When our kids are young, we do our best to help them get the most out of the Internet while protecting them from the online worldʼs risks and downsides. But as children mature into teenagers, our role shifts to helping them learn to make their own safe and ethical decisions as they navigate their digital lives.
At Earlsmead, we believe this means preparing our KS2 students to:
- Think critically and evaluate online sources.
- Protect themselves from online threats, including bullies and scams.
- Get smart about sharing: what, when, and with whom.
- Be kind and respectful toward other people and their privacy.
- Ask for help from a parent or other adult with tricky situations.
This year these efforts will include Be Internet Awesome, a multifaceted program designed to teach kids the skills they need to be safe and smart online. One of the resources, Interland, is a playful browser-based game that makes learning about digital safety interactive and fun—just like the Internet itself. Developed by Google in partnership with the educators and online safety experts at iKeepSafe.org, Be Internet Awesome provides fun, age-appropriate learning experiences built around five foundational lessons:
- Share with Care
- Donʼt Fall for Fake
- Secure Your Secrets
- Itʼs Cool to Be Kind
- When in Doubt, Talk It Out
Smart, safe technology usage can help students learn better, and help our schools function better. We believe the Be Internet Awesome program will mark an important step toward our goal of ensuring that all our students at Earlsmead are learning, exploring, and staying safe online.
If youʼre interested, weʼll be happy to share more information about this new program, including introductions to some of the resources your kids might start using at home. We encourage you to ask them about what weʼre doing in class; you might pick up a few privacy and security tricks yourselves!