Keeping Children Safe Online
 Technology has come a long way at Wilmington Montessori School during the past year and a half. A lot of changes have happened throughout the school, among our staff and within each classroom. Every student in the elementary program has access to a personal or classroom iPad. Each elementary classroom has a class projector, and all teachers have access to Elmo document cameras. Students and teachers utilize cloud technology such as Google Apps for Education and OneDrive, and our wireless infrastructure is continuously getting updates to better support more than 100 devices throughout the school.
As the Instructional Technology Coach at WMS, I would like to use this opportunity to answer a question that is commonly asked by parents:
What can we do to work with WMS to keep students safe on these devices?
To put it simply, be as active in your child's digital life as you are in his or her real life. This includes discussing topics with your child such as passwords, screen time and what kind of materials are appropriate for him or her to access from home and at school. These conversations should include any home devices as well as those that belong to WMS.
Online Accounts & Passwords
Ask your child about any online accounts he or she uses for school or at home. All students at WMS are under 13, which means they should not have any internet accounts without parental permission. Please know your child's passwords for any accounts so you can monitor his or her activities and ensure he or she is communicating in a safe and appropriate manner. Have a discussion to help your child understand that all of his or her online activities should be able to be shared with you. Be sure your child understands that you are trusting him or her to be responsible online, and in return, he or she is trusting you with his or her account passwords.
Screen Time
At WMS, classroom activities that use an iPad all have a specific educational purpose and end goal. This could include narrating a story, creating a movie or project for class, completing a reading or math activity, or conducting research. Students are not encouraged to utilize iPads for entertainment or to fill time, and therefore, screen time is limited to the time required to work on the assignment.
Teachers monitor student work and address any idle use with the student. This can be very different from common technology use in the home. Screen time at home is an individual decision for each family. Always feel free to ask your child what he or she is doing while using a device at home, and become an active participant in your child's technology use. Encourage your child to use his or her device to create something that you can work on together or that can be shared with your family.
Appropriate Use & Content Filtering
WMS utilizes SonicWall and content filtering to restrict any inappropriate material being accessed from our school network. These filters, however, do not all extend to your home. Therefore, what your child can access from school is different than what he or she can access from home. The best way to protect your child when accessing the internet is to talk to him/her about the information that is out there and what kind of material is not allowed in your home. This conversation should include any applications loaded onto the device. Please check the browser history on all of your home devices to check that internet use is safe and appropriate. Decide in advance what to do if you find that your child has accessed inappropriate materials, and determine if you should restrict your home network or any devices that your child uses. Have a discussion with your child about where and when the device can be used in the house. Do you prefer that technology use is restricted to family areas? Can your child use the device without supervision? Decide what you feel is the best practice for your family and stick to it. Consistency is key.
Above all, model safe and appropriate technology use for your child. As a parent, you set the example for proper technology use in your home. Be open with your child about what you are doing on your technology and he or she will be just as open. | 
The Wednesday Weekly shares WMS news and events that are relevant to the families in our community. 
