parenting 2.0: how to help parents with digital issues and fears
TRANSCRIPT
Parenting 2.0: How to Help Parents
with Digital Issues and Fears
Parenting 2.0: How to Help Parents
with Digital Issues and Fears
Rita Oates, PhD
Formerly ed tech director,
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
VP, Education Markets, ePals Inc.
Session description
• Did your mama talk to you about sexting, cyberbullying, and watching what you post on Facebook? Parents today have a whole new set of challenges and issues, raised by technology at school and home. Learn how you can help parents understand the real issues, fears and challenges and support them in being great parents in a 2.0 world. Resources for schools and families will be shared, and the core presentation is based on presentations at school PTA meetings, Wired Safety and Wired Moms.
What are your biggest fears for your child in this wired world?
What are your biggest fears for your child in this wired world?
1. Predators meet my child online and do something awful
2. My credit card number is stolen after my child buys something (without my permission)
3. My child shares family information with strangers4. My child sees graphic porn 5. My child sees gruesome photos6. My child takes and shares an indecent photo7. Info on my child will create a problem when he’s older8. Other things?
Parent Fears in Australia
• Parents’ main concerns about their children using the internet:– coming into contact with sexually explicit material
(89%)– being targeted by online predators (86%)– being infected by viruses and spyware (86%)
• Children are naive to internet dangers• Parents don’t possess technological know how
to implement effective safety measures - June 2010
Aussie Kids do More than Parents Realize Online
32% have seen images of naked people
29% have:– seen violent images– played games rated MA15+– been contacted by someone they don’t know
17% have been asked for personal details
14% have been teased or bullied online
7% have had someone post pictures or videos without their permission
Organizations Exist to Help
• PTA• Wired Safety• Wired Moms: Taking back the Net!
– Safeguarding all kids in cyberspace
• Teen Angels and Tween Angels• Groups Study Internet Safety, Suggest Policy• Parental settings on AOL, Internet Explorer,
Cable• Others from list compiled by CTAP4
Annotated Resources
• June 2010 report includes annotated sites about internet safety
• http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2010/OSTWG_Final_Report_060410.pdf
• Pages 34-49
Parent Education
• Provide resources
• Work with PTA and other parent groups
• Encourage parental involvement at home
Task Force Report from Harvard
Main Charge for Task Force
• Assess online dangers to children
• Find scalable technological solutions to keep children safe
• Focus on age verification for minors
Filters are NOT the whole story
• Role-based computing– Teacher– Parent– Student
• Under 13• Older than 13
– Other trusted adult
SchoolMail365 Policies: NYC DOE
le SchoolMail365 PoliciesCommunication Policy Teachers Moderators Students Parents
Teachers can email with: In same district In same school In same class In same school
Moderators can email with: In same school In same school In same school In same school
Parents can email with: In same school In same school In same Family None
Students in grades >=6 can email with: In same school In same school In same school In same Family
Students in grades < 6 can email with: In same school In same school In same grade In same Family
Policies governing the ability to discover and email groups of individuals
Email Moderation, Monitoring and Filtering Policies
Role Constraints External Access All Incoming All Outgoing Stop Word All Attachments
Media Attachments
System Admin Internet
N/A for Adult RolesSchool Admin InternetTeacher InternetModerator InternetParent NYC Domain OnlyStudent Grade >= 6 NYC Domain Only Off Off Moderate Off MonitorStudent Grade <6 NYC Domain Only Monitor Monitor Moderate Off Moderate
Task Force Major Risk Findings
• Public perception of predators and victims is not accurate
• Only about 3% of teens are at risk from predators
• Significant threat from peer harassment and cyberbullying
• Need for further study
To Catch a Predator says…• Predators
– Don’t hide age– Don’t hide purpose– Don’t even have to
push buttons
• The “Victim”– Risk taker– Teen in adult chat
room (Not a social network)
– Willing to talk about sex
– More than willingly to meet for sex
– Just as likely to be at risk off-line
What the Task Force Found
• Most Predators– Don’t hide age– Don’t hide purpose– Do know how to push
the right buttons
• Most Victims– Risk takers– Troubled teens– Broken homes or little
parental involvement– Go willingly to
meetings– Just as likely to be at
risk off-line
A Different Perception
Example of video that tells a story to teach about Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying
• 30-85% victimized• 5% reported to
parents• About 50% tell friends
• Chat, IM and email are most commonly used to bully
• ALL of these are included in social networks
• Initial reactions are frustration, anger, sadness
• Progressive reactions are anxiety, fear, physical illness, absenteeism, violence, or suicide
• Schools using moderated communication tools help decrease bullying
http://www.teenangels.org
Stop Cyberbullying Toolkit
Unveiled in Feb. 2009
• www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html• Megan’s Pledge• Recommendation to schools:
The school's acceptable use policy can reserve the right to discipline the student for actions taken off-campus if they are intended to have an effect on a student or they adversely affect the safety and well-being of student while in school. This makes it a contractual, not a constitutional, issue.
First Amendment Rights of free speech are not then at risk.
WiredSafety Videos and Animations
Facebook and Other General Market Social Networks
• Check the privacy settings
• When children are grade 5 or older, do it together
• “Google” yourself and your child and see what is said
• Apply basic etiquette to the new medium
• Once posted, it’s always available– Wayback site…shows internet pages on
previous days…NOTHING is ever really deleted from the Internet
Social Learning Networks• Companies in the education market have
designed social networks that are:– Private– Safe– Observe CIPA and FERPA– Encourage the best part of social networking– Protect students and teachers from the problems of
general market tools NOT designed for education
• ePals LearningSpace is one example
Sexting…cell phones and cameras
• Images can be quickly copied and sent to many people
• Can’t really ever erase an image• Text messages can be retrieved…as Gov.
of SC and Tiger found out• Felony sex offender at age 18• Don’t say it, don’t send it unless
you would be willing to have it on the 6 PM news
Video for Students and Parents
• A Geeky Momma's Blog by Lee Kolbert
• http://www.leekolbert.com/2011/01/lesson-to-share-and-then-create.html
• from a blog by a Palm Beach Co. teacher in Boca Raton, Florida
• Common Craft video to use with students and parents
Common Craft: Protecting Reputations Online
TRUSTe certification: Child Privacy
Adobe AppleMicrosoft CiscoElectronic Arts
Education-focused sites with TRUSTe certification
CahootieBrightstormCourse HeroDisney InternetEducation PlanetePalsGoTrybe
KidzrocketLeafcutterLeapfrogSchoolwiresThinkquestTogethervilleVantage Learning
What Would You Like to Suggest to Parents?
Parenting Guidelines
• Know what your children are doing
• Work with them to discuss limits, responsibilities
• Talk about problems from the news, from work, from others (without revealing a neighbor’s name)
Setting Limits for Children
• What happens if they cross the line?– Lose cell phone for a month? A semester?– Get additional chores?
• Can you enforce the punishment? Be consistent.– Some kids will push the limits; others observe and
don’t.– Ask kids to suggest the guidelines and punishments;
they may actually be tougher on themselves than you would be!
– Talk with others and decide what the “community” does and what you will do.
– Discuss with your children. Their actions have consequences!
– You are the parent. You pay the bills. You can see what they are doing!
Increase Communication with Distant Relatives and Friends
• Facebook friends with Grandma, Aunt Tilly– Relationships and sharing between teens and
distant grandparents is becoming a trend
• Encourage appropriate communication with known individuals, not “I’m going to have a thousand friends!”
Frightening Things for Parents
• Not admitted to college…because daughter emailed application from [email protected]
• Applied for job, but Facebook page shows using illegal substance, bragging about stealing something from another employer, etc. ….and employers ARE checking up on people every way they can today
• Embarrassing or untrue photos/videos posted and “go viral”
Parenting 2.0 in a Wired World
• Enough is enough…keep time on digital activities in balance with sports, scouts, other activities
• Caution kids that written communications don’t have the “cues” from face-to-face communication. – Think about it, read it out loud before sending.– Save it and wait a while if you aren’t sure
about it.
• Invite your children to keep you informed …they will surprise you!
Parenting 2.0 in a Wired World
• Spend Some Time with WiredSafety – Look at the Flash videos– Share video stories with your children
and talk about them• Children want to know what you think and
watch how you act!• Be an informed parent• Model behaviors you wish them to use
Benefits of Online World are Terrific!
• More teens and ‘tweens are creating content and connecting online for educational benefits, offering schools new opportunities to use technology– National School Boards Association Study
• Students report that one of the most common topics of conversation on the social networking scene is education
Students Report…
• They are spending almost as much time using social networking services and Web sites as they spend watching television.
• Among teens who use social networking sites, that amounts to:– About 9 hours a week online– 10 hours a week watching television– A decrease in amount of TV watching (which is
passive) and an increase in communication online (which is active)
This session’s slides are uploaded to www.scribd.com under “Rita Oates” as author.
Contact information:Rita [email protected]: @ritaoates
Permission granted to use these slides with others