The digital world that our kids are learning and growing up in is incredibly exciting. Through technology, kids have access to new tools, to an incredible range of resources and to stimulating opportunities to participate in novel ways. At the same time, parenting kids who are immersed in so many different technologies and apps can be daunting.
Students have extraordinary opportunities with technology and yet face some very real potential pitfalls with technology. All of these issues underscore the need for students to learn and for us as a school to teach digital literacy and digital citizenship skills to our students.
First Academy utilizes a Digital Citizenship Curriculum from Common Sense Media to help our students learn to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in our digital world. These 21st century skills are essential for students to harness the full potential of technology for learning. Students will be engaged in fun and collaborative lessons in their classrooms during the first couple of weeks of school, as we begin setting our students on a good path and in a good direction for their school year of 1:1 technology usage.
The curriculum examines privacy, security, digital footprint, reputation, communication, information literacy, internet safety, relationships, and so much more in a very age-appropriate way. As well, we will be providing a lot of resources for you as parents to use in helping your students navigate the digital world.
First Academy is committed as a school to partnering with you through this initiative to help you prepare your students to use technology safely and responsibly.
We live in such a fast paced world in which technology is changing the way we live, work, and play. As parents and educators, we must be vigilant to protect and educate our children. God’s Word provides us with a lot of reminders of this responsibility. Two great examples of this:
1 Thessalonians 5:6 “So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.”
Proverbs 4:23 “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Our prayer is that God will use our efforts in the classroom and our partnership with families to make an eternal difference in how our children will approach technology today and in the coming years.