Jared Henderson
Computer Programmer and Cyber Security Advocate
Jared Henderson is a homeschool dad, former pastor, and long-time software developer who is passionate about helping ordinary parents protect their kids from the very serious dangers of the internet.
His own struggle to find a high-quality, strict internet filter and supervision app for his homeschool kids led him to create his own app, called Gertrude, which spread quickly to a number of like-minded families in his church, and then beyond.
Actively involved in helping parents with internet safety since 2021, Jared has come face to face with just how difficult and overwhelming this subject is for the average mom and dad. He deeply believes that there are a wide variety of simple and effective techniques that even non-techy parents can employ to keep their kids safe, and is passionate about communicating the seriousness of the subject to parents.
Jared lives in Wadsworth Ohio with his wife Rachel, their four kids (10-17), and his dog Steve.
Session Titles
1. Internet Safety 101: Simple Solutions for Non-Technical Parents - Internet safety is a serious issue, but most parents feel overwhelmed, unqualified, and out of control when it comes to navigating the digital world with their kids--unsure of where to begin or how to effectively protect their family online. But it doesn't need to be this way. Despite the seeming complexity of the issue, there are plenty of simple, practical steps that any parent can take to drastically improve their children's online safety. In this session, we will cover numerous, specific techniques you can start implementing today--most of which require essentially zero technical expertise. We'll also cover common mistakes most parents make, and how to fix or prevent them. You'll come away with a sobering perspective on the seriousness of your role in protecting the hearts of your children as well as a new sense of empowerment that even you can take control of your family's digital safety.
2. Wrangling Your Family's Tech: A Guided Tour of Phones, Filters and Parental Controls - In this session, we'll take a guided tour of the current landscape of tech that homeschool parents need to know about in order to keep their kids safe in an increasingly internet-connected world. We'll cover iPhones, Androids, tablets, computers, online classes, internet filters, parental controls apps, Screen Time, social media, home networks and more. You'll get both a high-level overview of the dangers, tools, and decisions you'll need to grapple with, as well as some opinionated advice and recommendations from a computer programmer homeschool dad. We'll also cover how to test your families current internet safety, common mistakes most parents make, and how to evolve and adapt your family's tech security as your kids age and technology continues to change.
3. Cyber Safety Case Study: How I Keep My Homeschool Family Safe Online (and you can too) - As a homeschool dad responsible for my family's internet safety, I've got a major advantage over most parents: I've been a professional computer programmer for nearly 20 years. And I literally wrote my own parental parental controls app because I wasn't satisfied with the available options. Not everyone can (or will want to) replicate all the steps I've taken, but sometimes just hearing a detailed breakdown and retrospective can help parents gain valuable insights and inspiration to tailor their own approach to internet safety for their families. Join me as I delve into a case study of the specific measures I've tried (and rejected) over the years, and get a detailed description of how one homeschool family has navigated internet safety with kids ranging in age from 7 to 18. We'll cover parenting issues, home network, parental controls, phones, and more.
