GUEST STUDENT WRITER

As a student at Mount Paran Christian School, I see my school striving to help the environment. Our environmental science teacher, Mr. Justin Nelson, had the vision to install a beehive near the high school. We collaborated with some other classes for the project. The hive was installed near Lake McDonald on the MPCS campus, in the shadow of Kennesaw Mountain.

 

For children today, social media is not a passing phase — it is part of their daily lives. What can parents do to protect their children in the new social media culture? In order to help protect our kids, we need to remain current in an area that is constantly changing. Here are some resources that parents may find helpful in learning how to best keep teens and pre-teens safe while navigating the online world.

"We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things." —Hebrews 10:24

"Hatred stirs up trouble; love overlooks the wrongs that others do." —Proverbs 10:12  

Cyberbullying is an ever-increasing issue among teens. In context, bullying is generally defined as habitually badgering and intimidating someone deemed weaker. A bully's behavior includes repeated, willful attempts to cause injury, harass, or embarrass. Cyberbullying utilizes similar actions through electronic transmission of threatening, intimidating, or defaming material. 

What exactly is a digital footprint?

A digital footprint is used to describe the trail of information or “footprints” a person leaves in online settings. Any information shared online can possibly live on the world-wide-web forever, even if the user removes the post. It is now a common practice for colleges, coaches, and employers to search social media and the internet for information on potential prospects prior to offering acceptances or making hiring decisions.

In Matthew 16:26, Jesus said, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" In today's social media culture, people tend to focus on the excitement of sharing their life experiences with everyone without thinking about exactly how that affects their personal privacy. For that reason, it is important for all users to set up privacy settings on their devices and social media apps in order to protect themselves from exposure to the "world." 

People of all ages enjoy sharing photos and life updates via social media. It is a platform to communicate with family and friends about our daily lives. Many social media users post activities every day, not always thinking about who might be watching. Privacy settings may give a false sense of safety. There may be more at stake with every post.

Proverbs 5:21 - For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths.  

As we guide our children through an ever-changing digital world, it is our job to help them learn to be strong digital citizens who act in a godly, Christian manner. Being a good digital citizen is more than being a safe Internet user. We need to unite in support of our children as they learn to be responsible and cautious in their use of technology, and show respect for themselves and others. Due to constantly evolving technology, parents tend to allow children to have access to various technologies, apps, and websites without knowing if they are appropriate. Mount Paran Christian School wants to partner with parents to ensure the safety of our children in this digital world. To this end, we are sharing this blog series in hopes the information will make you more aware of how children are using various websites and apps and how you can monitor their activity.

CO-WRITTEN BY KATY ROGERS

All children are uniquely created with distinct strengths upon which they can build. Children should not be not categorized as more able or less able to learn; the focus should be on understanding and developing each child’s capacity for learning so that he or she can become a confident, self-directed, and resourceful student.

Why is personal creative expression beneficial to young minds? How can engagement in the arts influence overall capacity for learning? Research shows that aside from the obvious aesthetic and entertainment value that comes with the arts, arts education can be linked to improving academic achievement, among other things. 

As parents, we are constantly teaching our children, modeling behavior, and doing our best to help shape them into responsible Christian citizens. We take them to church, Sunday school, youth groups, and summer camps. We enroll them in arts, clubs, and sports teams, looking for teachable moments at every turn. We pray they develop relationships with role-models that develop their character. How can we ensure that our children are being influenced by godly people that will help to “train up a child in the way he should go?”

As the new year begins, we often spend time reflecting on the year that has just passed. We glow in memories of joy, success, and contentment, and we ache over hardships, struggles, and trials. As I reflect on the past semester as the head of Mount Paran Christian high school, I can honestly say there were hardships – but far more moments of sheer joy.

The hum of florescent light bulbs overhead, a cardigan-clad teacher scribbling on a chalkboard, students yawning as the clock ticks monotonously: this educational system requires radical overhaul as our learning climate is affected by the globalization technology affords. If student academic learning is no longer restricted to textbooks and lectures and libraries, what is the best method of education? What if traditional approaches to teaching Shakespeare were married with the opportunities to interview locals in Stratford-upon-Avon, walk through his childhood home, watch a play performed at the Globe Theatre, and create a web-based presentation of discoveries?