Most of us have a vague understanding that the internet can be dangerous for kids. Do we really understand exactly what the pitfalls are? Or are we just keeping our kids off the internet, because it's a dangerous place to be.
"Children and young people need to be empowered to keep themselves safe – this isn’t just about a top-down approach. Children will be children – pushing boundaries and taking risks. At a public swimming pool we have gates, put up signs, have lifeguards and shallow ends, but we also teach children how to swim."- Safer Children in a Digital World
How true! We teach children safety rules for the road, water sense, social interaction rules, and now cyber safety rules. Children tend to trust and obey. It's our job to explain the pitfalls in a clear and easy to remember way. I've come across a great site, called CyberCafe, that I will be using to explain and teach cyber safety in my class. We also need to our students strategies to use, should cyber bullying occur. This site walks them through all the strategies in a fun way.
Web 2.0 opens up a world of opportunities for learning and reflecting on learning. Before my students run into trouble, I'll be making sure that they are Cyber Safe!
