Digital Learning

Dear Families,

As a very busy Term 1 draws to a close students have their eye firmly on what to do for the school holidays. Using digital technology during the holidays often increases for some of our Willy Kids. They have more time to engage in online games, social media and online resources. Families are encouraged to set clear boundaries for students when using digital technology at home. 

Below are some tips from the Alannah & Madeline Foundation to help support parents at home.

Primary and middle school – children aged 5 - 12: 

• Review rules about technology use and adapt these to suit the child’s developmental stage. For example, you might decide that children are ready to try out different platforms and apps with guidance and supervision or to change the rules to give them more autonomy if they have earned your trust. 
• Consider limiting their technology use to shared areas of the house and keep technology out of private spaces like bedrooms.
• Involve children in discussions about rules around technology use (as appropriate) and consider signing a family technology agreement that everyone sticks to build good habits and actions.
• Get to know the privacy and safety settings of digital products and services that your child uses, and make sure these are set to the highest settings.
• Show an interest in the websites and apps that they enjoy and try to learn more about them – get a head start by exploring the list on the eSafety guide.
• Encourage critical thinking skills by discussing different types of content online and how some information might be misleading or harmful or how information, images and videos could be edited.  
• Encourage children to talk to you about the things they experience or see online and listen actively when they do. 
• Talk to your children about online risks – and safety messages, and discuss some strategies about how they can navigate certain risks that come up to build their digital resilience and skills. 

Earlier this term, we acknowledged Safer Internet Day, with many classrooms opening up and continuing the conversation about appropriate online behaviours. These conversations will continue in Term 2 with our Grade 3 -6s when Mat and I will visit classrooms to run online safety workshops. More details about the workshops will come out next term.

I hope everyone enjoys the Easter break!

Regards,

Steven Puhar      

Apps List 2024

Digital Statement

Williamstown Primary School acknowledges the recent Human Rights Watch report on Edutech in privacy violations and findings. 

Williamstown Primary works closely with the DET’s Digital Learning and privacy teams to ensure that all DET guidelines regarding the implementation of digital devices are followed.

Attached is the school’s digital statement outlining the online platforms and their privacy policies that the school uses on a day-to-day basis. 

As part of the school’s ongoing student education, the school will further enhance key understandings around user privacy, as well as the tools available on selected devices.

This will be embedded within the current school’s eSafety program that currently sees students undertake numerous digital workshops run by both school leadership, classroom teachers and external providers such as the Alannah and Madeline Foundation’s eSmart organisation.

Parents are advised of a key iPad feature to turn tracking off. This feature will be explicitly demonstrated to students within the school-based workshops.

Go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking.

The list shows the apps that requested permission to track you. You can turn permission on or off for any app on the list.

To stop all apps from asking permission to track you, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track (at the top of the screen).

Williamstown Primary Digital Information

Below is a link to the schools Digital Learning page. This page contains key information about the school's implementation of the digital technology curriculum as a tool within a blended learning environment.

JB HiFi Digital Purchase Portal 2023/2024

The JB HiFi purchase portal is again available for Willy PS families. The schools recommended minimum specification device is the iPad Gen 9, but the portal does also offer a range of iPad models and accessories. Although students have access to bluetooth keyboards we also recommend the Smart Keyboard or a 3rd party keyboard incorporated within the cover. This accessory will add value to the users experience.

Please also note the change in School Code.

Although the portal is set up through JB HI-FI on behalf of the school, we encourage families to explore all purchase options.

School Code: WilliamstownPS2024

Further GoogleSuite for Education Information 

Please find attached documents released by DET.

The first document gives a deeper understanding of the DET licences G Suite for Education, how it is set up and how it differs from the public Google platform.

The second document provides families with supporting resources on how to protect individuals privacy online.

The Department of Education information pack for parents is available from the following link:

https://www.williamstownps.vic.edu.au/source/Build/2020-GoogleSuite-Parent-Information.pdf