Parent & Teacher Education

As teachers, it is important that we stay on top of the current trends that today's youth are engaged in. We have to have an understanding of what is going on so we can better relate to our students and address their needs. We need to have a knowledge of these things so we can teach them to think critically and act responsibly. If we demonstrate understanding they will be more likely to respect what we have to say, and subsequently take what is said seriously. If they feel we are clueless, this puts them in a position of power over us, and they will follow their own beliefs and ideas, which might not be mature enough to help them be responsible. This is absolutely the case with technology. In my Moral Education class we read a book called Teen Sex: Reality Check by Stephen and Shelagh Genuis. They address the influence of technology on teenager's exposure to sex, citing that more than half have recieved pornographic mail through the internet. They write: "Because adolescents are frequently more computer-savvy than their parents, teens are commonly learning about the Internet environment from personal experimentation and from peers. As a result, teenagers receive little teaching on safe, appropriate Internet use" (p. 88). I think that it is extremely important for both parents and teachers to educate themselves on the things that children are doing and are exposed to. If we want children to be responsible, we must first be responsible, and that means doing our research on the lives of children so we will be better equipped to help them make good choices. We can't protect them from the nasty things in this world, but we can prepare them.