Literacy with ICT

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Safe Surfing: Lessons in Online Safety

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As the Internet continues to play an ever-increasing role in our daily lives, we must all ensure that we practice safe surfing.  From accessing information to downloading media, communicating with others to uploading pictures, it is essential that we model the safe use of these online resources for our students and their families.

The following resources can provide teachers, parents and students alike with strategies for safe surfing on the Internet.  To access any of the resources below, simply click on the small icon with the title of the resource that interests you :-)

This resource was developed by the Government of Canada in 2006.  Kit 101 includes many valuable resources that can be used by students, parents and teachers, including: Online Resources At the Internet 101 website, you will find print materials availvable (in .pdf format) for free download.  Found in the parent section of the website, they include a 'Chat Lingo' dictionary and tips to secure the access children have to online resources. Presentation / Lesson Cards Each cue card highlights a different aspect of Internet Safety and these sets (available for Youth/Parent in English or French) can offer excellent opportunities for learning. Streaming Video or DVD Media A series of short videos has been created to complement lessons in the presentation card series.  They include instructional videos regarding different aspects of technology, as well as first-hand accounts of children who have been the victims of cyberbullying and other online dangers. Cybercops Internet Safety Games These two games, Mirror Image and AirDogs, have been developed by LiveWWWires.  Free copies of each game are available through the Manitoba Department of Education.  If interested, you must obtain a school-wide license to use these games in the classroom.  For more information about Mirror Image or Airdogs, Cybercops has links to these and other worthwhile Internet Safety activities.
	CyberSMART is a fantastic technology skills curriculum that was developed by affiliates of ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) south of the border.  As a skills curriculum, this resource was primarily designed for teachers, and it is currently being utilized by educators across North America and most of the other continents. CyberSMART offers a range of lessons and activities for students in Kindergarten through Grade 8, and the available resources are sorted into small grade ranges (K-1, 2-3, 4-5, or 6-8) which provides easy access to resources.  The CyberSMART curriculum is divided into five strands:                                             Safety                                             Manners                                             Advertising                                             Research                                             Technology Many of the lessons offered through this resource contain links with print materials (in .pdf format) for follow-up activities.  In addition, many of the activities reference websites that contain concrete examples of the skills being addressed through the activity.
The Kids in The Know curriculum was developed right here in Winnipeg, and although it comes with a price tag, this program covers all aspects of personal safety. One of the features of the Internet Safety component of Kids in the Know is Zoe & Molly Online, a comic book that features two young girls who encounter difficulties after sharing private information with an online stranger.  As with most of the resources (brochures, posters, magazines, etc...) available through the Kids in the Know program, there is a cost, but it is possible to find some valuable resources in the parent section of this website.
	CyberTip is Canada's national hotline for reporting the online sexual exploitation of children.  CyberTip receives many reports from children who have been exposed to some of the threats posed by the Internet, including cyberbullying and online predators.  Through personal accounts of various online dangers, CyberTip is trying to reduce these risks to children through education. Under the Education & Prevention tab at the CyberTip website, there are many useful resources for teachers, parents and children.  Information about the online interests of children, some of the risks that children face on the Internet, and guidelines for Internet Safety are all presented in an easy-to-read format. Another strength with this Internet Safety resource is the assortment of games that are linked through the Media Awareness Network website, all of which will further assist our students to develop critical thinking skills and evaluate the information they find while surfing the Internet.
CyberWise is an Internet Safety resource that has something for everyone.  Upon entering the website, you must identify yourself as a kid, a teen, a parent or an educator.  While kids and teens will enjoy the games and activities that can be accessed through this website, teachers will find some valuable information at CyberWise, including: e-Literacy PowerPoint Presentations Available in both English and French, some of these presentations are geared towards young children and others have been created for a teenage audience. Information Capsules Teachers can choose from over fifty downloadable (in either .pdf or Word format)  tidbits of information related to all aspects of the use of technology, such as blogging, filtering software and instant messaging.  These colourful and informative capsules would be perfect for posting in the classroom while students are utilizing some of these emerging technologies. Learning Activities CyberWise also offers teachers the ability to download (in Word format) over thirty different learning activities.  Each of these lesson plans will assist teachers in educating their students about different aspects of digital citizenship, including social networking, SPAM and netiquette.

By sharing some of these resources with your students, you are arming them with the ability to practice safer online surfing.  As educators, we must strive to teach our students to use the Internet ethically and responsibly.  As parents, we must provide our children with a safe and secure environment in which to explore the many benefits of the wired world.  

Don't just use these resources in your classroom --- have your students share some of these resources with their parents at home!  Put your students in the role of the teacher as they offer their parents lessons in online safety :-)