October Digital Citizenship

Adapting. Balancing. Collaborating.

Each month, we will share with families a Digital Citizenship newsletter. We would like to share with you information around the technology being used in the Mentor Schools along with resources to support your child's education.

Tech and Learning Survey - Results

Following up on last month's information from the Technology and Learning survey, here are a few more data points showing student and parent perspectives on the use of technology in our schools. This is a district view which includes students in Grades 3-12 and parents from all grade levels.

Family Resource Corner

Tech to Help Support Kids and Families at Home

Since we observed World Mental Health Day earlier this month, it’s a great time to explore some apps and digital resources designed to support our psychological health and emotional wellness. Whether we’re looking to manage everyday stress, focus on self-care, or find help during a crisis, there are a ton of great options – for us and for our kids. Here are a few:

New to meditation? Mindfulness master? Somewhere in between? Here are some of the best meditation apps.
Interested in new ways to take better care of yourself? Here are some fun self-care apps.
Need help now? Connect with these crisis services.

Contributed by: Tricia Zeedrich, Mentor Schools Parent Mentor

zeedrich@mentorschools.org (440) 974-5359

Technology Used to Support Learning

Having students create their own content is often a fantastic way to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts they are learning in class. Using programs such as iMovie, WeVideo or Quicktime, they can explain how they solved a math problem, create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on a topic important to them, or create their own Podcast. Our students have access to a number of tools to allow their creativity to shine.

In grades K-3 our students can use iMovie to create high quality videos. Students can record clips, add titles, and effects from their iPads to create videos that will be sure to help them remember and share the content they are learning!

Students in grades 4-8 can use WeVideo on their Chromebooks to create engaging content. Students can create informational videos on topics they are learning about, PSA's or a short video summarizing a book they read.

At the high school level, students can use Quicktime or iMovie to record videos, create screen recordings for "How To" clips, or create an audio file for a podcast. All of this can be done with the Quicktime Player program or iMovie which are both found on their school issued MacBook.

Taking Advantage of Infinite Campus

Campus Parent and Campus Student

As the first quarter comes to a close and Fall conferences are happening throughout the district, it is a good time to remind all of our families of the quick access you have to school information. Infinite Campus is our district's student information system. You can download Campus Student (student access) or Campus Parent (parent access) from the App Store (Apple) or Google Play Store (Android). Use your Student account or Parent Portal credentials to log into the app. Once in the app, explore grade book updates, set-up notifications, check your food service balance, see your child's schedule and so much more. Using these tools with your child can help set them up for academic success this school year and the years ahead!

Podcasts

Are you looking for a way to limit your kids' screen time and at the same time use their device to listen and learn? If so, you may find some of these podcasts engaging. A podcast is nothing more than a digital audio file that can be listened to anywhere and on any device (phone, tablet or computer). Podcasts can also be downloaded so that you can take them on the road with you. Check out some of these podcasts.

Mentor Public Schools

6451 Center Street

Mentor, Ohio 44060

Phone 440.255.4444

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