Parent Academy
"It is the Peru Central School District's goal to establish an open line of communication between community families and the District. In an effort to increase awareness about digital citizenship, our district will be offering a monthly Parent Academy. Each academy will last approximately one hour, in which the district will provide child care, snacks, and refreshments. Each academy will have a clear topic of conversation based on the "Connecting Families" curriculum that has been created by Common Sense Media. We hope to spark conversation, share information, and answer questions to help create a safe and meaningful online experience for our entire Peru community. "
- Nicholas Damiani, Technology Integrationist
Connecting Families Program Overview From Common Sense Media
Our goal at Common Sense is to support families in raising kids who think critically, participate responsibly, and behave ethically in their online lives.
Our Connecting Families materials are designed to support you, the adults (e.g., PTSA coordinators) who are interested in hosting ongoing, local events at schools. From text messaging to social media to online gaming, Connecting Families encourages and supports rich and relevant community conversations about kids’ “digital lives” throughout the school year.
The program kicks off with a Teen Panel, putting the voices and experiences of teens in your community at the center of the conversation. We have step-by-step guides on every detail from how to select teens to how to manage Q&A on the night of. We’ve also prepared a field-tested list of best questions to ask the panel so you can be sure you’ll have a vibrant conversation.
The program continues over the school year with a series of Conversation Cases. The cases are written to help small discussion groups of parents have authentic and helpful conversations. Each case takes parents on a deep dive into a hot topic, such as sexting, cyberbullying and digital drama, digital footprints, surveillance and privacy, sharing and disclosure, multitasking and distraction, and social media and body image. Don’t worry if you’ve never hosted a discussion group before; we’ve got you covered with our favorite icebreakers, pointers for managing group conversations, and step-by-step directions on how to make the actual event a big success.
And, we have a Family Toolbox packed with even more resources to further support the home-school connection. The toolbox includes resources to help parents take the conversations home to their children. In the toolbox, you’ll find:
A Digital Glossary, packed with explanations of different platforms and vocabulary kids use when they’re talking about different apps and behavior
Family Tip Sheets, with our best advice on how to handle different challenges
Digital Dilemmas, for parents to start authentic conversations at home with their kids about real-life sticky situations
Family Media Agreements, to help families set their own expectations about media use in the home
The best part is that our resources allow you to bring these important conversations to your school, but they take the pressure off of you to be an expert. We’ve done the research, the prep work, and the field-testing — and we’re giving you our best tips and content.
Click the link below to access the "Parent Academy" Conversation Topics.
