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At Weaver Lake Elementary, technology is authentically integrated into classroom experiences and learning units to both cultivate students' familiarity with various technology hardware and systems as well as to advance their curricular learning. Examples of students' use of technology include video production for digital lab reports of science experiments, to creating websites, to applying learning of animal adaptations and habitats to coded animations and programs, and much more. However we also recognize at WVR that students need to learn to successfully monitor their screen time and how they engage with one another online, for which students also receive direct instruction on Digital Citizenship. Additionally, we encourage parents take an active role in helping their students manage their screen time at home. Please see the suggested guidelines as a starting place for how you could begin monitoring and shaping your students' use of technology at home.
Students in grades K-3 will receive an iPad and students in grades 4-5 (and beyond) will receive a Chromebook for their individual educational use for the year, and which will be sent home for projects and assignments. Managing student use of these devices can be challenging for parents and guardians, so here are a few additional guidelines for home use which may prove useful:
- Only permit the student to use the device for educational use in a public part of your home. This may prevent the student from misusing the device and will better allow you to monitor their screen time with the device.
- Have a dedicated space for your child's remote learning to help them stay focused and engaged during online lessons and Google Meet calls. Have the device charger plugged in and available should the student need to charge their iPad/Chromebook during instruction.
- Only permit the student to charge the device in public parts of the home, so as to prevent students from staying up late using a device. Many inappropriate sites are blocked on the device, but there will always be sites that circumvent this filtering, so parent/guardian supervision is strongly encouraged.
- Have frequent conversations with your child about what they are working on to ensure they are only using the device for projects and assignments related to school.
- Take breaks! Encourage your student to take a break from sitting every 30 minutes to walk around, do jumping jacks, jog in place, get up to get a drink of water etc. Use the 20-20-20- rule to protect your eyes! Every 20 minutes of screen time, take 20 seconds to look at an object 20 feet away to give your eyes a chance to relax.
- Get sunshine! If possible, go for a socially-distant walk outside for at least 15 minutes a day. Sunlight prompts the brain to make Serotonin and skin to produce Vitamin D.
Classroom Blogging:
Classroom Blogging:
3rd Graders at Weaver Lake apply digital citizenship to their own classroom Kidblogs. Get the link to your class's from your classroom teacher!
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