Platteville School District recognizes that with new technologies comes new challenges to both teachers and parents. Below is a series of suggestions drawn from a wide variety of professional sources that may aid you, the parent or guardian, in effectively guiding your child’s use of the device.
- Take extra steps to protect your child. Encourage your child to use and store the device in an open area of your home, such as the kitchen or family room, so you can monitor what your child is doing online. Use the Internet with your child to help develop safe surfing habits. Children often model adult behavior.
- Go where your child goes online. Monitor the places that your child visits. Let your child know that you’re there, and help teach her/him how to act as s/he works and socializes on- line.
- Review your child’s friends list. You may want to limit your child’s online “friends” to people your child actually knows and is working with in real life.
- Understand sites’ privacy policies. Internet sites should spell out your rights to review and delete your child’s information.
- Limit the time your student is on the device. While the device is very engaging, it is a school work device. Care and monitoring will reduce your child’s exposure to excessive use. Limit use before bedtime.
- Report unwelcome or malicious online threats. Report in a timely fashion to the school any online interactions that can be considered threatening.
- Help your child develop a routine. Many parents have found success by helping create a routine for their child’s computer use. Define a routine as to how it is cared for and when and where its use is appropriate.
- Take a look at the apps or programs. It is to the advantage of the students, parents, and school that the parents have a working understanding of the programs and student work found on the device.
- Read and share with your child the care and use policies. By reading and discussing the care and use policies, you can create a clear set of expectations and limitations for your child.