Education

8 SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS • SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2024 EDUCATION GUIDE CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 WE'RE HIRING FOR POSITIONS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Join the MFNERC team and help students reach their dreams. Visit our website at www.mfnerc.org/about-us/work-here/ or scan QR Code for great employment opportunities. Do you have a passion for EDUCATION and FIRST NATIONS LANGUAGES and CULTURES? T echnology can be a double-edged sword when it comes to today's learning environ- ment. It can be a great tool but it can also be a huge distraction. That's part of the reason why some school's have instituted a strict ban on the use of personal wireless devices in their buildings while others are considering doing likewise. But a group of tech-savvy teachers say that doesn't need to be the case. The Manitoba Association of Education Technology Leaders (MAETL) is an organization made up of educators from across the province that supports and advocates for the use of technology in the classroom. MAETL vice-president Richard Roberts says his organization would prefer to see schools adopt guidelines on how students can responsibly interact with technology rather than banning it out - right as part of a holistic effort to promote digital literacy. "The advent of technology has really changed what it means to bliterate and what it means to be a literate citizen," says Roberts, who works as a technology inte- gration consultant with the River East Transcona School Division. "We want students to be capable, digitally literate citizens. In order to do that effectively, we have to actually give students opportunities and teach them the most responsible ways to in - teract with not only devices but digi- tal content as well." Roberts says families can also play a key role in fostering digital literacy and the responsible use of devices such as cell phones, tablets and laptop computers. One of the most effective ways of achieving that is for parents to maintain an open, two-way dialogue with their child about what each side's expectations are when it comes to using those devices and how they can enhance the learning process. "As parents it's prudent to ensure their safety. That's why keeping that dialogue open is so im - portant," he says. "We know when kids are free to talk about the things they are doing that if they come across difficult situations that occur online they feel more open to talk to their parents about it and we can help to navigate through those difficult situations. "I think we can be a lot more proactive if we talk about the idea of responsible use. We want to make sure that students understand that technology, although it does have a lot of benefits, we know it can also be a distraction. We need to make sure students are aware Digital health and safety Expert shares tips on how parents can teach the responsible use of technology R i char d R ob e rts, vi ce - pres i dent, Th e M an itoba Asso c i ati on of Educati on T ec hnolo gy Le aders As parents it's prudent to ensure their safety. That's why keeping that dialogue open is so important" — Richard Roberts, vice-president, MAETL BY JIM TIMLICK

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