E-Safety is of paramount importance to computing education...
The National Curriculum
With technology forever evolving, computing offers both the greatest possibilities and greatest threats to children. Thus, as teachers, it is our duty to be vigilant and educate children in how to protect themselves online, without scaring them away from using the resources available.
The national curriculum recognises the importance of E-Safety and outlines the following as objectives for children in Key Stage's 1 & 2 :
Key Stage 1:
"Use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies".
Key Stage 2:
"Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact"
(National Curriculum, 2013).
So how can I teach E-Safety effectively?
The good news is that there are an abundance of E-Safety resources that can help teachers to keep children safe online.
Safer Internet, for example, offers age specific resources to assist teachers and parents in child protection online. On their site they outline the SMART rules for keeping safe and these effectively illustrate the key information that the teacher is tasked in delivering within the national curriculum.
SMART Rules!
Safe: Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information when you're chatting or posting online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and password.
Meet: Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents' or carers' permission and even then only when they can be present. Remember online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them for a long time.
Accepting: Accepting emails, messages, or opening files, images or texts from people you don't know or trust can lead to problems — they may contain viruses or nasty messages!
Reliable: Someone online might lie about who they are and information on the intemet may not be true. Always check information.
Tell: Tell a parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone, or something, makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online.
There needs to be a whole school approach to delivering this message to children. This is best achieved by 'embedding esafety across the curriculum or the work of the organisation, through a framework of effective policies and routes for reporting concerns such as cyberbullying' (Safer Internet).
Some Resources:
NSPCC - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/e-safety-schools/
Internet Matters - www.internetmatters.org/schools-esafety/primary/
Thinkuknow - www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
Safer Internet - www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/young-people/resources-3-11s
Safer Internet, for example, offers age specific resources to assist teachers and parents in child protection online. On their site they outline the SMART rules for keeping safe and these effectively illustrate the key information that the teacher is tasked in delivering within the national curriculum.
SMART Rules!
Safe: Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information when you're chatting or posting online. Personal information includes your email address, phone number and password.
Meet: Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents' or carers' permission and even then only when they can be present. Remember online friends are still strangers even if you have been talking to them for a long time.
Accepting: Accepting emails, messages, or opening files, images or texts from people you don't know or trust can lead to problems — they may contain viruses or nasty messages!
Reliable: Someone online might lie about who they are and information on the intemet may not be true. Always check information.
Tell: Tell a parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone, or something, makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online.
There needs to be a whole school approach to delivering this message to children. This is best achieved by 'embedding esafety across the curriculum or the work of the organisation, through a framework of effective policies and routes for reporting concerns such as cyberbullying' (Safer Internet).
Some Resources:
NSPCC - https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/keeping-children-safe/online-safety/e-safety-schools/
Internet Matters - www.internetmatters.org/schools-esafety/primary/
Thinkuknow - www.thinkuknow.co.uk/
Safer Internet - www.saferinternet.org.uk/advice-centre/young-people/resources-3-11s
Video can be an effective form of Multimedia in delivering E-Safety!
This video is effective in showing the importance of protecting yourself online. Children can relate to the story of little red riding hood and also see the consequences of accepting friend requests from people that we don't know. This can be very effective in engaging children and can help them to realise the importance of keeping safe.