September Tech Savvy Parenting Night - Elevating Your Child's Social Media and Digital Presence

This post originally appeared on the BPSEdTech Blog

The BPS EdTech Team is thrilled to announce the first Tech Savvy Parenting Night of the 2015-2016 school year. This event is part of our ongoing Digital Bootcamp Series which was launched last year. Our September Parent Tech night, taking place on Monday, September 28th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Marshall Simonds Middle School Library Commons features Alan Katzman. Katzman is the founder of the New York City based Social Assurity and is a nationally recognized digital citizenship expert. Katzman also serves as a member of the #digcit Twitter chat moderation team.

Alan’s presentation, “Elevating Your Child’s Social Media & Digital Presence for Better College & Career Opportunities” will help parents and students understand how to leverage social media tools proactively and purposefully. The new reality is that “social media has completely changed the college application and job recruiting process.” Katzman will help parents and students learn how to showcase their skills and talents in innovative ways and ultimately get noticed by college admissions representatives. He will share how students can take advantage of social media to create an impressive and discoverable digital brand. In today’s digital world, students and their parents MUST understand how they can use various technology tools to gain a competitive advantage and achieve their higher education goals.

Don’t miss your chance to learn from one of the nation’s leading experts on digital citizenship!

“THE PIONEERING WORK OF SOCIAL ASSURITY WILL REVOLUTIONIZE COLLEGE BOUND EDUCATION FOR YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES.”

-The News Diva

This event is open to all Burlington Public School parents. The session is ideal for parents who have children in grades 7 through 12. Pre-registration is NOT required, however in order to prepare for the event, the BPS Edtech Team asks attendees to complete this Google Form.

The BPS EdTech Team looks forward to seeing you and your children on Monday, September 28th!

Parenting In The Digital Age Presentation

BHS Instructional Technology Specialist Jennifer Scheffer co-presented with me this evening at our Parent Technology Night on the topic of Parenting in the Digital Age. We are sharing the presentation and links to resources that we discussed during the hour session below. We look forward to this ever-evolving conversation regarding the online lives of our students and how we can continue to support and educate parents in supporting their children.

The evening began with the great video below What Kids are (Really) Doing Online from Cyberwise.org.



 

Links and Resources shared tonight

Parent Resources from the Burlington High School Student Help Desk

How To Follow Your Child (or Anyone) On Twitter Without Joining Twitter

11 Sites and Apps Kids Are Heading to After Facebook

Resources from Google’s “Good To Know” Guide to Staying Safe & Secure Online

Google’s Safety Tools

Tips from parents at Google (videos)

Google’s Family Safety You Tube Channel

Resources from Common Sense Media

Making Sense- Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between  (blog)

A Parent’s Guide to You Tube

Social Networking Tips For Parents

Parent guides provided by ConnectSafely.org

A Parent’s Guide to Facebook

A Parent’s Guide to Instagram

A Parent’s Guide to Snapchat

Resources from Facebook’s Family Safety Center

Help Your Teens Play It Safe

Safety Tools

Resources from Joe Mazza- Lead Learner, Knapp Elementary School, Penn.

eFace Today-Joe’s parent centered blog

Global Parent-Teacher Twitter Chat

Resources from Edutopia

A Parent’s Guide to 21st Century Learning

Transition Resources for Parents (elementary, middle, and high school transition advice)

The PBS Parents Page (Resources for Pre-K through high school)

Resources from parent, author, blogger, and speaker Will Richardson

An Optimistic Outlook On The Infiltration Of Technology Into Our Lives

I have two books I am trying to cram in during the vacation as I prepare for our next Parent Technology Night on Tuesday January 14.  The topic - "Parenting in the Digital Age" - is a difficult for so many of us because we cannot simply revert to some of the tactics that our own parents used due to the fact that all of this technology simply did not exist.  Whenever I am involved in conversations surrounding technology and our children, the only thing that rubs me the wrong way is responding to people who want to make this something that is either good or bad.  The fact of the matter is that it can be either, depending on the motivations of the person utilizing the technology.

My first book recommendation for those who are techno-skeptics (and everyone else for that matter) is Clive Thompson's Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds For The Better.  I wrote a bit yesterday about the need for us to reinforce with our children the importance of not partaking in the streams of negativity that can easily be found online.  Thompson points to examples throughout this book of how the internet is being used positively to further our intelligence both individually and collectively.

"At their best, today's digital tools help us see more, retain more, communicate more.  At their worst, they leave us prey to the manipulation of the toolmakers. But on balance, I'd argue, what is happening is deeply positive."  Clive Thompson

Stay tuned for some more on Thompson's book and some thoughts on the second book I am reading, The App Generation by Howard Gardner and Katie Davis.

Parent Technology Night: Foundational Apps and iOS7

The Burlington Public Schools EdTech Team will be hosting a Parent Technology Night on Tuesday, November 5 at Marshall Simonds Middle School. Please join us for information about the BPS Foundational Apps and the new iOS7 for iPads. The session will provide an opportunity to learn about the core apps that we are using in our 1:1 programs. These apps include Google Drive, Notability, Explain Everything, and Evernote. We will also provide support if you are looking for guidance using iOS7 on your own iPad or iPhone.

Time during every Parent Tech Night session is also dedicated to other technology related questions and support.

Our First Parent Technology Night: Elementary iPad 1:1

From the BPS EdTech Blog

The Burlington Public Schools EdTech Team will be hosting a Parent Technology Night on Tuesday, October 1 at Marshall Simonds Middle School. Please join us for information about the BPS elementary school 1:1 iPad program. The session will provide an opportunity to learn about the iPad initiative at grades 1, 4, and 5 this school year. Our team will discuss Foundational Apps, student access to devices, student responsibility, and digital workflow.

Time during every Parent Tech Night session is also dedicated to technology related questions and support.

Join Us For Our First Parent Technology Night - Elementary School 1:1 Program

From the BPSEdTech Blog

The Burlington Public Schools EdTech Team will be hosting a Parent Technology Night on Tuesday, October 1 at Marshall Simonds Middle School. Please join us for information about the BPS elementary school 1:1 iPad program. The session will provide an opportunity to learn about the iPad initiative at grades 1, 4, and 5 this school year. Our team will discuss Foundational Apps, student access to devices, student responsibility, and digital workflow.

Time during every Parent Tech Night session is also dedicated to technology related questions and support.