A question to prompt my research: What are some best practice guidelines for teachers of young students when it comes to introducing internet safety?
Private schools, especially schools outside the United States, are not subject to the same legal requirements from the Department of Education on digital citizenship, so although many of these schools have technology resources, the training and policies vary greatly from school to school (more than in public schools, from what I understand from my public school-teaching peers). It may fall to the teacher to develop her own strategy for keeping students safe if these policies aren't fully developed.
In my search for basic tools for early elementary teachers, I found some great starting resources for the youngest learners. PBS Kids actually has a cute online game that teaches basic internet safety and citizenship called Webonauts, which could work well as a primer. It's got fun music and little avatars that will keep kids engaged as they cover Internet 101. For pre-readers, I can picture working through the program with a small group, or perhaps even via projector as an entire class. (Note: The site requires Flash, which makes sense since the copyright says 2010, but at least the content is still relevant.)
From the footer of the site: The Webonauts Internet Academy empowers kids to make responsible and respectful decisions in their online internactions. Taking on the role of a Webonaut, kids explore a series of missions that teach key issues of web safety and digital citizenship.
The game's motto is Observe, Respect, Contribute, and the design is space-inspired:
As players continue through the game, they begin to learn the importance of their own careful decisions as they develop their earliest digital footprints. Paying attention to the content they encounter (is this appropriate or does it make me feel unsafe?), choosing kindness (say no to online cruelty), and sharing one's own perspective thoughtfully (give, don't just take)--these ideals are all woven into the Webonauts experience.
For schools still working toward longterm policies and practices, the state of Virginia's Department of Education seems to be a pioneer in establishing these rules from the ground up. Look no further than their website, which contains one especially scrupulous document, for every possible digital citizenship scenario (from the mild to most horrifying).
I think parents and teachers alike will face an uphill battle in raising a new generation of children in the "Wild Wild West" of the internet, but I know the gifts our children receive from a connected world will outweigh the dangers. As long as we do not become complacent in our commitment to keeping them safe, students will benefit in immeasurable ways from the treasure trove of information at our fingertips. It's a massive privilege and responsibility, no doubt.
No comments:
Post a Comment