Agree to Agree Project -Parent Evening

The Agree to Agree Pilot Project, supported by the Department of Education thought Oide Technology in Education, hosted a webinar for parents/guardians of school communities involved in the process this year. Thank you to all 465 parents/guardians who attended on the night. We look forward to continuing our “Agree to Agree Pilot Project” with school communities in Clare, Kerry and Navan Education Centres.

Gifting a smart device this Christmas

Cyber Safe Kids have created a “gadget gift guide” which may come in useful for those considering purchasing a smart device this Christmas. As always, I recommend that we co-own devices with our children so we can help them navigate the online world and help reduce (or at least share) the worries, fears and challenges they face in their online lives. Click on the picture below to go to CyberSafeKids and access their Gadget Gift Guide.

Agree to Agree Pilot Project

During the month of October, the Agree to Agree Pilot Project supported by the Department of Education through Oide Technology in Education was launched in Clare Education Centre, Tralee Education Support Centre and Navan Education Support Centre, with great success. 21 school communities are involved in the process this year, with the potential of improving the digital wellbeing of over 4000 pupils and over 500 teaching staff combined. The launches were attended by principals, school staff, Board of Management members and parent representatives from the school communities. Participants were extremely enthusiastic about the project and we thank them for their engagement in the Agree to Agree Process. Over the course of the year, we will work with our participating school communities and facilitate them in enhancing the online lives of their pupils through a collaborative approach.

Launch of School Agreements -Agree to Agree Project

On Wednesday 25th September, 10 Clare primary school communities who participated in the Agree to Agree project during the academic year 2023-2024, attended an event hosted by Clare Education Centre and Dr. Maureen Griffin to launch their Agreements. Those participating in the Agree to Agree Pilot project during the current academic year were also in attendance. On the night, guests heard from Martin Moloney, Director of Clare Education Centre, Dr. Maureen Griffin, Forensic Psychologist and facilitator of the project, in addition to a principal, a board of management member and a parent representative from three separate schools who participated in the project. The night was a great success, and we would like to congratulate the 10 Clare schools for their extensive collaboration with the wider school community culminating in unique agreements centred on issues most relevant to their school communities. We are eagerly looking forward to working with our new schools in the months ahead.

Helping children understand what they see online re: coronavirus from Common Sense Media

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We are all dealing with an extremely difficult and stressful time. Our devices, which are now a lifeline during lockdown, can also be a source of stress with daily news updates and notifications. For younger children, it is easier to shelter them from the news, the stories etc. but for older children, particularly those who have their own devices, this can be more difficult.

A big challenge for children is determining what is real and what is not!! It is important to talk together as a family, find out what is worrying them/concerning them, share your feelings and encourage critical thinking of content they view online.

Common Sense Media have provided a great article on “Helping Kids Sort Fact From Fiction About The Coronavirus”. They also offer some good advice on helping the family de-stress Help Your Family De-Stress During Coronavirus Uncertainty

Stay safe, connected and kind,

Maureen

Influence of Social Media on Body Image

We all make comparisons, it is human nature. We compare ourselves to others in real life and now online. However, the comparisons we make to those images we see online are often not fair -we are comparing ourselves to an illusion, an edited version of reality.

In my workshops with students across Ireland, students commonly tell me they see hundreds of images on a daily basis. This is not surprising, given that image based platforms such as Instagram, boast 95+ million pictures and videos shared daily.

The following infographics from Common Sense Media provide parents/teachers with practical tips on addressing body image with both males and females.

For more information check out Common Sense Media “Children, Teens, Media and Body Image” Report.


Book: "Sam and Sue Learn About Cybersafety"

I was delighted to get my hands on a copy of “Sam and Sue Learn About Cybersafety” this week. This beautifully illustrated book address one of the central themes in my workshops with students and parents -that is parental involvement. It provides parents/guardians/teachers with tips at the beginning of the book, outlining the 4 main rules of cybersafety. Thanks to Educational Psychologist Ann Linehan, who was commissioned by Health and Safety Publications Ltd to write this book, these rules are brought to life in a way children will not only understand but also relate to based on their online experiences. I particularly like the discussion section at the end of the book, which encourages the conversation about cybersafety to continue. Looking forward to more Sam and Sue adventures in the Children’s Safety Series.

For more information and to get your hands on a copy of “Sam and Sue Learn about Cybersafety” see https://samandsue.com/