Back in the day, we had a (note the singular article) phone in the downstairs hallway. Black, with a rotary dial. (I can still vaguely recall having a party line try explaining that concept to a kid today.)
A private line came in, then a second phone in the upstairs bedroom I shared with my teen-aged sister. Stylish avocado green, but still rotary dial. Call waiting was my father bellowing from downstairs to get off the phone because he was expecting an important call.
And computers? They were the size of a room and kinda scary the stuff of science fiction, not mundane reality.
Yeah, things have changed a little over the years.
Now, kids surprisingly young kids carry cell phones and go online to connect with friends. And make new friends, friends who may or may not be exactly who their online profiles portray.
As a parent, this can be terrifying.
How does a parent navigate the world of online and cellular media to make sure their child can enjoy the benefits of technology while keeping him safe from sexual predators and other scary characters lurking in the cyber shadows?
The Monroe school district, along with Monroe Optimist, is hosting a particularly timely and important talk next Monday titled Internet, Cell Phone and Social Media Safety.
Eric Szatkowski, a special agent with the Wisconsin Department of Justice/Division of Criminal Investigation and an expert on exploitation of children online and via cell phone, will speak to students in fourth-grade through high school in presentations throughout the day Monday, Feb. 21. Students from St. Victor school, Juda and Monticello will also be included in the programs.
Szatkowski will tailor his presentation to be age-appropriate to each group. For parents, theres an adults-only session offered at 6 p.m. in the Monroe High School Performing Arts Center.
It promises to be an eye-opener for students and their parents.
nnn
The protests in Madison this week over Gov. Walkers proposal to end collective bargaining with state employees unions have elicited, not surprisingly, visceral reactions from both sides in our online comments. The situation is reaching a fever pitch, with thousands of state teachers calling in sick, forcing some school districts to close their doors for the day and an estimated 25,000 protesters storming the Capitol Thursday.
And then, things turned even more bizarre when Sen. Jon Erpenbach and 13 other Democratic lawmakers unexpectedly left the state Thursday so they couldnt be compelled (by law enforcement) to show up for Thursdays vote on the bill. Without these 14 legislators, there was no quorum, and therefore no vote.
Erpenbach was on Rachel Maddows show on MSNBC Thursday night, speaking from an undisclosed location outside state boundaries. (Earlier in the day, at least, the group MSNBC billed as the Wisconsin 14 was in Rockford). He said fleeing the state was necessary to slow it down and, contrary to his critics claims, he is doing his job by standing up for thousands of union workers.
Walker and his camp arent buying it: He called the lawmakers boycott of the vote more about theatrics than anything else.
So the question I pose to you, readers: Is Erpenbach a hero for standing in solidarity with union workers? Or do you agree with Walker that its a stunt?
Share your thoughts online under this column but please, be respectful of others and their views.
And stayed tuned: The Wisconsin Association of School Boards is warning Walker will likely announce $900 million in cuts to general state school aids next week.
Something tells me this is going to be an interesting spring.
Mary Jane Grenzow is the editor of The Monroe Times. She can be reached at editor@themonroetimes.com.
A private line came in, then a second phone in the upstairs bedroom I shared with my teen-aged sister. Stylish avocado green, but still rotary dial. Call waiting was my father bellowing from downstairs to get off the phone because he was expecting an important call.
And computers? They were the size of a room and kinda scary the stuff of science fiction, not mundane reality.
Yeah, things have changed a little over the years.
Now, kids surprisingly young kids carry cell phones and go online to connect with friends. And make new friends, friends who may or may not be exactly who their online profiles portray.
As a parent, this can be terrifying.
How does a parent navigate the world of online and cellular media to make sure their child can enjoy the benefits of technology while keeping him safe from sexual predators and other scary characters lurking in the cyber shadows?
The Monroe school district, along with Monroe Optimist, is hosting a particularly timely and important talk next Monday titled Internet, Cell Phone and Social Media Safety.
Eric Szatkowski, a special agent with the Wisconsin Department of Justice/Division of Criminal Investigation and an expert on exploitation of children online and via cell phone, will speak to students in fourth-grade through high school in presentations throughout the day Monday, Feb. 21. Students from St. Victor school, Juda and Monticello will also be included in the programs.
Szatkowski will tailor his presentation to be age-appropriate to each group. For parents, theres an adults-only session offered at 6 p.m. in the Monroe High School Performing Arts Center.
It promises to be an eye-opener for students and their parents.
nnn
The protests in Madison this week over Gov. Walkers proposal to end collective bargaining with state employees unions have elicited, not surprisingly, visceral reactions from both sides in our online comments. The situation is reaching a fever pitch, with thousands of state teachers calling in sick, forcing some school districts to close their doors for the day and an estimated 25,000 protesters storming the Capitol Thursday.
And then, things turned even more bizarre when Sen. Jon Erpenbach and 13 other Democratic lawmakers unexpectedly left the state Thursday so they couldnt be compelled (by law enforcement) to show up for Thursdays vote on the bill. Without these 14 legislators, there was no quorum, and therefore no vote.
Erpenbach was on Rachel Maddows show on MSNBC Thursday night, speaking from an undisclosed location outside state boundaries. (Earlier in the day, at least, the group MSNBC billed as the Wisconsin 14 was in Rockford). He said fleeing the state was necessary to slow it down and, contrary to his critics claims, he is doing his job by standing up for thousands of union workers.
Walker and his camp arent buying it: He called the lawmakers boycott of the vote more about theatrics than anything else.
So the question I pose to you, readers: Is Erpenbach a hero for standing in solidarity with union workers? Or do you agree with Walker that its a stunt?
Share your thoughts online under this column but please, be respectful of others and their views.
And stayed tuned: The Wisconsin Association of School Boards is warning Walker will likely announce $900 million in cuts to general state school aids next week.
Something tells me this is going to be an interesting spring.
Mary Jane Grenzow is the editor of The Monroe Times. She can be reached at editor@themonroetimes.com.
