By: Savannah DiMarco
VER EN ESPAÑOL
The pandemic has led many early learning programs to implement virtual learning for kindergarteners and preschoolers. As parents/guardians and educators, it’s important that we take steps to ensure that our little ones are safe in the new world of e-learning.
This autumn, children as young as two are enrolled in virtual classrooms. While e-learning helps students remain connected to their teachers and peers and can provide new learning opportunities, it also poses new security risks for families. As you prepare your child for a year of virtual or hybrid learning, we recommend the following guidance to keep your children safe while exploring online.
1. Use school provided devices
If your child’s class provides laptops or tablets, consider using these devices for all of your child’s e-learning needs. “I would highly recommend students use school or district-provided devices when participating in remote learning,” WA-based kindergarten teacher Ms. Conner says. “Districts have worked extremely hard in determining safe websites and apps for students to use, and many unsafe websites are blocked on school technology.” Using school-provided devices is a great starting-place for kids’ internet safety.
2. Adjust children’s technology settings
For kindergarteners and preschoolers, we recommend curating a selection of websites that can be accessed by your child. Fun, kid-friendly options include Kiddle.co (a visual search engine for kids), PBSKids.org, and websites listed in the Association for Library Service to Kids “Great Websites for Kids” directory. For video searches, many teachers recommend placing video URLs in Safeyoutube.net to create video links that are safe for kids to access.
Learn how to limit your child’s web browsing to a small selection of websites on Mac and PC, or consider software such as Net Nanny or Circle with Disney that limit wifi on technology, apps, or videos. If you’re tech savvy, you can also set your wifi network to disconnect from your child’s devices if you feel your child has had too much screen time.
3. Make the kitchen or living room the computer’s “home”
To more easily keep an eye on your child’s internet activities, create a place for the computer in a common space such as the kitchen or living room, and let kids know that the computer should only be used in the “home” your family chooses. Each time you pop into the kitchen to refill your coffee, you can take a quick look at your child’s e-learning lesson.
4. Set guidelines together
In your family and classroom, you help kids learn to be kind to one another, and to clean up after making a mess. These household/classroom rules help children learn responsibility and demonstrate care toward others. In the same way, establishing guidelines for technology can help students navigate the internet safely. To help kids remember the guidelines, write the main points on a poster or whiteboard near the computer. Some examples of guidelines might include:
– Always let parents/guardians know if:
– You receive any messages from individuals you do not know.
– You see or receive any messages or pictures that make you feel uncomfortable or afraid.
– Anyone on the internet asks for your personal information.
– Do not share:
– Personal pictures or videos without parent/guardian permission.
– Your address, phone number, location, neighborhood, or school without parent/guardian permission.
– Passwords with anyone outside the family.
– Do not arrange a get-together with anyone you meet on the internet.
Talk with children about these guidelines, and let them know that these rules will help keep everyone happy and safe. If children have any questions about the rules, encourage them to ask!
5. Communicate openly, every day
What is the #1 most important step you can take to keep your children safe online? Talking openly and often! Speak with your children about the things they can learn on the internet, their digital footprint, and things to watch out for— and why. For example, you might say: “The internet is an amazing tool! You can learn so many things online— like at a huge museum or library. But, just like at a museum or library filled with nice people and wonderful things, there can be bad people on the internet, too. So, talking together every day about what you see and learn on the internet will help us make sure that our whole family is safe.”
A short check-in each day will help you gain a sense of your child’s online activities, and can keep the conversation open to any questions your children have along the way.
Happy e-learning to all families, parents/guardians, and educators! We are #hereforyou.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer: The Council for Professional Recognition is proud to support the learning and development of all children. For this reason, we will be releasing further guidance on our platforms, with specific recommendations based on research on how to best support children with special needs. Please stay tuned for forthcoming guidance specific to keeping children with special needs safe online.
Before a child even steps into a classroom or child care center, their first lessons in life occur within the walls of their home. During their formative years, from birth to age five, children undergo...
As Congress begins negotiating the next round of appropriations to ensure the government is funded for the upcoming fiscal year, it’s important that we work together as child care advocates to amplify our collective voice....
You might have heard the buzz that Congress just passed a new bill funding the government that includes big wins for child care. But are you familiar with the legislative processes that got us here?...
Congress just passed a new bill funding the government that includes big wins for child care. Here’s what was included: According to CNN, the Child Care and Development Block Grant, or CCDBG, will see an...
Happy Year of the Dragon, educators and parents! Now that festivities have begun, this is a wonderful opportunity to introduce young children to the rich traditions and customs associated with the Chinese New Year. Explore...
SPONSORED BLOG The task of sitting down and writing out all of your early childhood education career goals can feel daunting. Where should you start? How far in the future should you plan? And, once...
Shinichi Suzuki believed that “all children have the ability at birth to become persons of high ability,” and held a “Grand Concert” to convince the world it was true. On a sunny day in 1955,...
To our followers – We want to bring your attention to an important matter regarding communication from the Council for Professional Recognition. Recently, a Facebook account impersonating the Council for Professional Recognition responded to people...
SPONSORED BLOG Whether you’re embarking on professional development (PD) to meet state requirements, or you want to invest in your own growth, PD has a number of benefits. First, it helps ensure you’re keeping up...
Chief Operations Officer (COO)
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Vice President of People and Culture
Janie Payne is the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Janie is responsible for driving organizational excellence through strategic talent practices, orchestrating workforce planning, talent acquisition, performance management as well as a myriad of other Human Resources Programs. She is accountable for driving effectiveness by shaping organizational structure for optimal efficiency. Janie oversees strategies that foster a healthy culture to include embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization.
In Janie’s prior role, she was the Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing Equal Justice Works Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy focused on attracting diverse, mission-oriented talent and creating an inclusive and equitable workplace environment. With more than fifteen years of private, federal, and not-for-profit experience, Janie is known for her intuitive skill in administration management, human resources management, designing and leading complex system change, diversity and inclusion, and social justice reform efforts.
Before joining Equal Justice Works, Janie was the Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for Global Communities, where she was responsible for the design, implementation, and management of integrated HR and diversity strategies. Her work impacted employees in over twenty-two countries. She was responsible for the effective management of different cultural, legal, regulatory, and economic systems for both domestic and international employees. Prior to Global Communities, Janie enjoyed a ten-year career with the federal government. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she held key strategic human resources positions with multiple cabinet-level agencies and served as an advisor and senior coach to leaders across the federal sector. In these roles, she received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the creation and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce.
Janie began her career with Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic), where she held numerous roles of increasing responsibility, where she directed a diversity program that resulted in significant improvement in diversity profile measures. Janie was also a faculty member for the company’s Black Managers Workshop, a training program designed to provide managers of color with the skills needed to overcome barriers to their success that were encountered because of race. She initiated a company-wide effort to establish team-based systems and structures to impact corporate bottom line results which was recognized by the Department of Labor. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine.
Janie received her M.A. in Organization Development from American University. She holds numerous professional development certificates in Human Capital Management and Change Management, including a Diversity and Inclusion in Human Resources certificate from Cornell University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and Certified Professional Coach. She is a graduate of Leadership America, former board chair of the NTL Institute and currently co-steward of the organization’s social justice community of practice, and a member of The Society for Human Resource Management. Additionally, Janie is the Board Chairperson for the Special Education Citizens Advisory Council for Prince Georges County where she is active in developing partnerships that facilitate discussion between parents, families, educators, community leaders, and the PG County school administration to enhance services for students with disabilities which is her passion. She and her husband Randolph reside in Fort Washington Maryland.
Read our monthly e-newsletter and keep up to date on all Council programs and services, as well as the latest news in the world of early care and education. Subscribe today to stay connected with us. You’ll receive timely information on events, webinars, special promotions, and more.
