Proudly sporting their “I am a digital citizen” stickers, Shorecrest students gathered during this Digital Citizenship week to share ways to protect themselves and demonstrate Shorecrest values online. Daily, we send our students into the virtual world to conduct research, collaborate with peers across oceans, and take action to improve their communities. Students reinforce their math skills using engaging math games online. They build online Portfolios to demonstrate their learning. They create movies, websites, and other virtual products to share their knowledge. They challenge teachers to constantly evolve their practice to reflect the changing world.

In short, technology is transformative.

It’s hard keeping track of all of the tech that is out there these days. A lot of times our digital-native children know new apps and tools before parents do! Fortunately, there are some easy tips that will make parenting an adolescent in the 21st century a little easier.

How could advice that encourages unconditional love, balance and sanity be controversial?

The 2016 election season may be the first in which the term “mudslinging” is too gentle to describe the kinds of rhetoric and even physical violence that we have seen over the past several months. As teachers and parents, our enthusiasm about the democratic process is likely not at an all-time high. And yet, this is exactly the moment to talk with our children about the role of a citizen in our democratic republic. If we are seeing the same kinds of behaviors in the 2032 election, we will have no one but ourselves to blame.