Technology and Internet Safety Archive

  • Family Tech Talk: A Free Internet Safety Event for Schools

    Help parents at your school learn the risks kids face online Being a kid in today’s digital world isn’t easy. As parents and caregivers, the best thing we can do is educate ourselves so that we can help our kids use the Internet safely—and your parent group can help! Family Tech Talk is a free parent education event for schools, from PTO Today and global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro. Parents will learn what kids are doing online, the risks they face, and how they can help their kids use the Internet safely. Sessions are hosted by an Internet safety expert over Zoom, with in-person events available in select cities. Registration for the 2023-2024 school year is now closed, but you can sign up below to get notified when registration for the 2024-2025 school year opens. Get Notified This free educational event is Title I parent and family engagement approved and available in multiple languages upon request. What Parents Will Learn: Popular apps, social media, and gaming: What parents need to know How to prevent online risks Best practices to be safe online Managing screentime App settings for age-appropriate content Ways to set devices Parents can ask their own questions during the Q&A 👉 If you’d like to share this program with your principal first, you can download and customize this letter from your group.   How Family Tech Talk Works 1. Register for an event (it’s free!) Select the Zoom webinar date and time that works best for your school’s parents. Free in-person events (hosted by an Internet safety expert) are also available in select cities. Note: registration is now closed for the 2023-2024 school year 2. Promote your event Our free toolkit includes a flyer and social media graphics to help your group promote Family Tech Talk to parents. If you registered for a Zoom webinar event, you’ll receive your event details immediately after registering. You can also invite other schools in your community to join, too! 3. During your event Parents are encouraged to sign in during Zoom webinars. If you’re a Title I school, you can request a copy of the parent sign-in sheet from your Trend Micro representative after your event to submit as Title I documentation.   Get Notified This free educational event is Title I parent and family engagement approved and available in multiple languages upon request. Why School PTO and PTA Groups Love This Event! Presented by a knowledgeable Internet safety professional from global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families team Accessible to all families over Zoom or in person at schools located in select cities Available in multiple languages Title I parent and family engagement approved Free for all schools Appropriate for parents of kids of all ages Parents have the opportunity to chat (in real time) with other parents attending from across the country (Zoom events only) and feel supported during this shared experience A great way to supplement other Internet safety initiatives at your school Family Tech Talk Is Hosted by Professional Internet Safety Experts Lynette Owens, Founder and Global Director of Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families program, has worked with PTO Today for more than 12 years to offer Family Tech Talk—a free parent education event—to families via PTO and PTA groups. Lynette or another Internet safety expert from her team will deliver an engaging presentation and Q&A over Zoom for parents (you can invite other local schools to attend, too!). With 20-plus years in the tech industry, Lynette speaks and blogs regularly on how to help kids become great digital citizens. She works with communities and school districts across the United States and around the world to support online safety, digital and media literacy, and digital citizenship education. She is a board member of the National Association for Media Literacy Education, is an advisory committee member of the Digital Wellness Lab, and serves on the advisory boards of INHOPE and U.S. Safer Internet Day. Why Your Group Should Educate Parents About Internet Safety Our increasingly digital world is changing faster than most parents can keep up, and often, children know more about it than the grown-ups! It’s not just about knowing the newest trends; it’s also about how to make smart, safe choices, how to balance time spent online and off-, and knowing the importance of being considerate and respectful of others (as well as yourself). Family Tech Talk makes it possible for PTO and PTA groups to connect their school’s parents with an Internet safety expert so that families talk openly about digital responsibility, online safety for kids, privacy settings, and why it’s all so important. What PTO and PTA Leaders Say About Family Tech Talk “This generated many conversations between parents and kids. I look forward to hosting this event yearly.” —A. Gonzalez-Torres, Uplift Pinnacle, Dallas, TX “Many of my parents are really on top of the tech situation at home, yet everybody admitted they learned something new. I did, as well!” —C. Ogoe, Mahanay Elementary, Houston, TX What Is Digital Citizenship? Being a good digital citizen is much the same as being a good citizen offline—it means being mindful, careful, and considerate when using technology and spending time online. Interacting digitally is just part of the everyday norm for kids now—whether consuming online content like games and vlogs, “hanging out” in social communities like Instagram, or exchanging texts and snaps with friends. As these types of digital interactions increase, so too does the importance of good digital citizenship and making smart, safe choices online. Digital Citizenship Week is celebrated the third week of October each year; plan your Family Tech Talk event (or reserve an event date) in honor of Digital Citizenship Week!  Digital Citizenship Week Oct. 14-18, 2024 Safer Internet Day February 11, 2025 Get Notified This free educational event is Title I parent and family engagement approved and available in multiple languages upon request.   Still have questions? Call us at 800-644-3561; we’re here to help. Share this page:

  • 15 Internet Slang Terms Parents Need To Know

    Internet slang seems to change almost daily; how can a parent keep up? To help, we’ve rounded up some common terms and practices that you might see popping up in your kids’ chats online and IRL (in real life).

  • 24 Awesome Ways To Encourage Being Kind at School

    Kindness is cool! And there are lots of easy ways to spread good vibes.

  • Text Messaging Apps for PTOs and PTAs

    Messaging services can make it easier to stay in touch with board members and families.

  • Presentation Tips for School Parent Group Leaders

    How to deliver a strong presentation even if you’re not a subject matter expert or a pro at public speaking.

  • 12 Surefire Ways To Get Parents To Attend Your School’s Internet Safety Event

    The DVR’s got nothin’ on your Family Tech Talk Virtual Event! Here’s how to get parents to pull on their slippers and settle in for some primetime Internet safety tips.

  • 5 Reasons To Hold a Family Tech Talk Virtual Event

    Thinking of organizing a Family Tech Talk Virtual Event? Here are five reasons why you should.

  • Internet Safety Quiz: How Much Do You Know?

    Our teenage contributor, Nicole Shum, put together a few questions about apps and websites popular with kids right now. Test your own Internet safety smarts!

  • 20 Ways To Make a Family Tech Talk Virtual Event Fun

    Some humor and creativity can go a long way.

  • PTOs and the School Technology Gap

    Parent groups are a major source of technology funding at schools. How can you help without breaking the bank?
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