Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Schools : Safer Internet Day : Be the change ! Unite for a better Internet






SID 2017

Safer Internet Day 2017 is tomorrow, Tuesday, 7 February 2017 with a theme of 'Be the change: Unite for a better internet'.

Over the years, Safer Internet Day (SID) has become a landmark event in the online safety calendar. 

Starting as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and taken up by the Insafe network as one of its earliest actions in 2005, Safer Internet Day has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone and is now celebrated in more than 100 countries worldwide, and across all continents.






From cyberbullying to social networking, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and chooses a topic reflecting current concerns.

Internet is a powerfull tool with enormous opportunities for learning, enhancing skills and acquiring new abilities and knowledge. However, with opportunities come risks. The goal of SID is to raise awareness but also to help by concrete actions to create not only a safe place but also a better place to be when being online. In order to achieve this goal SID offers the possibility for children, young students, teachers, parents, industry, policy makers, decision takers and other stakeholders to co-create better Internet.



SID 2017

Schools join together to make the internet a safer and better place for all, and especially children and young people.

My students have participated since 2008. These were the first activities from Portuguese schools.

Insafe is a European network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs). Every national Centre implements awareness and educational campaigns, runs a helpline, and works closely with youth to ensure an evidence-based, multi-stakeholder approach to creating a better internet.




Unite for a better Internet

However, Safer Internet Day is also celebrated outside Europe. In 2009, the concept of Safer Internet Day Committees was introduced, to strengthen the bonds with countries outside the network and invest in a harmonised promotion of the campaign across the world. 



Safer Internet Day infographics

"Around 70 global SID Committees now work closely with the Safer Internet Day Coordination Team, which is based at the heart of the European Union in Brussels. If there is not yet a SID Committee in your country, but you would be interested in forming one, please get in touch."

Teachers:

SID website showcases the many events and activities which will be taking place across the globe to mark the day.

Teachers can find out what's happening in their country, and find contacts and resources to help them to 'be the change' for a better internet not just on SID, but all year through.

The site is being updated daily, so please check back often for the latest news.

The site is being constantly updated, so please check back often for the latest news. 






You can register your support for the day as a school, individual or organisation and follow the action on Facebook and Twitter hashtags#SID2017 and #SaferInternetDay.





Help your students to become better internet users by celebrating Safer Internet Day (SID) in school this Tuesday, 7th February 2017 and all year through. #SaferInternet is everyday.

Being safe online at any age not only requires awareness and knowledge but also quite a mastery of skills:



  • Digital literacy skills, 
  • Social skills, 
  • Communication skills
  • Emotional skills. 




What's Your Brand


Activities:

Run a class activity on Safer Internet Day using some questions. For example:
  • What do you like best about the internet?
  • What can you do to make a “better” internet?

 Some ways to get your students to answer these questions:  
  • Class discussion
  • Creative writing tweets
  • Art or poster project
  • Video project—vox pop style
  • School photo contest
  • Research project: what are the options to make the internet safer for all?
  • Public (in the school library) speaking exercise (in teams or individually)

The hashtags #SID2017 will be used to help raise awareness online.


Safer Internet Day infographic

Resources:

On SID website teachers will find a gallery of resources - from across the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres and beyond - to help you celebrate SID in your school. And promote a safer and better internet all year through!

Search by keyword or language to find resources to meet your needs, or just browse the list.

The gallery of resources is constantly being updated so please check back regularly for the latest content.





Some thoughts: 

Children are growing up in a world powered by data. They are surrounded by powerful digital technologies, while the world’s information is digitised, analysed and transmitted around them in seconds. The internet is their companion, sometimes more than their family, school and friends.

Teachers and educators must help children and teens to be well informed and take care by themselves on the internet. 


We need to give them the skills to keep themselves safe online.  

Knowing how to sniff out trouble, how to be a critical thinker, knowing how to avoid it, and knowing how to handle it when it comes knocking are key essential life skills.

Please pass the message! Kids and young people must speak to a trusted adult id something worry them. 

There’s always someone near a kid, a young people. Teachers, parents, older brothers, grandfathers (yes, they are on the internet too). 

Whether we are children and young people, teachers, parents, educators or social care workers, we all have a part to play to be the change on the internet. We must unite for a better internet t, especially to care about kids and teens.

There is always place which anyone can use to report if they feel uncomfortable or worried about someone they are chatting to online.

G-Souto

07.02.2017
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Schools : Safer Internet Day : Be the change ! Unite for a better Internet by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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