Parents' Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls
Do you need parental controls? What are the options? Do they really work? Here's everything you need to know about the wide array of parental control solutions, from OS settings to monitoring apps to network hardware. Article by Caroline Knorr
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5 Surefire Ways to Protect Your Kid’s Online Privacy
Today's kids spend lots of time posting and sharing information online. Learn five surefire ways to protect their privacy.
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5 Ways to Make YouTube Safer for Your Kids
Kids love YouTube. Whether they're watching funny videos, learning cool stuff, or uploading their own creations, they can stay busy on the popular website. But not everything about YouTube is fun and games. Discover five ways to make YouTube safer for kids.
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Family Tip 4: *Understand how tech companies make money*
Along with your tween and teen, research how digital devices, social media platforms, and apps and games get paid. Do they sell ads? Do they sell kids' data? What steps can you take to limit the amount of data you share while still using the platforms?
Middle School Track will not be having practice on Friday, March 19th.
Family Activity: Creating Strong Passwords
Evaluate some sample passwords, and then create some strong passwords with your family. This simple, short activity could save you a WORLD of hurt and countless hours down the road!
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The Challenge Learning Student Leadership Team at OMS collaborated today to continue working towards our goal of creating a powerful culture of learning where we demonstrate the 4 C’s of thinking: Caring, Collaborative, Critical, and Creative. #ThinkingSkills #Leadership
Family Tip 3: *Discuss online scams, clickbait, and "special offers."*
Share experiences of being targeted for a scam. Have either of you ever received a fishy email or text? What tipped you off? Discuss the telltale signs of a hoax, including poor grammar, misspellings, Photoshopped images, and close-but-not-exact company logos. And don't forget quizzes and tantalizing pop-ups, which can disguise shady privacy practices.
Real-World Reasons Parents Should Care About Kids and Online Privacy
If you don't want to have the bejesus scared out of you, don't talk to an expert on kids' online privacy. If you knew what was really out there -- online predators, identity thieves, data miners -- you'd lock up the internet and throw away the key. The truth is, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The internet is so woven into our lives, we need to be aware of the worst-case scenarios that can strike when we're unprepared. Check out this article for a few of those scary things that can and do happen. But with some eyes and ears to the ground, they are totally preventable.
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Family Tip 2: *Read the fine print*
Find the privacy policy of your kid's favorite app and read it together. Is it clear or complicated? Can you tell what information the company collects and what they do with it? Are they selling it? Storing it? Keeping it safe?
| The Bare Minimum You Should Do to Protect Your Family's Data |
If you're not ready to #deletefacebook, here are 13 simple things you and your kids can do on your social accounts, phones, and devices to keep data safe. Article by Caroline Knorr
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Family Tip 1: *Use privacy settings*
Sit down with tweens and teens to show the privacy settings you use on your apps and devices. Talk about why you keep certain information private or limited to a small group. Ask them what information they feel comfortable sharing and why.
Ms. Brown’s OMS Robotics Class is trying out the Poof Books technique teachers learned from our Institute speaker Greg Wolcott along with literature they’ve read from him this year. She even made a “Bucket O’ Poofs” to collect students’ work at the end of class! #ChallengeIsInteresting
8th Grade Boys in a thrilling win 45-43 over Pekin Broadmoor!
7th Grade 🏐 wins the first regional game in 2 sets over Heyworth!
Common Sense Media has an extensive Q&A section regarding online security & privacy. We encourage families to explore these topics, which are even broken down by age group!
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/privacy-and-internet-safety
Sharing photos, posting comments, playing video games; these are just a few of the ways that kids interact online. But when sharing goes beyond friends and family, it can be risky. Watch this video for five simple Internet safety rules for kids: bit.ly/OlySPV1
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Chatting online can feel just like talking to someone in person, but it's actually quite different. It's all because of something called the "online disinhibition effect," which makes us more likely to share/communicate differently than if in person.
Family Tip 6: Review worst-case steps.
Walk through what to do if your kid is being bullied online. First, step away. Ignoring a bully can be very effective. If the bullying continues, take screenshots or print out evidence. Then block the person. If it gets worse, report the behavior to a trusted adult. Talk about who those people are and make sure your kid has their contact information.
Resources: bit.ly/OlyCBR1
There are A LOT of "social media" sites out there. You know about Twitter & Facebook, but what about Reddit, TikTok, Twitch, Sarahah, or Discord? Educate yourself with this list of short explanation videos from Common Sense media!
