From the Inclusion Coach
Innovators of Tomorrow – Preparing your child for the future
Your children and mine are digital natives. Digital natives are people who are brought up during the age of digital technology and therefore familiar with computers and the internet from an early age. Digital Technology has impacts for their life, including how they want to be taught.
How do digital natives learn differently?
- They learn by doing
- They have information at their fingertips and know they can find answers for themselves
- They ask questions like “why” and “is that the only way to do it?”
Digital natives learn by exploring, collaborating, creating and approaching problems in new ways. To cater for our digital natives, we have launched our Innovators of Tomorrow program for students in Years 1 to 6.
The program runs at first break on Monday and Tuesday. Students will have opportunities to create with Spike Lego and Lego WeDo kits, code in Scratch and Scratch Jr, develop games, program BeeBots, Bluebots, Ozobots, Edison robots, design models and print them with our 3D printers, use Osmos, learn about Augmented Reality, participate in STEM competitions and much more!
Cybersafety
To help keep your child safe when they are online, you can:
- put iPads and other devices in open spaces within your home
- remind your child that content can be posted instantaneously, the downfall is that they can potentially post something without thinking about the ramifications.
- educate your child about appropriate online behaviour and the need for respectful communication with other internet users
- keep an eye on what your child is doing online (both in the home and on any mobile devices they may have access to e.g. phones, music devices and tablets)
- set clear rules about what sites and activities they are allowed to access
- install software to limit their use and monitor/restrict the sites they visit
- discuss a plan with your child about how to address any cybersafety issues that may arise (make sure they know you will be supportive if they mention anything and that they will not get in trouble)
- encourage them to find someone they feel safe talking to, such as yourself, a relative, a teacher or a trusted adult.
If you are worried about your child’s safety online don’t be afraid to ask for help. If the issue is related to school, please speak with your child’s teacher or Mr Fenton. The link below is to the eSafety commission – They have a fantastic collection of resources for parents.