Parent Education Resources
As recently as a decade ago, the Internet was a place that could only be traversed by the true geeks of the world using arcane IP addresses. Then along came the World Wide Web and suddenly information was accessible to the average person without any special knowledge just by clicking a mouse. Now imagine having the ability to easily personalize your very own section on a website using the tools provided on the website itself. That is the reality and appeal of Web 2.0 and social networking!
Web 2.0 really has its roots in instant messaging and blogging. Instant messaging began as typed real-time communication between two or more people, but quickly grew to include the ability to use sound, pictures, and even video. Web logs (blogs), on the other hand, are more like journals located on a website. Entries are listed with the most recent at the top and readers are often able to write and leave comments in response to specific entries. Blogs have also evolved and now commonly contain links to related material, pictures, sound, video, podcasts… you name it. Best of all, there’s not a lot of specialized ability needed to make it happen. The basic tools you need are part of the website itself!
Social networking is really about connecting people; and Web 2.0 sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube that facilitate blogging, instant messaging, the uploading of pictures, music, and videos have created the perfect vehicle for “hanging out” on the Internet. More people, abilities, and time spent on line has created a whole new way of interacting digitally and sharing our lives. This is tremendously exciting and more than a little scary.
There is so much out there. How are we utilizing it right now? How do we learn about it? How do we protect ourselves and the ones we love in order to realize all that positive potential? Where do we even start?
The technology team at USN has decided to focus on this very large topic throughout the year. There will be meetings/informational sessions for kids, for parents, and for both together. Some will be during the day and others during the early afternoon or evening. There are even two classes offered (free for USN parents) during Evening School. We will continue to build up these online digital resources as well.
Check back often and watch your email for dates and times and upcoming events.
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