or upsetting, they must show or tell an adult.
The computer should be in an open, public area where the parent can walk past regularly and can easily see what is on the screen.
If the child quickly clicks out of something or trying to hide things, you might want to check further.
- Have a look at what is on the start bar - this shows programs and web pages are open but only one will be displayed on the screen.
- You can check the history of sites visited by your children and only parents should be allowed to delete the history.
Keep up to date with what social networking sites are, for example FaceBook and MySpace, and understand how online personas are developed and identities protected. Ask to see any networking sites your child has and depending on the child's age, you could:
- develop a social networking site for the family to use
- have the password so you can monitor your child's use of their own site or
- develop your own site so you can be a 'friend' on your child's site so you can see what is being posted there and interact.
Further internet safety tips for families can be found on NetAlert which is part of the Australian Government?s ongoing commitment to providing a safe online environment for all families, especially children. It is an extensive site providing practical information and advice, answers to questions about online safety, information about internet content filters and how to complain about content on the internet or report inappropriate or illegal internet activity.
NetAlert has some good ideas to help parents develop internet use rules for their household including a Family Internet Safety Contract and a sheet to record your family's internet safety house rules. An example of some house rules can be used as a discussion starter.
Help your child avoid spam.
Spam is the computer version of junk mail and can be anything from an overseas request for your bank account details to advertisements claiming the benefits of medication. Much spam can carry viruses to harm your computer, contain explicit material or is an attempt at fraud.
To avoid getting spam:
be very wary of giving your email address to people you don't know, or putting it on a website
avoid posting your email address in chat rooms or on social networking sites
set up a separate email address to use when you need to publish an email address for contact details - you may want to use an address that you won?t be worried about should it be flooded with spam
be careful when filling in forms online - make sure you read and understand the entire form before submitting any personal information.
What should you do if you get a spam email?
if you don't recognise the sender or subject, play it safe and delete the email immediately without opening it
pay very close attention to any email that asks you to send back your customer details, or takes you to a website that requires you to enter these details. Your bank will never contact you in this way. When in doubt contact the institution by other means - preferably by telephone.
To find out more about spam and how to deal with it, visit www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311348
How to monitor children's internet use and talk with them about it.
Parents should take an active interest in their children's online activity - especially at home. Young people have to feel safe in their environment and be able to let adults know when they feel uncomfortable without fear they'll be 'cut off' from accessing online activity.
Children today use their online world for much learning and social activity. The fear of being 'cut off' is often far greater than the discomfort or confusion they might be experiencing through communications with potential predators.
While it might take some negotiation, some monitoring of children's online activity should happen in the home; one of the best ways is to show an interest in their online world.
Why not:
This article is an edited version of a story which first appeared in Click. Click is produced by the NSW Department of Education and Training and is available at www.schools.nsw.edu.au/click
Here is the list of all you need to know before you step foot inside the store.
Staying safe online - eight ways to keep your child's online experience a good one:
For more information about staying safe online, visit:
www.education.tas.gov.au/school/health/websafety/support-for-parents
www.education.tas.gov.au/school/health/websafety/policies-and-guidelines
www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311348
www.education.tas.gov.au/school/parents/engage/Engage-Issue-2-web.pdf
Report to police
If you know or suspect your child has been contacted by a predator, first let your child know it is not their fault and that you will now step in to help them. You may need your child's help to access the offending material or correspondence, so it's important they know you are on their side.
Try to save a copy of any correspondence between your child and the suspected paedophile.
Go to your local police station to make a formal complaint against the suspected paedophile. Try to provide police with as much detail as possible from the conversation, such as where the person might live, the name he or she used, and the online environment where this occurred.
You could also report the activity of the person to the provider or moderator of the online environment.
You can also call Crime Stoppers 24-hour line 1800 333 000 or your local Tasmania Police station.
The Education Tax Refund (ETR) provides eligible families with a 50 per cent refund every year for key education expenses up to:
$750 for each child undertaking primary studies (maximum refund of $375 per child per year) and
$1500 for each child undertaking secondary studies (maximum refund of $750 per child per year).
Receipts must be kept and eligible expenses for the refund include:
For more details, including eligibility, visit www.educationtaxrefund.gov.au/home or phone 13 28 61.
'A love of learning'
Engaging in the online activities of your children can seem daunting, but the rewards are there for parents willing to help their children make the most of technology.
By taking the time to share your child?s online experiences you can become their partner in learning. Your child can help you learn how to operate in these seemingly strange online worlds and you will then be in a good position to help them best use the technology to enhance their learning.
According to Jonathan Nicholas, of the Inspire Foundation (an organisation dedicated to the wellbeing of children and young people), technology changes daily, but children don't.
"Children and young people still want to make friends; they still want to be older than they ever are; they will still be jealous of their brothers and sisters - all those things [we] experienced.
"At some point in each day the whole family… needs to turn off all technology and just reconnect and actually hold that time as a really special time ? therefore allowing technology to have a balanced role in family life. Technology should be approached in the same way that you would get involved and encourage your child to learn more about their soccer, ballet or tennis lessons.
"At the same time, you can get smarter about technology just by helping your child to learn the skills they need for their learning and school work. After all, the internet has introduced the libraries of the world to the family home.
"The hallmarks of a successful person in the future will not be how much they know but how quickly they can find the answers to the things they don't know," Mr Nicholas says. As parents you can use your child?s natural inquisitiveness and their wonderful questions as a catalyst for online learning.
"Acknowledge that you don't know all of the answers and, even if you do know some of them, actually encourage your child to find the answers on the internet for themselves," Mr Nicholas says.
"A love of learning is as important in children's lives as being adaptable to change. Children's ability to use what they are good at and apply that to different situations will also become critical. And importantly, children should be encouraged to connect with others.
"The key parenting challenges that were there a generation ago really haven't shifted. We really need to encourage children to be excited about the unknown and to see that as a really wonderful thing and to keep investing in them out confidence that even though we don't know what?s going to happen, we're actually excited to learn about that with them."
Whether we like it or not, the online world is here to stay. It offers much to be excited about and much to be concerned about. Sharing your children?s online experiences is crucial to remaining connected as a family and being there to protect them and support their learning in the changing world.
When the family goes online you can:
Benefits of children going online:
A wealth of resources for parents, students and teachers is available online. The volume of resources means that they vary greatly in quality, accuracy and educational value.
When examining resources consider:
Student Freeway
The Department of Education (DoE) provides Tasmanian students with a safe, password-protected portal called the Student Freeway - www.student.education.tas.gov.au
This gives your child access to a wide range of resources and tools they can use at home and provide a safe alternative to searching the open web. Your child must log in with their DoE username and password e.g. schools\bart.simpson.02 - please be sure to use a back slash after schools e.g. schools\
The Freeway includes:
State Library of Tasmania
This site has 'stuff for kids' of all ages including links to online catalogues and archives - www.statelibrary.tas.gov.au/kids
Copyright
To find out about using copyright material in student assignments, visit www.smartcopying.edu.au/scw/go/pid/821
Keyboarding skills
Students can use several online resources at home to help improve their keyboarding skills - visit www.annrymer.com/keyseeker/ and www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
School intranets
Many schools have an intranet (a private computer network) that can be accessed from home. Using their DoE username and password, your child can access their school intranet from the list at www.student.education.tas.gov.au/SiteDirectory/Lists/Sites/
Online courses
Many Tasmanian students are enrolled in online courses delivered through the Department?s learning management systems. These are accessible from home. To find out more, visit: www.education.tas.gov.au/oln/celo/online_programs and www.education.tas.gov.au/oln/onlinecampus
Curriculum information
To find out more about the Tasmanian curriculum, visit www.education.tas.gov.au/curriculum
You can also access curriculum documents and support materials on that site, but keep in mind that these are designed for teacher use. Parent Guides to the curriculum will be coming soon.
For updates on the Tasmanian curriculum, visit www.education.tas.gov.au/curriculum/resources/updates
Curriculum area resources
All curriculum areas maintain a selection of high quality online resources and links in the support materials provided for teachers. Some examples are listed below.
All curriculum areas
ABC education resources: learn online ? entertaining and informative educational materials from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation; suitable for all age groups - www.abc.net.au/learn/
English - literacy
Teen reads - information and features for teenage readers about their favourite authors, books and characters - www.teenreads.com/
Mathematics - numeracy
A Canadian site for parents - helping your child with maths - www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/earlymath/
Science/Society and History
Weather - learn more about the fascinating world of weather - www.bom.gov.au/
Health and wellbeing
Move Well Eat Well - an exciting new project for primary schools - www.education.tas.gov.au/mwew
Arts
The Art Zone - anyone can make interactive art - www.nga.gov/kids/zone/zone.htm
Vocational and applied learning
Explore the possibilities for technical and applied learning - www.technologystudent.com/
Information and communication technology
Visit the British Broadcasting Corporation site for ideas about accessing and using ICT - www.bbc.co.uk/schools/
This edition of engage IT contains edited versions of stories which first appeared on Click - a technology guide for parents. Click is produced by the NSW Department of Education and Training. More articles at www.schools.nsw.edu.au/click
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Communication Services Unit
Department of Education
GPO Box 169
HOBART TAS 7001
Ph: (03) 6233 7497
Fax: (03) 6233 6152
Email: engage@education.tas.gov.au
ISSN 1836-8867
Copyright State of Tasmania 2009
This page has been produced by the Department of Education
Questions concerning its content may be directed by email to ServiceCentre@education.tas.gov.au or telephone 1800 816 057.
This page was last modified on 17th June 2009. The URL for this page is: http://www.education.tas.gov.au/school/parents/engageIT.
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