Content derived from a PTA session led by William McLaughlin, principal of Shepton High School.
Maximizing the advantages of the internet can be daunting, yet with appropriate guidance and resources, both students and parents can harness this incredible technological era to their advantage.
- Establish a Social Network for Collaborative Study: It’s beneficial for students to connect with family friends or peers, particularly those who’ve previously taken similar courses, for study support.
- Explore online resources designed for homework assistance:
*Khan Academy, supported by the Melinda & Bill Gates Foundation, offers a vast range of content covering areas like Test Preparation and Science. Visit https://www.khanacademy.org/ for more information.
*Wolfram Alpha provides solutions to virtually any mathematical problem you input. While it is a remarkable resource, advise your children to remember that while it gives answers, it won’t assist them during exams. The ideal way to utilize this platform is to review the solutions provided. More details can be found at http://www.wolframalpha.com/.
- Be selective during online searches: Typically, students tend to Google their topic, skim through a handful of articles, and consider their research complete. This approach may result in choosing biased or incomplete information. It is crucial for them to scrutinize the source and understand the perspective. For instance, if a student researches the “Iran Hostage Crisis,” a Google search might yield the U.S. viewpoint, but they should aim to gather a broader, international perspective. This evaluation of varied viewpoints fosters critical thinking skills. To achieve this, students can utilize Google’s Advanced Search feature (navigate to Google/Settings/Advanced Search) to adjust settings for region or language, among other parameters.
- Examine the authorship of the materials you are using: Is the source credible? Does the content reflect opinion or facts? Investigate the author using tools like https://www.easywhois.com/ to verify the website’s publisher. It’s essential to question the validity of what you read rather than assume its credibility simply because it resides online.
- The domain of a website can also provide insight into its reliability. Common domain designations include:
.EDU – educational institutions
.COM – commercial entities
.MIL – military organizations
.GOV – government entities
.ORG – non-profit organizations
.NET – network-related organizations
- Consider utilizing search engines beyond Google such as Bing, Yahoo, or Ask. To improve search results and filter out irrelevant data, you can employ various techniques:
- To find an exact phrase, enclose the words in quotation marks.
- Incorporating AND or + ensures that a specific keyword is included in your results.
- Using OR (in uppercase) or a vertical bar between terms prompts the search engine to find pages that include either keyword.
- Placing a dash “-“ before a term excludes all results containing that word.
- Do you believe your Google search for a specific term will yield the same articles as mine? Not quite! Eli Pariser, in his TED Talk titled “Beware Online Filter Bubbles,” highlights how modern search engines like Google, while attempting to personalize searches, might filter information that shapes a distorted global view of what we believe we are accessing on the internet. To learn more, visit http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles.
Technology is an integral part of our lives and cannot be disregarded or assumed to be used responsibly by default. As parents, it is vital to stay informed, engage in education about technology, and monitor how our children interact with it. As Mr. McLaughlin pointed out, “We’ve released kids into the digital realm without supervision.” This often leads to unexpected discoveries as parents later learn about their children’s online activities. The consequences of these actions can have lasting effects. Numerous cases illustrate how difficult it can be to remove unwanted content from the web once it is posted.
“It’s essential for parents to establish guidelines, supervise technology usage, and set boundaries. Restricting technology use during meals, in the car, or on vacations can create valuable moments for discussion with your children. After all, they will soon be off to college before you realize it,” McLaughlin advises.
