If you’re sending your child back to school, technology can be intimidating. Should your elementary-age child have a computer? If so, what should you buy? And how do you keep it safe?
Here’s what I tell my K-5 parents about how to handle the stress of equipping the 21st century tech kid:
By third grade, children need a computer. Here’s why:
- There’s a good chance your child’s class has a website. All of my school’s classes from kindergarten up do. On those webpages, teachers list what happened during class, homework, resources, extensions, expectations and more. You’ll want to access those to stay up to date.
- It’s hard for you as a parent to keep in touch with all the ancillary teachers your child sees during the day AS WELL AS the classroom teacher. I’m talking about the art teacher, the PE teacher, language B teacher, technology teacher. A good way is to access their school webpages. My profile at school links to my class technology page. All of our Specials (the teachers who cover subjects outside of the classroom) have their own webpages. This is likely true in your school, too.
- A lot of teachers choose to communicate with parents via blogs or twitter. Here’s my professional blog. It’s a great way to casually keep parents and students up to date on class activities. I have one at school, too, but non-students are locked out of it.
- Much classwork integrates information from the internet. If your child is excited about something shown in class, s/he’ll want to revisit at home. That’s as simple as an internet connection and the website (probably posted on the class webpage). In tech class, students have a class internet start page that track everything done in class for follow-up at home. All are accessible from one location on my class webpage to make it easier on parents and students.
- As hard as parents try, it’s difficult to dig through backpacks and uncover test scores, grading rubrics, and their ilk. It’s likely grades will be available online. Take advantage of the ability to check your child’s grades. Know there’s a problem when there’s still time to fix it.
- Some classes may have their materials online. For example, my school uses a math program that is entirely internet-based–no books. The same is true of my technology program. This saves parents the worry of accessing homework, bringing books home, or losing them. Check to see if this is true of any of your child’s classes.
- Your school may provide digital lockers for your child. We do this for fifth grade and up. This means students can store material developed at school in a safe spot on the internet that is accessible from home.
- Much of the resource information for parents at a school is included online. This includes sports, lunches, school calendar, health information, applications, etc.
Any questions about all of this? Leave a comment. I’ll answer within a day. Good luck with the new school year!
Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
