Cyber+safety

=The Cybersafety Resource Page=

This is a page to start your collection of resources, ideas, opinions, web sites, good ideas from classroom practice around the issue of Cybersafety.

I want to emphasise the difference between cyberbullying and cybersafety. Keeping our children safe online goes beyond cyberbullying - it's about ensuring that our children and/or our students know not to give away personal details to others on chat rooms; being aware of the type of information they add to their Facebook or Myspace pages ... did you know that the fastest growing group of people who sign up for Facebook are children in Grades 3 & 4 (personal communication I. Snyder, July 2009). While we don't like to think about it, there are people in the wider community who don't have the care of our children at heart - there are damaged people who prey on the vulnerabilities of children (and of adults in a lot of instances). We need to ensure that we are aware of the issues, and have those big discussions with our children (we need to do that as parents) ... but we also need to ensure this awareness is raised in our schools as well. It might be an unpleasant issue, but it won't go away just because we put our heads in the sand. We need to talk about it ... we need to ensure we can answer the question ...how do we keep our children //safe?//

As with all risky behaviours (walking across a busy road, climbing a tree, flying, playing sport, learning something new) we need to alert people to risk and how to minimise that risk. We cannot remove all risk from our children's lives, as that would mean wrapping them in something they aren't allergic to and not letting them out of our sight. It's not a sustainable way to live, or to raise children. It's not an effective way to educate someone either. You, as parents and pre-service teachers, need to be aware of the risks and of the information available to help educate our students, and our parents about keeping children safe online. We run fire-safety, water-safety, and road-safety programs in our schools ... we need to run cyber-safety ones as well. [Sharon, 14/08/2009 12:40pm]

When I was reading a newspaper article on the Archbishop Nichols' views on social networking I found a link to another story in the Education section of the same paper. The story was about a first-year out teacher being charged with child sexual molestation and sexual grooming. This term caught my eye, and as I hadn't heard it before I thought I'd investigate further. Again, it highlights the need for parents, and teachers, to be aware of practices used by some in the community to do the wrong thing. I found a paper published on the Australian Institute of Criminology web site ... the paper is titled [|Responding to online child sexual grooming: An industry perspective]. The paper has a section towards the end on the place of education in raising awareness of this practice and keeping our children safe in the face of it.

I also went to NetLingo (which is quite disturbing so I'm not going to put the link up) and found that in chat rooms or social networking sites: CD9 - Code 9 - parents are around P911 - Parent Alert PAL - Parents Are Listening PAW - Parents Are Watching PIR - Parent In Room MOS - Mom Over Shoulder LMIRL - Let's Meet In Real Life ADR - Address ASL - Age/Sex/Location

KPC - Keeping Parents Clueless

Here is one resource which has information for keeping children safe online. Please add your own ... [|CyberSmart Program]  Here is a resource (video) from Teachers TV about [|**Online Safety**] - for secondary students/teachers

__**Useful websites on Cybersaftey:**__
 * = **__ Type of document: __** ||= **__ Web site address __** ||
 * = Teachers resource - guide to cybersafety ||= [|ozguide] ||
 * = Web guide with good information for teachers, parents and students af all ages. ||= www.cybersmartkids.com.au ||
 * = An informative website about staying safe online - with a focus on identity online - and password use ||= www.staysmartonline.gov.au ||
 * = Teaching the basic rule of e-safety to children and parents ||= [|www.ikeepsafe.org] ||
 * = Amazing resource designed with areas specific to young kids, kids, teens, parent, teachers etc. So may links to a wide variety of age specific issue with computer generated stories to teach cyber safety. Worth a look. ||= [] ||
 * = A fun website for younger children about using the internet safely. ||= [] ||
 * = Cyber safety for grade 4-6: fun cartoon like stories including "Golden Rules" and a teachers guide pdf. download, also for parents to view. ||= [] ||
 * Safe use of the internet for 2-7 year olds. Parents support their child through adventures in "Netty's World". 5 forget-me-not rules reinforced in each adventure. || www.nettysworld.com.au ||

Cyberbullying is an important issue that although known and talked about, teachers and parents struggle to combat and control. Being aware how cyberbulling can happen and talking to students and our children about consequences is a good way to start to combat this growing epidemic. Victoria M.K (7/8/09- 21:28) I have had a good look at [|Cybersmart] web site and found it to be an extremely useful site. It was easy to navigate, had teacher resources which I can see myself using on an interactive whiteboard in the classroom to help children understand the dangers of the www. As I am planning to teach early childhood children, this site had easy activities for this age group to work on especially in Hector's world where the children meet Parri the platypus adding an Australian touch. Well worth a look everyone, as the site is divided into several areas for all children from K-12, parents, teachers and even librarians. Naomie O'Loughlin 10th August, 2009. I think the best way to address the issue of cyberbullying is to remove the cyber from the discussion. Bullying is bullying regardless of where it takes place. Remind the students that on the receiving end is another human being with feelings. Discuss how they would feel if it was happening to them, or their friend. In addition I believe it is vital for students to feel they can come to you if they have an issue, that it will not be trivialised and every incidence of bullying whether perceived or not will be investigated thoroughly and acted upon. J Beaton, in a post on the cyberbullying page from August 10th, has supplied the link to the documents from VELS that I have based my opinions on. I like the idea of being able to use the cybersmart resources on the interactive whiteboard. These sites are bright and engaging and shows the students that you are capable of using the technology you are talking about. It gives you an appearance of being an 'expert' not just someone who has no idea what they are talking about spouting off rules. Thanks Megan Prenc August 11th 6:24pm

[|www.cybersmart.gov.au/]

After visiting the web site from this weeks module work, I was really encouraged! There is information for parents/students/teachers that is easily accessible We as parents can: Schools can: The issue of being safe on the internet is huge, but there are things I can do and be a part of to protect my children and the students I work with. I have booked marked a few of these sites that I browsed and have plans for educating my kids over the weekend about the issue. (Jo Piening. 14th August 2009. 12.28am) I found a great site to teach kids about internet safety from the link in module 2. It is called  [|Hector's World]. (the following info is from http://www.esafetynorthtyneside.org.uk/article/?id=46476 ) "Hector Protector is a bottlenose dolphin and he and his underwater friends aim to help children aged 3-10 stay safe in cyberspace in Hector's World. Animated episodes help children learn about online safety. A key feature of the resource is the Hector safety button. Once downloaded, Hector can swim alongside children (in a corner of their computer screen) as they surf the internet using Internet Explorer or communicate with others using Outlook or Outlook Express. A child who is upset or worried about an image on the screen can click on Hector. An underwater scene then covers the screen and a reassuring message is displayed saying that thechild has done the right thing and can now get adult help". It is 5 cartoons all dealing with different safety issues. You can download Hector's safety button. It would be perfect for lower primary students. You can also download each episode's colouring-in book (a great resource for students to look back at). There is also a great Teacher Resource section and online jigsaw puzzles of the characters. (Would be a good way to introduce the children to the characters and get them familiar with them before showing them the safety cartoons). A great resource! (Sally 14/8/09) [|Cybersmart] is certainly a great website for helping to educate students about cyber-safety. As well as education, however, I also see a need to protect children from accesssing information that is inappropriate. I have concerns regarding young children using sites such as Facebook for this reason. Importantly, I have also discovered that Facebook stipulates __children under thirteen years of age are not allowed access__ to the Facebook site. My reasoning for this is there are concerns regarding student privacy and security. (Trudy, 15-8-09).
 * communicate
 * set rules/boundaries
 * supervise
 * establish a contact person for cyber safety issues (great idea)
 * implement acceptable policies or codes of conduct
 * educate parents and students
 * there are training courses on cyber safety for parents
 * teachers can attend professional development days on internet safety for students

I also found out this week that schools can't block Facebook becouse there are too many proxys that help students access Facebook at school. I believe a proxy is an independent website that links the students to the desired website(correct me if I'm wrong as I tried to work out the meaning from my teenage daughter! No mean feat!). I wonder how long it will take for students under thirteen years old to find out about these proxys so they, too, can access Facebook?Technology is constantly being updated and certainly we, as teachers and parents, need to keep updated and not be afraid to ask questions! Jenny S, 16/8 Thank you for posting this web site Jenny, I have marked it as one to use in the future. Naomie O, 16th August, 2009.
 * I agree with Naomie(10/8) about the fantastic site www.cybersmart.gov.auIt is easy to locate resources regarding cyberbullying and I particularly like the format where primary levels are seperated making it easy for teachers to select the appropriate resources for the appropriate level. During the week I went into a grade 3/4 class and saw a poster 'bullying,no way!'. I went onto this website: [|www.bullyingnoway.com.au] and found some great resources, information sheets, examples of what other schools are doing /implementing, strategies and tips on on how staff students and the wider community e.g parent education, can contribute to stopping bullying. This Australian site addresses all types of bullying not just cyber.

I have just come back from attending a conference where one of the major topics of discussion was education in the information age and a large part of the discussion involved cyber safety. I have been browsing online since I returned home and I have found some great websites. http:/www.me.edu.au/c/Cyber Safety ****is a great website which offers great links to many cyber safety resources. The future of education has many exciting possibilities in terms of use of technology, it is so important that children are taught to be responsible and appropriate online and to consider their own safety and the safety of others at all times. Parental education in regard to technology and cyber safety is also an important area to consider. Christine Russell, 17th August, 2009.** == Having reviewed the Primary KS1 & KS2 Teaching E Safety Resources, I was impressed with the quality and type of information available to protect younger students (my area of focus). The Australian CyberQuoll ([|www.cyberquoll.com.au]) was my favourite - it was informative and interactive (being a cartoon fanatic - I could see its appeal to children in maybe year 3 and up). In light of the information on that site I must question the use of Disney characters in Surf Swell Island: Adventures in Internet Safety ([]) Surely this is advertising and sending mixed message on what is appropriate on the internet. Also whilst I found the CBBC ([|http://www.bbc.co.uk]) information simple and effective for very young children, I must say that the slot-machine-type action of the random selector at the top of the page once again sends mixed messages. The integrity of sites professing to address safety should be extremely high. A.Smith 22/8/09. ==


<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After reading Marilyn Campbell’s (2005) paper on cyberbullying and viewing [|this news story] I am more aware of the dangers to the personal welfare of all people engaging on the Internet; both students and adults alike. I was amazed by the number of [|websites] available to support parents, teachers and students in safeguarding our young people against exposure to harmful websites, invasion of privacy, bullying by other users, and the addictive nature of the Internet. I found this support both reassuring, yet affirming of the real dangers associated with engaging in the ‘virtual world’.

I agree with A Smith 22/8/09 that as parents and educators we should be critically selective about which sites we might choose to support the education of our children around the issue of cybersafety. Generally I found the government-based websites to be user friendly; offering colourful and fun activities for students of all ages as well as information for adults about the safe use of computer technologies. The Australian Communications and Media Authority website [|cybersmart] as well as Australia’s Internet Safety Advisory Board [|(NetAlert)] uses animated characters similar to those children will encounter on the internet, to convey important messages about safe and appropriate use of the Internet. Their primary aim seems to be to develop an awareness of safety issues, offer strategies for dealing with uncomfortable situations and to establish a platform for discussion between parents, teachers and students. In addition [|cybersmart] provides units of work for use in the classroom which address safe and appropriate internet use.

I agree with Sharon’s suggestion that the inclusion of cybersafety alongside water-safety, fire-safety and road-safety should be an integral part of school curriculum. Finally, I found The Victorian Education Department site [|Working with the Web] also offered guidance and teaching support to promote the safe use of technologies in the classroom.

Reference List: Campbell, Marilyn A (2005) Cyber bullying: An old problem in a new guise?. //Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling// 15(1) 68-76.

Moira, Sunday 23rd August 5.15pm.

=<span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; text-align: left;">Hello Everyone, = <span style="color: #df00ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">I am finally catching up! <span style="color: #df00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 196%;">I have browsed at [|www.esafetynorthtyneside.org.uk/article/?id=46476] <span style="color: #df00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 136%;">and in particular <span style="color: #df00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 126%;"> <span style="color: #df00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">'chatguide'. I am particularly interested in the sense of a shared entity when it comes to on-line safety aimed at Families, Children and Young People, Teachers and Schools, as well as Parents and Carers. The Secondary school that my own children attend, offer an information night for Year 8 students and their parents titled 'Conquering Cyberia' (unfortunately the night was post-poned but, we were still supplied with the information packs which contained some great leaflets and booklets etc.) I discoverd an extremely informative website for the Australian Communications and Media Authority. If you click on 'Content & Advertising' in the left hand column and then select 'Cybersmart programs' you will access some fantastic information which I recommend browsing through. This program is set up by the Australian Government and enables Children, Parents, Carers, Teachers and Library staff to manage on-line risks so that experiences are safe and positive. <span style="color: #5803a6; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 224%;">It Aims to: <span style="color: #df00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> Inform, Educate and Empower.

<span style="color: #5803a6; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 210%;">It Provides: <span style="color: #df00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> Information and Resources that are all provided <span style="color: #8ce232; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 266%;">free <span style="color: #df00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;"> of charge in Australia. Professional Development for Educators program for schools and Internet Safety Awareness Presentations. Professional Development for trainee teachers.

It also includes the Schools Gateway - a web portal that offers Australian Primary and Secondary schools easy access to the ACMA's cybersafety education resources.

<span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 140%;">The information provided on the ACMA's site together with the information at Esafety Northtyneside make it quite clear that an extremely effective means of introducing and implementing cybersafety and awareness is by taking an open and team approach including students, teachers and parents etc. making it a <span style="color: #808080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 210%;">Shared Entity. J.Hamilton 12/9/09