Cyber Safety – Parents are You Aware?

6 Sep

What is Cyber Safety?

Cyber Safety is the safe and responsible use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). It can maintain a positive approach towards the many benefits brought by technology. It encourages the public to identify the risks associated with ICT by putting in place strategies to minimise and manage risks. This helps recognise the importance of effective teaching and learning programs.

According to the Child Internet Protection Act of 2001, in order for schools to be eligible to receive discounts for telecommunication, Internet access and connection services, they must verify to the Government that they have implemented Internet Safety policies, have internet filtering measures in place, and monitor online activities of student. These measures provide protection to both children and adults from digital images that are obscene, display child pornography, and are harmful to minors. (Cybersafety Webpage, 2012)

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) explains that students develop ICT capability within a context of social and ethical protocols and practice. This involves students to develop and understanding of:

  • intellectual property pertaining to digital information
  • digital information security, including the responsibility to protect the rights, identity, privacy and emotional safety of online audiences. To avoid and prevent cyber bullying, and ensure the safety of themselves and others. To respect audiences, being aware of the portrayal of self and others.
  • The benefits and consequences of ICT for individuals, groups and communities in society, such as, becoming users of ICT, seeing themselves as creators as well as consumers of ICT. Recognising its capacity to enhance participation and inclusion and analysing how changes in technology impact on and relate to changes in society. (ACARA, 2012)

The National Professional Teaching Standards for Graduates. (NPSfG)

The NPSfG expects us as teachers to show professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement with your children.

Our responsibilities are to know our students and how they learn, plan for and implement effective teaching and learning, create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments, access and provide feedback and report on student learning, to engage in professional learning and to engage with colleagues, parent, caregivers and the community.

There are three ICT related focus areas of the NPSfG for teachers at the Graduate level. They are standards –

2.6 Information and Communication Technology

3.4 Select and use resources

4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically

(ACARA, 2012)

Regarding Cyber Safety we would like to bring standard 4.5 to yours and your child’s attention.

STANDARD 4.5 – USING ICT SAFELY, RESPONSIBLY AND ETHICALLY.

Our job as the Graduate teachers of your children is to demonstrate and understand the relevant issues and the strategies available to support the safe, responsible and ethical use of ICT in learning and teaching.

Through this we want to bring in the contexts of ACARA’s social and ethical protocols and put them in to practice with your children. We want your children to understand the dangers of the Internet. As teachers and as a school we have our site blockers for the internet and similar tools. But the students need a general understanding on why these blocks are put in place. By following the social and ethical protocols ACARA have put in place for us teachers to teach your children, they will gain an understanding and will be able to search safely on their own. Knowing how to stay safe and secure on the World Wide Web.

PROTECTION

As above I did state that us as teachers and as a school do have ‘firewalls’, filters and site blockers set up on our network so that neither students or staff can come across anything unwanted.

But for you dealing with your children at home you can set up something similar to be cyber safe. All computers and laptops with internet these days can have sites blocked by a few things changed in the computers settings.

In around 3 weeks I am planning to hold a Cyber Safe night for students and parents to come along to. I will be going through easy steps to show families how to keep protected and cyber safe in their own homes.  For more information I will be sending home a form with your children in a week’s time to see how many families are interested.

Cyber Safety is as important as safety in general.  Let’s make sure our kids stay protected.

Kind Regards.

Jake Cefai

 

 

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

 

 

References-

Cybersafety Webpage, 2012,  http://cybersafetywebpage.wikispaces.com/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

ACARA, 2012, http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Information-and-Communication-Technology-capability/Organising-elements/Applying-social-and-ethical-protocols-and-practices-when-using-ICT.  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

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