Digital Safety and STEM

@ St Louis

Screen Time

 

One regular conversation we know families are having at the moment is about screen time. Working in remote and flexible learning means our students are using their devices more than ever. 

 

Family Zone  is a helpful resources which offers some interesting points about how we talk with our chilren about their time on screen, particuarlly when it comes to how they use it to either stay connected or for a entertainment purposes.

 

The article linked below provides some actionable examples of ways in which language could be used to develop a positive conversation. For example when talking about time spent gaming:

 

“You’ve been playing that game for too long.”

Hmmm. Too long? How long is a piece of string, as the saying goes? Unless you’ve set a clear limit on gaming time, this statement is really just an expression of your own discomfort.

If, however, “you feel the game has less value than other digital activities, then call that out,” suggests Culatta. Instead, try saying something like: 

  • “It seems like this game is getting more of your attention than it deserves, given the fact that it’s mostly based on repetition and luck.” (This could spark off a valuable conversation …)
  • “What other activities do you want to do with the time you spend on your phone today?”

If you want to know more, we recommend heading to Family Zone by clicking the picture below.

 

 

We hope you find what we share informative and helpful. Please feel free to send over any other helpful resources or articles you find connected to digital safety to me at twood@stlouisaspendale.com

 

If you're looking for some exciting activities to complete at home as a family during lockdown you might want to checkout the STEM calendar ideas shared here. They are targeted at years 3-5 but anyone could have a go.

 

 

Each of these activities promotes a range of skills in the learning areas of Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics, but more than this, they encourage our children to solve problems and strive to be change makers in community.

 

As always, we love to share the amazing STEM things that happen at home so if you have any snaps or videos you'd be happy for us to pop in the next newsletter or through our social media, please email them to twood@stlouisaspendale.com