BLAINE, Minn. (Oct. 31, 2013) – Three years ago, the Anoka-Hennepin School District began to take a look at how to teach there students what it meant to be a good digital citizen. Since then, the venture has expanded to reach parents as well. The district is holding a parent information night on Nov. 12. This evening has previously only been offered to middle school parents; this year, the free class is being offered to any adult who lives in the district. The class covers three basic areas: online predators, revealing too much, and cyberbullying.
Will Powell a teacher at Roosevelt Middle School in Blaine will facilitate the informational night and he urges parents to, “start at a young age, we know that their kids are going online at a very early age…so we want to make sure that they’re having netiquette discussions or online manners.”
Powell hopes to be able to give parents tools and tips for how to raise good digital citizens; while some of the ideas he shares are very basic, they have the potential to have a big impact. “Cell phones in the kitchen at 7 o’clock at night so that they’re charging, getting those devices out of the bedrooms of those children” is a tip that Powell said parents have shared with him.
Providing families with an understanding surrounding what children should be allowed to do online can help parents who always feel like they are one step behind. The presentation that will be given to adults in the free class is also given to all the students as a part of the curriculum.
And from what Roosevelt Principal Greg Blodgett has seen, students are very engaged in learning about this topic. “When I’ve been in the classrooms when this presentations gone on kids are engaged, this is an area they’re excited about, they’re passionate about, they have questions about.”
As access to the online world only increases for students, school districts and parents will need to continue to learn how to teach students the important life skills that they will need to stay safe and become successful young adults.
Family Information Night
Topics: Internet Safety, Social Media, and Cyberbullying
Tuesday, Nov. 12
7:00 p.m.
Staff Development Center at the Education Service Center
2727 N. Ferry Street Anoka
Register: 763-506-5766 or online
