Keeping up with technology today can feel like running a 5K. Keeping up with our kids and technology can feel like running a marathon. On January 17, Collaborative Change joined Westfield Washington School for a Parent Cafe giving parents the opportunity to talk about the tug of war our Digital World presents.
From a 5K to a marathon. How will you train(connect) with your student(s) to prepare for the digital race?
First, what is a Parent Cafe? "Cafes offer a unique opportunity for people to have authentic conversations about their families, community, and lives in a safe and nurturing environment. They are committed to teaching the five protective factors (Resilience, Relationships, Knowledge, Support and Communication) which are key components to building strong families, enhancing the community, fostering meaningful relationships and strengthening partnerships between people and their community." Collaborative Change.com.
Brittany and her team lead us through a Parent Cafe focused on Parenting in a Digital World. "Parenting is hard enough without having the entire world able to judge us with a quick text, picture, video or message. How much harder is it for our children? Do we know the most recent social media craze? How do we know what’s safe and what is not? How do we talk to our children about technology we weren’t raised with and are just now experiencing ourselves?"
For two hours we embraced a discussion and learned from each other. We hope the conversation provided tools for our parents to use as they create their Digital plan for their family. We look forward to more opportunities to engagement with families and discuss topics that affect our students socially, emotionally, and academically.
Example of Screen Time
A few digital parent tools:
Click on either IOS or Andriod for short tutorials on how screen time works for both operating systems. IOS Sceen Time or Andriod Screen Time
One thing we know for sure is technology development, and our interaction with it in our daily lives is not slowing down. Parent engagement and communication will play an important role to keep our children safe as they advance their skills.
WWS Parent University will host a WMS Parent Workshop on March 19. This workshop will focus on our 6, 7, & 8th-grade families but, it is open to our entire district. I would encourage you, no matter what your student(s) grade, to join Ali Tabb as she explores Screentime.
Meet Ali - "I am a therapist, I work with families/adolescents, and I provide a lot of support around issues related to technology/screen use. I work with a lot of families who are struggling to find balance." Attending Ali's workshop will give families who are wanting to go deeper to find a healthy balance and connection. Ali is an excellent resource and we look forward to learning from her on March 19.
To Register CLICK HERE
In addition to attending Ali's Screentime workshop, we will offer three additional topics and 11 resource tables. Please register at the link provided to select your workshops.
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