digital citizenship

“Like” Me And My Kids on Facebook

August 6, 2015

Parents Magazine has an important article both in their August print edition and online entitled Parenting in a Fakebook World: How Social Media Is Affecting Your Parenting. The article begins by sharing a story of parents oversharing (hint, involves potty training) on Facebook. The article then shares about a Parents Survey of more than 2,000 respondents: “79 percent said other parents overshare on social media — yet only 32 percent of us think we overshare ourselves. Hmm.”

The article asks, how might this parenting-in-the-age-of-social-media effect children?

“Kids pick up on what their parents like, and Like, from a tender age. “Kids know, ‘When I do something my mom likes or finds funny, she puts it on Instagram,’ ” says Judith Donath, author of the book The Social Machine: Designs for Living Online.”

And since kids understand the fame culture, it’s logical they’d want fame for themselves right?

In one survey of kids ages 9 to 13 at UCLA Digital Media Center, kids who already had their own social-media accounts — and 26 percent under 13 had a YouTube account — craved fame more than those who didn’t.

But not all kids are the same:

“Our children have very different ideas of privacy,” says Patrick Riccards, a father of two in Princeton, New Jersey. “Our son who’s 9 cringes when he learns that we’ve put a picture of him on Facebook or that his aunt posted a baby picture of him on his birthday. He wants a life off the grid — other than the life he’s building for himself on Minecraft.” Riccards says his daughter, 7, is completely different: “She is aching to get on social media. I’ll take a picture or I’ll laugh at something she says, and she immediately asks, ‘Are you going to put that on Facebook?’. Then she asks what people say about her in the comments.”

Here’s the link to the whole article. Also, Patrick Riccards has an educational blog that is worth following: here’s the link.

One takeaway from the study is to talk with your kids about what they want you to share and keep the dialogue going . The second takeaway is to trust other parents, just because they parent differently than you do doesn’t mean the world is about to end. #TrustParents

Summer Digital Citizenship

July 1, 2015

blah blah blah — Photographer: Meena Kadri CC Attribution 2.0 Generic

It’s summer time! And you know what that means: lot’s and lots of fun recreation and plenty of time for leisure. Your kids will no doubt be using all sorts of electronic gizmos and gadgets throughout the summer and it’s important that as they interact with the online world, that they do so in a safe and responsible manner. Here are three resources to help you guide your kids online activities this summer.

1. Mobicip, which offers resources for parents that provides parental controls for phones, tablets, and computers, has an article with tips for digital citizenship.: 10 Cyber-Safety Tips for the Summer. Here’s one of the tips from the list:

Spell out expectations. Talk to the kids and treat them like adults. Share your expectations on the use of internet and provide an environment of trust. The children must be aware of the dangers online; and must also realize the faith that you place on them. Children are less likely to stray online when parents have an open dialogue regarding internet use. Parents and kids can check out this youth pledge to understand mutual expectations on internet usage.

2. Over at Edutopia, is an article with tips organized neatly into the acronym REST which you can share with your kids:

Remain cautious.
Express positivity.
Stay active. [exercise]
Tell someone. [if you are, or you see someone being, cyberbullied.]

3. Mommy-blogger Kristen, who writes at http://wearethatfamily.com/ reminds her children that face-to-face conflict resolution is better than using social media. She writes:

Some things are better said face to face (like apologies or confrontations) | Social media makes it easier for us to be cowardly. We need to teach our kids the value of looking someone in the eye and making things right. Sure, it’s harder, but they won’t forget it.

You can read her whole post which has other great tips by clicking here.

For more tips, check out my four-part parental engagement on Digital Citizenship.

Meet Me in St. Louis at the Home Educators Expo

March 16, 2015

This weekend, March 19-20 I will be speaking at the Greater St. Louis Area Home Educators Expo. Below are the four talks I will be giving along with a description of each. Visit their website to see the times and locations for each talk. I look forward to seeing you there.

Dreaming Dangerously: Finding Your Life Dream and Chasing It
It’s a great big world out there and as a young adult, you’re trying to find your way. You need to make a living but you also want a life. You have some idea of what you like to do but how does that translate to find a job? And what about those scary words, “career,” “vocation,” “calling?” Relax. Breathe. In this talk, I share a mix of anecdotes and practical tips designed to provide young adults with the confidence and starting foundation they need to discover and pursue their life dream.

Trust Parents: Why Engaged Parents are Essential in Building Lifelong Learners
At the heart of this talk is the simple truth that parents are the key to a successful education. The secret? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to help your child succeed. Drawing on a rich set of research, various social sciences studies, and Ethan’s homeschooling story “from coonskin cap to college graduate,” this talk provides a compelling argument for the importance (and power) of trusting parents. Learn practical tips for parental engagement and be encouraged by the evidence that says, “parents you can do it and you can do it well.”

Embrace Awkward: How Awkward Online Parents Can Save the World
Facebook, bullies, and sexts, oh my! Talking with kids about using the internet is about as awkward as talking to them about the birds and the bees. Come learn why, when it comes to teaching digital citizenship to kids, parents matter more and can have a greater impact than peers or educators. Let’s make it easier for parents to be parents online and encourage them to embrace the awkwardness of teaching kids about the digital birds and bees.

Show Up Politics: Getting Involved in the Political Process
Growing up, my parents would take me and my brothers along with them when they voted. I remember the old-fashioned lever voting machines in the booths. Seeing my parents engaged in the political process played a very significant role in my life. Now, all these years later, I have put those acquired values to work, serving my local community in many roles, most recently as a township supervisor. In this talk, I draw from my experiences to provide inspiration and practical tips for civic engagement. You and your whole family can make a difference in your local community; learn why local politics matters and why showing up is the most important step.

Embrace Awkward: How Awkward Online Parents Can Save the World

January 29, 2015

One of the talks I give is entitled “Embrace Awkward: How Awkward Online Parents can Save the World”. The main premise is that parents are very concerned about their kids living in an online world but don’t feel like they have the skills to teach kids how to be good digital citizens. The reality is that parents are not only the best qualified to teach digital citizenship they are the only ones who have the time to. Read below to see a description of the talk and some of the slides or check out my digital citizenship blog series over at the Demme Learning Blog.

Talk description

Facebook, bullies, and sexts, oh my! Talking with kids about using the internet is about as awkward as talking to them about the birds and the bees. Come learn why, when it comes to teaching digital citizenship to kids, parents matter more and can have a greater impact than peers or educators. Let’s make it easier for parents to be parents online and encourage them to embrace the awkwardness of teaching kids about the digital birds and bees. #EmbraceAwkward

Talk Slides

If you are interested in inviting me to speak on this or any of my other topics just email speaking@ethandemme.com

Parental Engagement Digital Citizenship Series

August 23, 2014

I recently completed a new series of blog posts on Parental Engagement and digital citizenship. You can view the entire series over at the Demme Learning Blog.

Watch the video overview

Part 1 – Do as I Say Not as I Do: Digital Citizenship at Home

There is an old saying, “do as I say, not as I do.” Our kids learn most by the example we set before them. If we want them to be good digital citizens, we ourselves must model what good digital citizenship looks like to our kids

Part 2 – 3 Tips to Help You Teach Digital Citizenship to Your Kids

Always remember that you are the parent. You have the authority to make all final decisions about how your children use social media and technology. Navigating the digital world is an opportunity to grow with your kids and be a part of their learning through your engagement with them. Digital tools will come and go: for children, knowing that their parents are continually trying to engage with them will be valuable forever.

Part 3 – Digital Citizenship Gone Wrong: A Clear And Present Danger

Social media and technology can be wonderful tools for learning, socializing, and having fun, but as the statistics and human stories show, it’s not all ‘fun and games’. In fact, our children are facing a clear and present danger and only a small percentage of parents understand the extent of that danger.

Part 4 – Kids, Apps, Cancer, and Coding: Digital Citizenship Done Well

The vast majority of us are now digital citizens and that is true of children, teens, and adults. We have technology, we are connected on the web, and we use social media. By teaching your children how to be good digital citizens, you are helping to make this world a better place.