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Helping children learn how to navigate their way in the digital world is a complicated business. As teachers, we need parents like you to be involved as active and open learners about the digital world and in much-needed conversations about digital matters. We need parents to act as important models and supports in their childrens’ explorations online. Here are a few suggestions for parents of digital kids that I retrieved from teachthought.com.  

1. Teach your children how to cross the digital street.  That means staying up-to-date about digital safety. We need to foster the kinds of personal relationships that encourage our kids to talk about where they are going and what they discover along the way (their successes as well as their mistakes) once we let them travel on their own. 

 2. Help your children pursue their passions online.  Most parents make every effort to find the right camps and after-school programs to help their children become better musicians, athletes, actors, programmers, or artists. Just think how you might broaden their experience even more by guiding your children towards the tools and communities online that can help them learn the skills they most want to master.  

3. Help your children manage their digital “brand”  As a parent, you are no doubt concerned about the possible missteps your children may take online as they (or their friends) share private information and media without thinking about the unpleasant repercussions that might result in the future. You may also want to take an active role in guiding your child as he/she documents the positive stuff — an emerging talent or an amazing self-motivated project. In the end, though, it’s the same thing: helping your children manage the digital “brand” that will follow them for life.  

The lesson for parents and teachers alike is that we need to be active, trusting, and respectful participants in the digital lives of our students.  

Source: gettingsmart.com; teacherthought.com