One of the most exciting, yet most challenging aspects of working with digital technology is the way it keeps evolving and changing. As teachers we are often asked by colleagues or parents about a certain aspect and what does it do.
While it would be tempting to say ‘it’s all too hard to keep up with,” for the sake of the children in our lives, we need to remain current and aware of how these technologies, that are so important to children, can be used in a positive way.
To help teachers and parents alike, DFEEST (Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology) have created a website that explains about most of the current social media sites as well as topics such as online banking, internet tv and online photo sharing. One of the most useful topics on there for keeping our kids safe is the issue of privacy settings particularly when using sites like Facebook.
This site is designed to explain things to people who are completely new to computing and includes videos and fact sheets that you can print out. I found it a very interesting read and was impressed with the range of topics that were covered in simple, easy to read terms – the jargon buster was a particularly good resource.
The address for this website is:
http://www.forwardit.sa.gov.au/
I hope you find it of some use, whether for yourself or your school community.