The shift to virtual learning took every parent and student online. Students often take to technology quickly, but navigating new platforms, apps and resources can be intimidating for many parents. North East ISD's Instructional Technology Services (ITS) wants parents to know they aren't alone and are offering free monthly webinars for assistance managing social media, screen time, virtual learning and more.
"Most of the time parents feel like they're 'behind the times' with what their kids are using and doing with technology," said Christine Ramsey, Director of Instructional Technology Services. "Parents want to keep their children safe and can sometimes be afraid of what is out there for kids. We are hoping to provide them with easy ways to either manage and understand the technology."
The technology-based parent webinars will cover topics such as Zoom, Instagram, TikTok, screen time management and gaming consoles. NEISD is dedicated to empowering parents with the tools and knowledge to protect their children online. Ramsey believes accomplishing that goal is a team effort.
"We all must work together to help students act responsibly and that can be hard to do when there is a new app every day," said Ramsey. "Parents hear all the negatives when it comes to TikTok, Instagram and video games. But they also need to understand that managing their child's use of all these things is possible."
Click here to view the NEISD parent webinar calendar. If you can't make it to a Zoom session, you can watch the webinars on the ITS YouTube page.
Parent webinars include sessions such as Protecting Students Online: A Parent's Guide to TikTok, Screen time Controls on Xbox and PC and Digital Tools to Keep Your Family Organized.
