MBS certified by Common Sense Media

The Mountain Brook school district in the past year has become certified by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that provides age-based media reviews for families.

“It gives all sorts of reviews for movies and TV shows, books, apps, games — what parents need to know,” said Suzan Brandt, MBS director of technology.

Common Sense Media developed a digital citizenship curriculum that aims to equip students with skills to make smart choices online and in life.

According to the organization’s website, the curriculum addresses top concerns for schools, gives students critical 21st-century skills, supports educators with training and recognition and engages the whole community through family outreach.

“What our schools have done [is] they have made a commitment to really have conversations with our students to make sure that we are talking about these relevant issues when it comes to technology and how our social lives are impacted by technology and decision making is impacted by technology,” Brandt said.

Topics covered in the curriculum include digital footprint; media balance; cyberbullying; online privacy; communication; and news and media literacy. Brandt said the content is broken down by grade level and is age appropriate.

“It starts off very simple, and then the conversation builds each year,” she said.

The curriculum is taught in Mountain Brook’s four elementary schools and at the junior high.

“We want to create thoughtful students that have the ability — in any situation that they’re in — to look at that situation and know either how to respond to that situation or what to do with the information that they’ve been given, and then also how to be contributors,” Brandt said.