Tech It Out Newsletter by Jen Goldberg:

Technology changes so rapidly that it can be difficult to keep up. Children often know more about technology than the adults around them. This newsletter collated by Jen Goldberg, LMSD Elementary Technology Specialist, is designed to provide you with current articles, resources, and other information to help you stay ahead of the game.   Make sure to click FOLLOW and enter an email address   to get updates when there is new content.
https://www.smore.com/v3u9c

Internet Safety and Social Media Information:

Common Sense Media: Parent Concerns

Common Sense Media is the nation's leading non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the media lives of kids and families. If you have a question or digital dilemma, you will find age-appropriate guidelines for your family, plus videos and articles to help with the tough conversations.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/parent-concerns

SmartSocial.com

SmartSocial.com is a  website and an app that helps to   keep students safe  so they can shine online.  NOTE:  there is some free content, including   the Top 100+ Teen Apps list and the Parental Control Software & Cell Phone Monitoring Comparison Guide on this website.  There is additional content that is only available by subscription.
https://smartsocial.com/

The United States Department of Justice

Visit the United States Department of Justice webpage titled Keeping Children Safe Online. Look for tips and resources for parents, guardians, caregivers, and teachers can do to help protect children.
https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/keeping-children-safe-online/

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Cyberbullying Websites:

Cyberbullying Research Center

Identifying the causes and consequences of cyberbullying. Here you will find cyberbullying resources specifically for parents.
http://cyberbullying.us/resources/parents/

Stop Bullying Now

Information about bullying, strategies for helping to prevent and deal with bullying and helpful materials that you can use to help children in your family, school, and community.
http://www.stopbullying.gov/parents/index.html

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Screen Time & Parental Control Websites:

Google Families

Learn how to protect your family online when using Google products. Google offers parental control tools as well as tips to keep kids safe online.
https://families.google/families/

Apple Families

Keep track of family app usage and set parental controls for Apple products. Also, learn how to protect kids from what they see and send.
https://families.google/families/

Common Sense Media: Screen Time Advice

Get recommendation and tips on how to balance screen time for kids of all ages.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/screen-time

Common Sense Media: Parental Controls Advice

Learn how to set up parental controls for all of the different devices your child might use.
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/articles/parental-controls

Books for Adults:

Note: Many of these books can be found at your local library.

Growing Up in Public, by Devorah Heitner, Ph.D (BRAND NEW!)

Growing Up in Public shows parents how to help tweens and teens navigate boundaries, identity, privacy, and reputation in their digital world.

SOS! The Technology Guidebook for Parents of Tweens and Teens, by Sheryl Gould

SOS! The Technology Guidebook for Parents of Tweens and Teens is Sheryl Gould’s guidebook for parents who seek to keep their children safe online—away from inappropriate content, strangers, and cyberbullying—by equipping them to have the important conversations. 

The New Childhood, by Jordan Shapiro, Ph.D.

A provocative look at the new, digital landscape of childhood and how to navigate it. In  The New Childhood, Jordan Shapiro provides a hopeful counterpoint to the fearful hand-wringing that has come to define our narrative around children and technology. Drawing on groundbreaking research in economics, psychology, philosophy, and education, The New Childhood shows how technology is guiding humanity toward a bright future in which our children will be able to create new, better models of global citizenship, connection, and community.

Screenwise, by Devorah Heitner, Ph.D.

Screenwise      offers an encouraging perspective on how to thoughtfully guide kids 
in the digital age. Many parents and educators worry that kids are addicted, detached, or distracted because of their digital devices. Digital Citizenship expert Devorah Heitner, however, believes that technology offers huge potential to our children--if parents help them. 

Rewired: Understanding the iGeneration and the Way They Learn, by Larry Rosen, Ph.D.

This book will help educators and parents teach to this new generation's radically different learning styles and needs. In addition, it will also help parents learn what to expect from their "techie" children concerning school, homework, and even socialization.

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Books for Children:

The Technology Tail: A Digital Footprint Story

The Technology Tail  is a cute, creative story about children and their texts, tweets, posts and pics. Don’t be mean and irresponsible! That’s the straight-to-the-point advice “Screen” has for young readers who are active on social media.  Whether tapping out messages on their computers, tablets or phones, Screen wants kids to know their words – the kind and the cruel – will follow them for life, creating a digital trail that can't be erased.  Written for children in grades 1 through 6, this storybook uses rhymes and colorful illustrations to grab their attention.  Also included are tips for parents and teachers who want to reinforce kindness and respect in a high-tech world.

Faux Paw's Adventures in the Internet: Keeping Children Safe Online

Created for the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, Faux Paw--an adventurous, six-toed, Web-surfing cat--is here to help teach your child how to be safe online. With a foreword by First Lady Laura Bush, this colorful book and animated movie will give kids wise advice and you a place to start talking to them.

Smart Kid's Guide Books:

For students in grades 3-6, these books tell readers how to protect themselves while having fun online. These books are captioned, include lots of color photos, and each book includes a list of safety tips in the back.

• A Smart Kid's Guide to Internet Privacy

• A Smart Kid's Guide to Social Networking Online

• A Smart Kid's Guide to Online Bullying

• A Smart Kid's Guide to Avoiding Online Predators

Click the links below for digital citizenship advice from popular podcasts:

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Smart Social Podcast:

The SmartSocial.com Podcast helps parents and educators to keep their kids safe on social media, so they can shine online with a positive impact.   With over 350+ episodes, Josh Ochs interviews psychologists, therapists, counselors, teachers, and parents who will show you how to navigate social media to keep your kids safe so they can someday shine online.

Click on the Smart Social Podcast icon access the whole podcast.  Here are some specific episodes that deal with Digital Citizenship:

• Episode 470:  "It's not the screen time, it's what they're doing during that time" with Krestin Bahr and Kris Hagel
• Episode 346:   Screen Time Self Regulation Smart Screen Time Habits with Dr. Mike Bishop
• Episode 324: Social Media Spoilers & Challenges

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Screenagers Podcast:

Join  Delaney Ruston, MD,  a leading authority on parenting in the digital age and the filmmaker of the award-winning Screenagers movies, as she explores strategies for raising screen-wise and tech-balanced youth. Through interviews with researchers, thought leaders, and young people themselves, the   Screenagers Podcast  delivers the latest in science along with practical tips. Most episodes are geared for parents, kids and teens to listen to and thus spark common ground for inspired conversations.

 

Online Activities To Do With Young Children:

Cyber-Five

Cyber-Five is a short animation which introduces children to five helpful rules to be safer on the internet. Join Hippo and Hedgehog as they introduce and review the five rules. There is a multiple choice quiz at the end of the animation for assessment. The Cyber 5 story concept is by Jillian Palmieri of www.bystander.us
http://www.abcya.com/cyber_five_internet_safety.htm

Play Cloud Quest Today!: An Interactive Safety Adventure

NEW Cloud Quest Interactive Adventure: Fun, self-navigating online adventure for kids to explore Season 1 of Into the Cloud!
https://www.netsmartzkids.org/activities/interactive/

Privacy Pirates: Online Privacy

This game introduces children to the concept of online privacy and teaches them to distinguish between information that is appropriate to give out and information better kept private.
http://mediasmarts.ca/game/privacy-pirates-interactive-unit-online-privacy-ages-7-9

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Online Activities To Do With Tweens and Teens:

Data Defenders

Data Defenders   is an interactive game that teaches children and pre-teens the concept of personal information and its economic value, and introduces them to ways to manage and protect their personal information on the websites and apps they  enjoy.
https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/educational-games/data-defenders-grades-4-6

Digital Passport by Common Sense Media

This is an animated, choose-your-own adventure, interactive game, developed with middle schoolers in mind. Students step into the shoes of one of eight characters to experience the twists and turns of daily digital life. Topics include cyberbullying & digital drama, self-image & identity, Internet safety & privacy, creative credit & copyright, and relationships & communication.
https://www.digitalcompass.org/game/index.html

Apps for Families:

Life360

(iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, Desktop)
Life360 keeps millions of families and close friends connected, no matter what chaos life throws their way.     Note: the app is free but there is Premium version available for a monthly subscription.

Family Tracker

(iPhone, iPad, Android, Desktop)
Track your children so you know they are safe.

Smart Watches for Kids:

NEW: Fitbit Ace LTE

Fitbit Ace LTE is the first-of-its-kind smartwatch that makes movement fun for kids. And gives peace of  mind to  parents. It includes  the benefits of a smartphone (calling, text messaging,  location sharing), without the smartphone.

Gabb Watch 3

Gabb Watch 3 is the perfect first device for your kid—allowing them to safely connect with family and friends every step of their day.

T-Mobile SyncUP KIDS Watch

Key features include: Talk & Text with Approved Contacts, Real-time Location Tracking, Virtual Boundary Alerts, Help & 911 Button, School Mode, SyncUP KIDS Parent/Guardian App (iOS & Android), and Video Calling between KIDS Watch and Parent/Guardian App

Xplora Smart Watch for Kids

(Android, T-Mobile)
Xplora was founded with the mission to give children a safe onboarding to digital life and a better balance between screen time and physical activity. They have developed a collection of smartwatches specifically for kids. They removed services not appropriate for young kids, such as internet access, social media and most game-related applications.

Lil Tracker

Keeping track of life doesn't have to be tough. Lil Tracker has a variety of different GPS trackers to do it for you.

Screen-free Phone for Kids:

Jiobit 

This is a tiny,   lightweight, water-proof device  that includes GPS Tracking, Geofencing Notifications, SOS/Emergency Alerts and more.

Angel Sense 

This is a wearable speakerphone   with voice calls,   GPS, and more.

Smart Phone Alternatives:

Troomi

The smarter safe phone for kids.  Get everything your kids need in a phone; with none of the stuff they don't.

Gabb Phone

The Gabb Phone    protects kids while keeping them connected to family and friends. It gives parents peace of mind because it doesn’t have the Internet, social media or games.

Pinwheel

Quality smartphones that enable responsible and healthy usage with modes managed by parents for everyday kids' life.

Bark Phone

Bark’s award-winning monitoring tool scans your child’s texts, emails, social media, and apps for digital dangers and sends you alerts.

Artificial Intelligence (AI):
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a wide-ranging branch of   computer science  in which smart machines are built to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. In simpler terms, it is making   computers  think like humans. The term is most frequently used to describe machines that mimic cognitive functions such as learning, communication, and problem-solving. 

Blog:
Stands for Web Log. A blog is an online journal which can be used for a variety of reasons. Blogs are easy to start and can be used for business and/or personal purposes. Blogs are intended for users to interact with Blogs that are made to the public. Blogs can be set for private use or as a read only where users cannot comment on them.

Browser:
A program that allows users to view Web pages. Microsoft® Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox,  Safari, and Google Chrome are examples of popular browsers.

Chat:
Real-time communication over the Internet. You type and send messages that appear almost instantly on the computer monitors of the other people who are participating in the chat.

Chatroom:
This is a place where you can go to "chat" live with others. You type questions or comments and others read them at that moment and can answer.

Cookie:
A cookie is a file from a site you are visiting that gets saved on your hard disk. It is only an ID tag and there is no danger to your hard disk. It also doesn't identify you personally unless you give the site your personal information. You might do this if you are shopping on a site and they keep your previous purchases, shipping and credit card information for your convenience. Cookies can also be used to customize the display you see through the browser or keep track of the different pages within the site that you visited. You can configure your browser to alert you when a cookie is being sent. You can refuse to accept cookies or erase all cookies saved on your browser.

Cyberbullying:
Sending or posting harmful or cruel text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices.

Cyberspace:
Refers to all the computer networks on the Internet. The term distinguishes the physical world from the virtual or computer-based world.

Cyberstalking/Harassment:
Terms that can refer to the online enticement of children; rude or threatening messages; slanderous information; or repeated, unwanted messages.

Domain:
A domain is a web page address. It is what you enter into your browser to find a particular web site.

File-Sharing Programs:
Programs that allow many different users to access the same file at the same time. These programs are usually used to illegally download music and software.

Filtering Software:
Different methods to screen unwanted Internet content including whitelisting, blacklisting, monitoring activity, keyword recognition, or blocking-specific functions such as e-mail or instant messages.

Firewall:
This is a system that creates a special "wall" used by network servers to keep out unwanted information like spam and viruses and unwanted people like hackers.

Flaming:
Sending a deliberately confrontational message to others on the Internet.

Flash:
Refers to Adobe Flash. This is a program that allows you to create animated content for your Web page. To be able to see Flash content you must have this program on your computer.

Flaming:
On the Internet, flaming is an insulting, angry or otherwise negative remark to or about someone in public. This can be on a message board or anywhere else others can view the remark.

Hacker:
A popular term for someone who accesses computer information either legally or illegally.

Instant Messaging (IM):
A service that allows people to send and get messages almost instantly. To send messages using IM you need to download an IM program and know the IM address of another person who uses the same IM program.

IP address:
stands for Internet Protocol address. It is the method by which data is sent from one computer to another on the Internet. Each computer on the Internet has at least one IP address that uniquely defines it from all others on the Internet.

Internet Service Provider (ISP):
A company that provides Internet access to customers. Some examples might include Comcast, Verizon, or AOL.

Listservs:
A system that allows users to send e-mail to one address where their message is then copied and sent to all of the other subscribers to the listserv.

Monitoring Software:
Software products that allow parents to monitor or track the websites or e-mail messages that a child visits or reads.

MP3:
A digital music file. MP3s allow you to play music on your computer.

Netiquette:
Courtesy, honesty, and polite behavior practiced on the Internet.

NetLingo:
Netlingo is an Internet Language that was created by users to enable faster communication. A good analogy would be "the short-hand" on the web. Kids will use netlingo in chatting and text messaging. Here is an excellent site that lists up-to-date netlingo.

Network:
A network is created when computers are connected, allowing people to share information. The Internet is an example of a large network.

PDF (Portable Document File):
This document displays in its proper format no matter which operating system you use. You can read a PDF using Adobe Acrobat Reader. This is free software and you can download it at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html

Pharming:
An online scam that attacks the browser's address bar. Users type in what they think is a valid website address and are unknowingly redirected to an illegitimate site that steals their personal information.

Phishing:
An online scam that uses e-mail to "fish" for users' private information by imitating legitimate companies. People are lured into sharing user names, passwords, account information or credit card numbers. The phishing e-mail usually contains a link to an illegitimate site. Scammers copy the look of a website to set up a nearly identical page, one that appears to be part of that company's site.

Piracy:
Illegally copying copyrighted software, music, or movies.

Podcast:
An audio show that is broadcast over the Web. Users can listen to these shows on a digital music player or a computer. Podcasts can include talk shows, music, or other types of audio.

Post:
To leave a message on a newsgroup or bulletin board.

Privacy Policy:
The policy that a company or organization operating a website uses for handling the personal information collected about visitors to the site.

Search Engine:
A program that searches information on the World Wide Web by looking for specific keywords and returns a list of information found on that topic. "Ask Jeeves for Kids" (www.ajkids.com) and KidRex (http://www.kidrex.org/) are examples of appropriate, kid-friendly search engines.

Social Media:
Social media is interactive digital channels that focus on the creation and sharing of thoughts, ideas, and information through virtual networks. These platforms enable users to take part in social networking by creating content, sharing their thoughts, commenting on other user content, and reposting it. 

Social Networking Site:
A social networking site is a website specifically focused on the building and verifying of social networks for whatever purpose. Many social networking services are also blog hosting services. Facebook and MySpace are examples of popular social networking sites.

Spam:
Unwanted e-mail from someone you don't know. It is usually trying to sell you something.

Spamming:
Mass mailings sent as instant messages to users.

Trusted Adult:
Someone who will help protect you and make you safer. Trusted adults can be people like family members, caregivers, family friends, teachers, counselors, coaches, clergy members, youth leaders, and law-enforcement officers.

URL:
This is an address of a website on the Internet. It usually starts with- http://www.

Virus:
A computer program that can destroy files or make your computer "crash." Viruses can be sent via e-mail or through other file-sharing programs. Anti-virus software and not downloading information from people you don't know can help keep viruses from damaging your computer.

Whitelisting:
A form of filtering that only allows connections to a preapproved list of sites that are considered useful and appropriate for children.

Wiki:
a Wiki is a space on the Internet created by a user allowing others users (or open to the public) to interact on the webpage through collaboration and sharing of ideas. One popular wiki is wikipedia.com: an online encyclopedia open to the public to create, revise and edit.