A teacher's guide to helping children use ICT safely

List of References

Websites used

List of References

Images used

Internet Explorer icon:

http://www.infragistics.com/community/blogs/marketing/archive/2013/05/31/a-sneak-peek-at-internet-explorer-11.aspx

Children on laptop image:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/Kids%20Internet%20584.jpg

Facebook logo:

http://www.stuff.co.za/tag/facebook/

Youtube logo:

http://flipthemedia.com/2013/03/the-channelization-of-youtube

MSN Messenger icon:

http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/logo/msn-messenger-eps

Friend request image:

http://towerreview.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/would-you-accept-a-friend-request-from-mom

'All digital citizens' poster:

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/08/2-must-have-digital-citizenship-posters.html

'I took a photo of my friend that I want to share...now what?' poster:

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/06/a-great-digital-citizenship-poster-for.html

Cyber safety top ten tips for youth poster:

http://www.afp.gov.au/policing/cybercrime/~/media/afp/pdf/c/cyber-safety-top-10-tips-for-youth.ashx

Digital footprint image:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uWB7Cc2OZLY/UXisIP31kxI/AAAAAAAAcmY/rgei9NfcoXw/s1600/digital+footprint.png digital footprint

Edmodo screenshot:

http://www.helpmewithtech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/edmodo_class_preview.jpg edmodo

ACMA Cyber Smart Video 2011

youtube /watch?v=JHj0gKGYzfY&feature=share&list=PLBF35A14AA38AAD7F

ACMA qualitative research project 2009

http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/aba/about/recruitment/click_and_connect-01_qualitative_report.pdf

Australian Curriculum 2013

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Pdf/ICT

Australian Curriculum ICT General Capabilities

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Information-and-Communication-Technology-capability/Introduction/ICT-capability-across-the-curriculum

Cranmer, Sue, Selwyn, Neil & Potter 2009

http://linkit.flinders.edu.au/flinders?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2013-09-13T11%3A38%3A25IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-scopus&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:article&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Exploring%20primary%20pupils%27%20experiences%20and%20understandings%20of%20%27e-safety%27&rft.jtitle=Education%20and%20Information%20Technologies&rft.btitle=&rft.aulast=Cranmer&rft.auinit=S.&rft.auinit1=&rft.auinitm=&rft.ausuffix=&rft.au=Cranmer%2C%20S.&rft.aucorp=&rft.date=20090601&rft.volume=14&rft.issue=2&rft.part=&rft.quarter=&rft.ssn=&rft.spage=127&rft.epage=142&rft.pages=&rft.artnum=&rft.issn=13602357&rft.eissn=15737608&rft.isbn=&rft.sici=&rft.coden=&rft_id=info:doi/10.1007/s10639-008-9083-7&rft.object_id=&svc_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:sch_svc&svc.fulltext=yes&rft_dat=

Creative Commons

http://creativecommons.org.au/

DECS Cyber Safety 2009,

http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/CyberSafetyKeepingChildre.pdf

Edmodo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmodo

National Professional Teaching Standards 2012

http://www.teacherstandards.aitsl.edu.au/CareerStage/GraduateTeachers/Standards

List of Resources

Videos

A teacher's guide to helping children use ICT safely

'Copyright whats copyright?

youtube /watch?v=0QiO_H0-ok8

'How private is your profile?'

youtube /watch?v=2v7jmTuSYaU

'Creative Commons tutorial for teachers'

youtube /watch?v=glEVRgZ7TBc

Goal

Further information for teachers and parents

By Sarah Sutherland-Stevens

Encouraging safe use of ICT

As educators, we need to be able to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching. We need to recognise that we are in a digital age, and with rapid and continuing changes in the ways that people share, use, develop and communicate with ICT, young people need to be highly skilled in its use (Australian Curriculum 2013). To participate in a knowledge-based economy and to be empowered within a technologically sophisticated society now and into the future, students need the knowledge, skills and confidence to make ICT work for them at school, at home, at work and in their communities.

As educators, our goal is to ensure that we provide students with the knowledge to understand and recognise the difference between safe and unsafe use of ICT, as well as presenting them with opportunities to practice ethical and responsible use of ICT. It is also important as educators that we challenge student's knowledge and skills to use ICT effectively.

In following the advice of safe, ethical and responsible use of ICT suggested by this presentation, as well as using the resources, we can be cautious of serious issues when using ICT within the curriculum and within the classroom, as well being aware of the many possibly ways ICT can be integrated across the Australian Curriculum.

Teaching Resources

There are plenty of resources that can be used by teachers in schools or even by parents at home, to promote the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT.

Resources such as these posters can be useful in teaching young children how to protect themselves and others when using technology. These visual aids can be put on display within classrooms, around the school and even provided to parents to help guide children in making safe decisions when using technology.

Posters such as the 'I took a photo of my friend that I want to share..now what?' provides older children with a step-by-step guide on how to be responsible when sharing private information such as photographs online. There are plenty more resources provided for educators by educational organizations such as Common Sense Media www.commonsense.org/educators.

The Australian Federal Police also provides helpful cyber safety advice for teachers, parents and students. This poster of 'top ten tips for youth' is a great info graphic which can be used as a guide by teachers, parents and students, to remain cyber safe.

As educators, we should encourage students to follow in these 10 tips to remain cyber safe such as tip 1: 'using a strong password' . When teaching these tips, educators must also ensure that children understand what is meant by concepts such as 'strong' password. We should also ensure that students do not share their passwords or give out private information.

Another important concern raised by this poster is the importance for children to 'tell someone' or 'speak to an adult', if they become uncomfortable online or even on a mobile phone.

Posters such as this can be great ways to discuss cyber safety with children and even to question them on 'what should you do in this circumstance?', 'would you...?' or 'should you...?'.

More information can be found on websites such as the Australian Federal Police http://www.afp.gov.au/policing/cybercrime, and The Department of Education and Children's services http://www.decd.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/CyberSafetyKeepingChildre.pdf.

Also educate children how to identify and avoid:

Children and the Internet

Educate children

Children and young people aged eight to seventeen use the internet to find information, for academic purposes and social networking. Exposure to the internet and social networking services increases with age, starting predominantly with game-related websites at younger ages, leading into regular and proficient use of social networking services from high school age upwards (12+ years) (ACMA 2009).

This presentation is protected by Creative Commons

• illegal activity - content that promotes illegal activity (like copyright infringement on music), security breaches (like hacking) or fraudulent schemes online
• extremist groups and cults - groups online that offer information about their extremist or cult activities, goals and missions; these groups can use the Internet to recruit new members or incite action.
• social networking - many social networking sites place children and students at some risk through exposing their identity, invading privacy and providing opportunities for bullying.
• online advertising - some online advertising can be inappropriate for children and students; the Internet is an inexpensive medium for advertisers and is therefore widespread.
• online gambling - websites which contain and promote gambling practices (DECS 2011).

Did you know?

So What can we do as educators?

We must also teach children and students (in an age appropriate way) how to identify and avoid inappropriate materials.

Inappropriate materials can include:

• pornography - both illegal and legal pornography. It is prevalent on the Internet and can be accessed through websites, sent as spam via e-mails, shared in peer-to-peer networks or sexting through mobile phone messaging;

• hate groups - including racial, religious, political, homophobic and other groups that are discriminatory;

• violence or illicit drugs - websites containing explicitly violent behaviour (like rape or assault), material regarding illicit drugs or inciting suicide, vigilante or violent groups’ websites, and instructional websites (DECS 2011).

• 8.7 million Australians accessed social networking sites from home in June 2010.
• 73% of 14-17 year old Australians spend 7+ hours per week online.
• 94% of 14-15 year olds have a social networking profile.?
• 30% of year 7-10 students believe social networking sites are safe
• 35% of 8-11 year olds receive friend requests from people they don’t know .

(ACMA 2011)

Creative Commons Tutorial for teachers

Children's understandings and experiences

with online safety

There are also plenty of videos available online to help teachers to understand difficult technological concepts such as 'Creative Commons'.

Teaching Resources -Entertaining Ways to teach safe ICT use to children

As educators, it is an expectation of the National Professional Teaching Standard 4.5 to 'Demonstrate an understanding of the relevant issues and strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching' (Australian Professional Standards for Teachers 2012).

To achieve this professional standard, we need to educate ourselves, and become familiar with current ICT issues and programs, before we attempt to educate our students ourselves.

Educate students about

• Cyberbullying
• Spams and Scams
• Copy Right infringement and Creative Commons
• Practice becoming cyber smart in safe learning environments;
• Teach strategies for personal safety and advise children and students that they should not reveal personal or identifying information including names, addresses, financial details (eg credit card), telephone numbers or images (video or photographic) of themselves or others;
• Encourage children and students to inform a teacher if they come across inappropriate material or anything online that makes them feel uncomfortable (DECS 2011).

Results from several studies examining school children’s views of online safety have revealed that notions of 'cyber safety' remain abstract and are poorly understood concepts for many children. Cranmer, Selwyn and Potter's 2009 study, 'Exploring primary pupil's experiences and understandings of 'e-safety', strongly suggests that there are three possible areas of change to improve children's safety:

1)Re-orientating the topic and tone of official discourses surrounding cyber safety.

2)Increasing pedagogical interventions in primary schools aiming at enhancing pupil’s critical literacy skills

3)Establishing a meaningful and sustained dialogue between pupils, teachers and parents about safety and risk when using ICT (Cranmer, Sue, Selwyn, Neil & Potter 2009).

How private is your profile?

Videos such as, 'How private is your profile?' are great to show to students as many children are unaware of the amount of private information that they put on public display via social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace.

The safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT can be taught to children in entertaining ways such as through songs and videos. Cartoon videos such as the following can teach children legal issues such as the meaning of Copyright.

Safety Risks associated with online activity

Technology across the curriculum

Example of safe ICT use across the curriculum

The general risks associated with online behaviour include computer viruses from downloaded material and accidental exposure to graphic or explicit material. Risks identified as specific to social networking include being contacted by a predator, encountering undesirable behaviour (often via webcams), unwanted dissemination of personal information and cyber bullying (ACMA 2009).

How we can support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT

The Internet

Edmodo is a fantastic tool for educators to use as across the entire Australian curriculum, and the classroom for social learning platform for teachers, students, and parents. Edmodo is commonly thought of as the 'Facebook' of schools, as called by pupils and teachers alike (wikipedia 2013) . For this reason, educators can treat Edmodo as a social networking website used by the class to discuss ideas and topics within English and across the curriculum. For example, teachers can discuss texts studied within the classroom and students can feel free to share their ideas, openly express themselves, as well as interact with their peers in a safe environment. Through class discussions of texts studies, students are interacting with each other and are practicing the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT under the careful monitoring of the classroom teacher and parents.

An excellent way teachers can develop children’s personal and social capability within the English curriculum can be through the use of an Edmodo account (http://www.edmodo.com). Using an Edmodo account, there are many opportunities for students to develop personal and social capability in English.

Language is central to personal and social identity. Using Edmodo, teachers can develop communication skills and self-expression assists students’ personal and social development as they become effective communicators able to articulate their own opinions and beliefs and to interact and collaborate with others.

Using Edmodo as part of the English curriculum can help students to understand how language functions as a key component of social interactions across all social situations. Through close reading and discussion of texts students experience and evaluate a range of personal and social behaviours and perspectives and develop connections and empathy with characters in different social contexts. Teachers and parents can also monitor student ICT usage and progress in a safe environment.

The internet it a regular part of everyday lives of children and young people aged eight to seventeen years, and is used regularly within both school and home environments (ACMA 2009).

We can support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching across the entire Australian curriculum such as in English, Mathematics, Science and History learning areas.

Students develop knowledge, skills and dispositions around ICT and its use, and the ability to transfer these across environments and applications. As educators, we must assist students to learn to use ICT with confidence, care and consideration, understanding its possibilities, limitations and impact on individuals, groups and communities (Australian Curriculum 2013) .

As an educator, we can allow students use ICT in curriculum areas such as English. Through the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT, students can develop the following skills:

•Critical and creative thinking

•Personal and social capability

•Ethical understanding

•Intercultural understanding

(Australian Curriculum, 2013)

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