Now, more than ever before, Digital Citizenship for students is paramount in education. While the Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires schools to educate students about appropriate online behavior, safety and privacy, and cyberbuylling, we are dedicated to helping students think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate.

CUSD utilizes the Common Sense Media digital citizenship curriculum to provide students with age-appropriate lessons activities, focusing on six strands of digital citizenship: media balance, online privacy, digital footprint, communication, cyberbullying and news & media literacy.

While these resources are designed to help our students learn ways to be safe in the digital world, modeling positive digital behavior with your children or students as much as possible is one of the best methods for decreasing potential dangers.

Here are a few tips for using technology at home:

• Keep the all technology in high-traffic areas of your home.

• Establish limits for which online sites children may visit and for how long.

• Create a family media agreement.

• Remember that Internet technology is mobile, so be sure to monitor cell phones, iPads gaming devices and laptops.

• Surf the Internet with your children and let them show you what they like to do online.

• Know who is connecting with your children online and set rules for social networking, instant messaging, e-mailing, online gaming and using webcams.

• Continually dialogue with your children about online safety.