Cyber Safety Projects In Progress

Now that we are back in school it is interesting to see how the projects discussed over the summer are coming to fruition. As with any project that moves from theory to reality, there have been many revisions. Here is an overview of some of the projects that are happening around the community.In second grade we have started with cyber safety.
We started by using the site Footprints.com. The first thing we realized is that the video was not sensitive to all of our students. The movie has great information in a format that is accessible and enjoyed by the students, but it is not diverse. Furthermore, one of the pieces of information to keep safe is mother’s maiden name. The term maiden name is explained as the name your mom had before she married your father. In our community, with students from all types of families, this comment was unacceptable. We adapted the sheet we are using for the students to compile the information they are keeping safe to read: “parent’s name” but also decided that these videos could not work for us. We have chosen to use another site and have the students work through the information with us. We also discussed having the students create appropriate videos for their peers. This is a project we are thinking of tackling in the winter as the teachers delve into the unit on communication. Finding materials that represent diversity and are inclusive to all member of our community remains a continuous problem.
Third grade has also started working on cyber safety. We are creating Internet Passports. We are filling the passports with the information the students can share on the Internet, a place to keep usernames and passwords, avatars and what they learn about cyber safety. We kicked this off with PBS Rules of the Road. The students will continue to use the passports to keep information on how to identify a reliable site and finally what they learn from the sites they visit.
Fourth grade started off the year with a photo scavenger hunt and then jumped into creating public service announcements on cyber citizenship and safety. After watching a Disney Video we got to work crafting our messages. Students are struggling with using video and narration to convey a message. It is fabulous to see them reach beyond their comfort level, take risks and keep trying. There is a large amount of scaffolding but the growth is evident.
I am working with Middle School teams to find appropriate material for cyber safety and citizenship. Currently, I am reading over curriculum from Common Sense Media to implement throughout Sixth through Eighth grades. We will be discussing which parts of the curriculum work well in our community and what we may need to drop or transform for our needs
The school year is fast paced, and it is difficult to find the necessary time to reflect. However, there is also a certain joy to working with so many people on so many projects. As the year progresses and the work becomes more integral to the curriculum the need for more reflection will grow. Deconstruction and processing of the work we are doing will become more of a priority but harder to schedule. It is something that I will need to be more vigilant about.