Digital Literacy

Parents and teachers are no doubt working hard to educate children about safe practices with technology, but being a good digital citizen is often more about following the behavior modeled by the adults around you. How can parents be good digital mentors? Devorah Heitner, digital citizenship expert, lays out a set of principles in what she calls the Mentorship Manifesto.

Here’s a condensed version:

• Mentors start from a place of empathy as a path to trust and open communication.

• Mentors understand that social interactions are more complex now, and that kids need help in building good personal relationships.

• Mentors recognize that tech savvy is not the same as wisdom. Life experience is a critical factor in the equation.

• Mentors believe in collaboration over control. Co-creating solutions with kids takes advantage of their creativity and builds trust.

• Mentors are ready to be accountable. Recognizing and correcting bad technology habits serves as a model for kids.

The concept of plagiarism, especially in the digital age, has come sharply into focus after Melania Trump’s recent incident with a plagiarized speech. As educators would call it, this is a teachable moment and it might be a good idea to talk to your kids about why plagiarism is bad and how to avoid it. Some kids might not think it is such a big deal when they see someone on the national scene plagiarize (without visible consequences even though it created a controversy), and might be tempted to try it too. The spotlight on this issue might have teachers hypersensitive to plagiarism this school year, so it is important to stress the severity of it with your children.