Digital Learning & Tech Resources
Welcome to IMO & IMHS Tech and Digital Learning Resources Page. Here are a couple of tips from our IT experts:
If you experience problems with your device:
- Try turning the device off, wait 60 seconds and then restart it
- Touch base with your service provider, to make sure the connection is working
- Let your school know you are having a problem so they can log all concerns
- Try the connection again after a few minutes
Internet Tips
Safety is our top priority when students are learning in school or at a distance. Help us encourage online safety for students by:
- Using sites that protect student information. Look for sites that start with https://
- Requiring students to be signed in using their IMO student account
- Use technology in open common spaces, if possible, never allow video conferencing behind closed doors
- Discuss the difference between personal vs. private information with students and remind them to keep passwords private
Click the links below to view resources from Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media Family Engagement Toolkit
K - 5 Family Tips Privacy & Security
6 - 12 Family Tips Privacy & Security
Keep students safe online is a team sport and you are the MVP. IMO/IMHS supports families by continuing to filter student internet usage on IMO/IMHS devices at home 24/7. You can support student safety too by updating your home internet settings to address areas that are specific to your family. Depending on your internet provider parents may be able to pause internet access, schedule wi-fi availability, set time access limits, and more. Click on the links below to learn more about the parent controls available from your cable provider.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents/guardians of 5 to 18 years old place consistent limits on the use of any media. This includes entertainment media (like watching TV and movies), as well as educational media (like creating flash cards on a smartphone app).
Not all screen time is created equal. It's up to parents/guardians to decide how (and how often) their students use screens and whether screen time is positive or negative. For instance, time spent on homework or other educational activities might not need to be as restricted as time spent playing video games.
For students, screen time should not replace time needed for sleeping, eating, being active, studying, and interacting with family and friends.
The same parenting rules apply to screen time as to anything else — set a good example, establish limits, and talk with your student about it.
To make your student's screen time more productive:
- Research video and computer games before letting your student get them. Look at the ratings, which can run from EC (meaning "early childhood") to AO (meaning "adults only"). Teens probably should be limited to games rated T (for "teens") or younger.
- Preview games and even play them with your student to see what they're like. The game's rating may not match what you feel is appropriate.
- Make sure students have a variety of free-time activities, like spending time with friends and playing sports, which can help them develop a healthy body and mind.
- Turn off all screens during family meals and at bedtime. Also, keep devices with screens out of your student's bedroom after bedtime, and don't allow a TV in your student’s bedroom.
- Treat screen time as a privilege that students need to earn, not a right that they're entitled to. Tell them that screen time is allowed only after chores and homework are done.
- Spend screen time together to make sure that what your student sees is appropriate. Watch TV, play games, go online — use screen time together as a chance to interact and communicate.
- Use screening tools on the TV, personal computers, and tablets to block your student's access to inappropriate material.
- Teach your student about internet safety and social media smarts, and make sure he or she knows the dangers of sharing private information online or sexting.
IMO/IMHS provides filters for the Internet on digital devices both on campus in compliance Children's Internet Protection Act and off campus as a service to the community. This means that no matter which Wi-Fi SSID a student is connected to (home, airport, restaurant, library), they will be subject to the school's Internet filter. However, no Internet solution is perfect, and it is very important that parents monitor their student's Internet use. Many parents/guardians choose to limit their student's use of the Internet at home to common areas, such as kitchen and family rooms.
Students who access inappropriate sites during the school day or access sites that are not related to the class they are in will face disciplinary action from the teacher and/or administration. If sites are accessed by accident (which does occur at times) it is recommended that the student immediately move to another site and report the incident to an adult.
Parents/Guardians do not have access to administrative rights on their student's digital device and therefore cannot install additional filtering software.
A Parent's Guide to Parental Controls
Do you need parental controls? What are the options? Do they really work? Here's everything you need to know about the wide array of parental control solutions, from OS settings to monitoring apps to network hardware. Explore the links below for your specific device.
Family Group
A family group helps families stay connected and keeps kids safer on Windows 10, Xbox devices, and Android devices running Microsoft Family Safety. It's free, and it's one of the many benefits of having a Microsoft account. With the settings on family.microsoft.com, you can get reports on a child's activity, set screen time limits, check on a child's location, limit which websites and games they can access, and require your approval to purchase from the Microsoft Store.
We help you manage what’s right for your family online.
Children today are growing up with technology, not growing into it like previous generations. So we’re working directly with experts and educators to help you set boundaries and use technology in a way that’s right for your family.
Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
With Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time, you can block or limit specific apps and features on your child's device. You can also restrict the settings on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch for explicit content, purchases and downloads, and privacy
Manage your child's account on Chromebook
When you use Family Link to manage your child's Google account, you can let them sign in to some Google services on their Chromebook. You can also use the Family Link app to choose what websites your child can access using Chrome, supervise your child's app usage, and more.