Empowering Learners Online
How can a school protect learners online
The vast majority of schools are part of the Schools Broadband Programme which provides a technology safeguarding infrastructure and service. However protecting learners by filtering alone will not educate learners how to keep themselves safe and use technology responsibly whenever and wherever they are online. Schools should create and implement an Internet Safety Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and a whole school education programme on the safe and ethical use of ICT.
Why does our school need an Internet Safety AUP?
As part of its duty of care the school has a remit to protect and ensure the safety of all the children and young people in its care. As the integration of ICT into the curriculum and across the school enables learners to collaborate, communicate and connect with others over the school’s own network and the Internet it is necessary to protect and safeguard them. Internet Safety is not a technology issue in itself; it offers all users of the school’s ICT advice and guidance on safe and responsible behaviour while using technology. Creating an AUP will enable the school to detail the ways in which staff, students and all users of the school’s ICT can and can not use the ICT facilities. The AUP should link to other school policies such as the Behaviour Policy, the Anti-Bullying Policy and the Homework Policy. Resources for Schools and AUP templates are available at http://www.webwise.ie/article.aspx?id=5144.
How can the school empower all users to keep themselves safe when using technology?
Encouraging staff and students to keep themselves safe online and when using the school’s ICT is the first step. Staff should promote the responsible use of technology and teach students how to protect themselves and others online. Students need to understand how to be safe online, be responsible in regard to content and in contact with others. The NCCA’s ICT Framework provides a guide to teachers for embedding ICT in the curriculum. One of the objectives of ICT Framework is to enable teachers to support students in habits which reflect ethical and responsible use of ICT. http://www.action.ncca.ie/en/ict-framework/intro. A whole school educational programme should be put in place to give students the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be safe and effective Internet users for life.
Webwise educational programmes for use in primary and post primary classrooms are available in the Learning Resources Area. Chatwise and Surfwise are online lessons featuring the engaging characters Niamh and Fionn accompanied by paper-based classroom exercises to evoke discussion and consolidate learning for primary school pupils. The Be WEBWISE! is a set of lessons designed to be part of the 5th and 6th class SPHE programme to help children keep themselves safe online. The post primary lessons //:Be SAFE_Be WEBWISE:// are a set of personal safety lessons and resources for Junior Cert. classrooms to help teenagers become safe and responsible social networking and Internet users. Each of the lessons may be downloaded from Webwise.ie.
What is File Sharing?
Peer-to-peer file sharing, sometimes called P2P, is a network technology that allows you to give people access to files on your machine across the Internet. P2P Applications like Napster, Kazoo, and Gnutella are widely used to ‘share’ MP3 music files and video clips. Using P2P applications can expose you to the following risks:
• You risk prosecution for making copyrighted music available over the Internet. The Irish Recorded Music Association has announced plans to take legal action against 17 Irish people for allowing people to download their music collections.
• You can inadvertently make highly personal information available to other users. File-sharing programs have been shown to obtain tax returns, medical records, personal correspondence, personal financial records etc.
• Inappropriate content - peer-to-peer software applications allows people to share any files they choose, there is no filtering or moderation. It is the responsibility of each individual user to participate in safe, responsible and legal sharing. This doesn’t always happen.
• P2P file sharing software can introduce "spyware" or "adware" into your computer. These programs which collect personal information for marketers can be bundled with file sharing utilities
• P2P file sharing software can spread viruses, worms and other malicious computer files due to increased connectivity and flaws in software design.
Mobile Phone Bullying
To keep parents informed of the ever-changing services available on mobile phones, the three mobile operators Meteor, O2 and Vodafone, under the auspices of the Irish Cellular Industry Association (ICIA), have devised a guide that sets out the basics of mobile phones in terms of their uses and services, its primary aim is to inform parents of some key safety tips that will encourage responsible and secure use of mobile phones by their children. It also gives advice for dealing with cases of bullying or malicious communication).
RSS Feed
