Click – Technology Guide For Parents

Experts tell parents about cyber bullying, digital games for learning and managing kids' mobile phone bills.

Audio and video available

• Click is a free, online guide to help parents understand what new technologies can do and how they are used.
• New issues published bimonthly at www.schools.nsw.edu.au/click
• Encourages parents to try new technologies for themselves. The department has created areas in YouTube, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube as starting points for parents.

• Surviving cyberbullies
  Experts say it's more devastating than face-to-face bullying, and can follow kids into the home. Positive steps to help parents protect their kids from cyberbullies.
• How can you study with that on?
  Can kids really study while listening to music, watching TV and messaging their friends? Sure they're "digital natives", but the latest research might surprise you.
• Smile - you're famous!
  It takes seconds for your favourite photos - and not so favourites - to become public property, and even find their way into emails around the world. Helping families make sure their online photos are only seen by the right people.
• Ringing up the bill
  What's the real cost of having the latest ringtones and phone games? We explain the fine print and tell how to keep nasty surprises off your child's phone bill.
• Learning by stealth - how digital games can help.
  When kids are glued to their PSP or Wii games, it might not be a bad thing. Expert blogger and principal Gail Dyer looks at innovative ways digital games are being used in the classroom, and giving some students a whole new interest in learning.

Understanding just how important technology has become in kids' social lives is really important, both in terms of understanding the effects of cyberbullying and how it can be stopped.

To many kids, a fate worse than cyberbullying would be to have their social network cut off altogether, says Professor Donna Cross a professor of child and adolescent health at Edith Cowan University in Perth.

"It's an interesting phenomenon because we think that many children don't tell that they're cyberbullied for fear that they'll lose access to technology," Professor Cross says. 

The educational value of digital games can be phenomenal. They can help students' imaginations soar and set challenges which engage all kinds of problem solving skills.

When used properly, video games are quite unique in their ability to motivate, teach and encourage students.

Children who have difficulty learning and those who aren't achieving as much as they could can be engaged and motivated by bringing the right games into the classroom at the right time.

• Gone phishing
  James O'Loghlin talks with Alex Parson, Head of Search at ninemsn, about Hotmail, Messenger and how email scams, known as "phishing" work and how they can be avoided.
  
  Quote from Alex Parson:
  "Certainly phishing ... has the propensity to have the biggest impact to individuals' lives. If you go into your bank account and suddenly all your money has been transferred out of there - not a good thing. There are ways to prevent it as well."
  
  Audio grab - Alex Parsons:
  IN: Another way to identify them...too good to be true, often it is" OUT (mp3  358kb ) 22 secs 
  Transcript 

• Internet safety.
  The internet is a great place for learning and socialising. Keeping your child safe online is easier when you're well informed and follow some simple guidelines.
  Transcript

The NSW Department of Education and Training delivers public education and training from pre-school) through to Year 12.  It also provides TAFE NSW courses and a range of courses for adults. The department is the largest single organisation, public or private, in Australia. With a recurrent budget of $11.8 billion, the department is responsible for around one quarter of the State's total budget.

Trackback URL: www.schools.nsw.edu.au/click