NCTE Rolls-Out Internet Safety Training for Teachers
On Friday 11th May 2007, the first of two groups of 25 experts in the provision of ICT continuous professional development to teachers will come together in Athlone Education Centre to create Bebo Profiles, to chat with each other using Instant Messenger, and to watch videos on You Tube. These are just some of the activities ICT tutors will undertake in preparation for the delivery of an Internet safety course that is suitable for all teachers, both primary and post-primary, who wish to know how to integrate Internet Safety into their teaching and learning programmes. Following their training, the cohort of 50 trainers will deliver Internet Safety training courses to teachers in all 20 regional education centres.
The NCTE's Teaching Skills initiative and Webwise have developed the Integrating Internet Safety into Teaching & Learning course for teachers in response to the upsurge in use of the Internet in schools for learning, the increased reliance on the internet for homework, and the fact that more and more schools find themselves having to deal with the fall from children's recreational use of the Internet. This course will provide teachers all over the country with the opportunity to learn skills and practice activities to assist children and young people stay safe when they are using online technologies in school and in the wider community.
The NCTE has put in place a comprehensive training programme for teachers centered on a three-phase approach ranging from basic skills, through professional skills to pedagogical skills development. In other words, teachers will learn the fundamental principles of Internet safety, they will learn the practical steps to reduce the risks of using the internet for learning and for fun, and they will develop educational strategies that foster responsible and effective use of the Internet by their students.
Teachers will be able to take this course for the first time in summer 2007. It is planned that this course will be run regularly thereafter. Individual courses are rolled out in partnership with the education centres throughout the country where the ICT advisors play an integral role in facilitating local requirements. Courses are available through your local Education Centre. In addition to the scheduled ones, courses can also be run as 'whole school' events, taking place either in the education centre or in schools.
Contact: Simon Grehan, Internet Safety Project Officer, NCTE: 01 700 8927
