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NetSafe Episode 4: Be Kind Online (Grades K-3)

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Explaining Plagiarism (Paraphrasing & Citing too!)

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Online safety Staying safe online FREE RESOURCE

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The web is full of photos, and even videos, that are digitally altered. And it's often hard to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake. Help your students ask critical questions about why someone might alter a photo or video in the first place.

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Is Seeing Believing? | Common Sense Education

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Why do people alter digital photos and videos? Check out Is Seeing Believing?, a free digital citizenship lesson plan from Common Sense Education, to get your grade 3 students thinking critically and using technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate.

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Technology use isn't always a distraction, but there are definitely times when it's best to keep devices away. Help students learn when it's appropriate to use technology and when it's not -- and practice making family rules for device-free time at home.

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Device-Free Moments | Common Sense Education

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Why is it important that we have device-free moments in our lives? Check out Device-Free Moments, a free digital citizenship lesson plan from Common Sense Education, to get your grade 2 students thinking critically and using technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate.

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Usually, it's free to download apps and games. But there is no such thing as free. What's the real cost of using an app or game? What do you have to give away first when you download the app so that you can use it?

To register on the app, you have to give some personal information. Things like your name, date of birth, location, home address, email address. Then once you are logged into the app or game, everything that you do is information that the app/game company can see and use. (Your photos, videos, things you like, what you comment on, things you say to others, who your friends are).

Plus, don't forget in app-purchases. Often an app or game has things that you like but you must pay for.

All this information belongs to you and is about you. It tells a story about who you are; it's your private and personal information.

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Online & Internet Privacy For Kids - 2022 | Internet Safety for Kids & Families

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Usually, it's free to download apps and games. But there is no such thing as free. What's the real cost of using an app or game? What do you have to give away first when you download the app so that you can use it?

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Talking to Kids and Teens about Security and Privacy

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Talking to Kids and Teens about Security and Privacy

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In today's world, digitally connected families must think about safety and security both online and offline.

Every child is taught basic safety and security, like not talking to strangers and looking both ways before crossing the street. Teaching young people easy-to-learn life lessons for online safety and privacy begins with parents leading the way.

Technology has become fully integrated into young people's lives, and it is nearly impossible for parents or guardians to know everything their teens are doing online. The goal should not be for parents to monitor everything, but instead to teach teens how to be responsible digital citizens.

Tips for parents

Be honest about threats

Be real with your kids. Talk to them about the threats they can face online and why keeping their personal information private is so important to their safety.

Stay current

Keep pace with new ways to stay safe online: Keep up with new technology and ways to manage privacy. Visit staysafeonline.org or other trusted websites for the latest information about ways to stay safe online. Talk about what you discovered with your family, and engage them on a regular basis to share what they know about privacy.

Remain positively engaged

Pay attention to and know the online environments your children use. In the real world, there are good and bad neighborhoods, and the online world is no different. Help them to identify safe and trusted websites and apps. Encourage them to be cautious about clicking on, downloading, posting and uploading content.

Tips to share with kids

Personal information is like money

Information about your kids, such as the games they like to play and what they search for online, has value ‒ just like money. Talk to your kids about the value of their information and how to be selective with the information they provide to apps and websites. Have a discussion about what types of information they should share, and what types of information (such as addresses, photos, phone numbers, etc.) they should not share.

What happens online stays online

Help your children understand that any information they share online can easily be copied and is almost impossible to take back. Teach them to consider who might see a post and how it might be perceived in the future.

Own your online presence

Start the conversation about the public nature of the Internet early. Learn about and teach your kids how to use privacy and security settings on their favorite online games, apps and platforms. Take a moment to configure them together-explaining why you are restricting some features (such as location tracking).

Post only about others as you would like them to post about you

Remind children and family members about the golden rule and that it applies online as well. What they do online can positively or negatively impact other people.

Tips to share with teens

We recommend parents and guardians take time to discuss cybersecurity best practices with their teens, stressing a few of these critical points:

Privacy and security settings exist for a reason

Learn about and use the privacy and security settings on social networks. They are there to help you control who sees what you post and manage your online experience in a positive way.

Keep personal info personal

Be cautious about how much personal information you provide on social networking sites. The more information you post, the easier it may be for a hacker or someone else to use that information to steal your identity, access your data or commit other crimes such as stalking.

Once posted, always posted

Protect your reputation on social networks. What you post online stays online. Think twice before posting pictures you wouldn't want your parents or future employers to see. Recent research found that 70 percent of job recruiters rejected candidates based on information they found online.

Be aware of what's being shared

Be aware that when you post a picture or video online, you may also be sharing information about others or personal details about yourself like where you live, go to school or hang out.

Know and manage your friends

Social networks can be used for a variety of purposes. Some of the fun is creating a large pool of friends from many aspects of your life. That doesn't mean all friends are created equal. If you're trying to create a public persona as a blogger or expert, create an open profile or a "fan" page that encourages broad participation and limits personal information. Use your personal profile to keep your real friends (the ones you know and trust) up to date with your daily life. Also, you don't have to accept friend requests from everyone. If you don't know someone, it's perfectly fine not to accept their request to connect.

Know what action to take

If someone is harassing or threatening you, remove them from your friends list, block them and report them to the site administrator.

Know what's being collected, who is collecting it and how it will be used

Information about you, such as the games you like to play, what you search for online and where you shop and live, has value - just like money. Be thoughtful about who gets that information and how it's collected through apps and websites. Only use a product or service if the company is open and clearly states how it will use your personal information. If you're not sure what a business will do with your information, ask your parents. Think twice if an app wants permission to use personal information (like your location) it doesn't need before you say "OK."

Use secure wi-fi

Public wireless networks and hotspots are not secure - this means the possibility exists that anyone can see what you are doing on your laptop or smartphone while you are connected to it. Think about what you are doing and if you would want another person to see it. If you use public WiFi a lot, think about using a virtual private network (VPN) that provides a more secure WiFi connection.

Now you see me, now you don't

Some stores and other locations look for devices with WiFi or Bluetooth turned on to track your movements while you are within range. Turn off WiFi and Bluetooth when not in use, and limit your use of free public wireless networks, which stores and locations can use to track what you do online.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, it's a good idea to check your child's credit report near the age of 16 so you'll have time to fix any errors before they take out that first loan or apply for their first job. Learn more about child identity protection here: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0040-child-identity-theft
Additional resources

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Talking to Kids and Teens about Security and Privacy

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Every child is taught basic safety and security, like not talking to strangers and looking both ways before crossing the street. Teaching young people easy-to-learn life lessons for online safety and privacy begins with parents leading the way.

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What is Netiquette?

Netiquette is a combination of the words internet and etiquette. Our social circle grows when we are online. Kids need opportunities to understand how to treat others with respect even when our interaction is virtual. It's easy to forget that people behind the screen are real too. When young people realize that anyone they interact with online is someone's family-someone's child, just like they are, they will have a desire to show kindness.

While the online environment affects etiquette, its core traits-respect, consideration, and honesty-are universal (Post, 2017). In other words, when you teach the art of netiquette to your children, they will likely already have an instinct for it based on real-life experiences. Teaching your kids appropriate behavior around any device will prepare them to protect and defend themselves and others.

Online Safety for Kids

Although the internet offers endless knowledge and expands our cultural awareness, it can also be used to exploit children. Young people face threats they may never have to deal with in the real world, like identity theft, harassment, and cyberbullying. Kids are particularly vulnerable to abuse because they are generally underprepared to withstand it (Webroot, n.d.). Even adults struggle to filter what they share online, resulting in strained relationships (Soler-Costa et al., 2021). Without awareness and guidelines, children can't be expected to engage safely and appropriately.

By teaching your kids how to behave online, you're keeping them in check and taking power away from abusers. Below you'll find some suggestions for having open conversations with your children about online etiquette and digital citizenship.

Phone Etiquette

Because phones are mobile, we use them throughout the day. That means we've got to think about how our smartphone use affects those around us. Teach kids to know when they can use their phones in public. Help them learn to be present and prioritize the people around them by putting their phones aside. To teach children safe and effective communication, start talking about phone etiquette and modeling best practices.

Phone etiquette for kids:

Staying Safe on the Internet

It's easy to think we're safe behind our screens, but if we're not careful, information can spread quickly and anonymously. The best way to protect your children online is to discuss internet safety with them (Common Sense Census, 2019).

Only about a third of teens say their parents know 'a lot' about what they do online (32 percent), the apps they use (29 percent), or what they do on social media (32 percent).
-Common Sense Census, 2019

Being aware of how they spend their time online will also safeguard their hearts, minds, and privacy. According to Common Sense Media, "only about a third of teens say their parents know 'a lot' about what they do online (32 percent), the apps they use (29 percent), or what they do on social media (32 percent)" (Common Sense Census 2019). Conversations between kids and parents are the best way to understand children's online behavior.

Helping Kids Protect Privacy

Youngsters must be taught how to respect and protect each other's privacy online. Teach your child to ask for consent before sharing photos, videos, and social media posts, including personal information about others, like faces, license plates, or phone numbers. Encourage your child to be aware of their own digital footprint and be honest about how they present themselves online. Understanding the concept of digital permanence is essential. Once something has been posted online, it is there forever. Here are some best practices to share with your children:

Best online manners

Conversation Starters

Frequent conversations are the easiest way to get kids to mind their manners online and on the phone. Don't be afraid to share your own stories! Your kids will laugh and learn from you. Here are some ideas to start the conversation.

What kinds of information do you feel comfortable sharing about yourself and others online? What could be risky about making this information public?

What would you do if you saw someone bullied online? Have you ever experienced bullying from someone in this way? How could you help?

Have you ever heard of a digital footprint? Eventually, each of us will have a really big one! It's important to pause and think before you post. How do you think your digital footprint might affect you in the future?

When is it okay to be on your phone when other people are around? When should we put our phones away?

How would you react if a stranger started messaging you online? What situations would make you uncomfortable? Let's talk about a safety plan.

In what ways can you make your online platform a safe and positive place for yourself and others?

Learning netiquette takes time and practice. Talking it through together is a great way to see where they need more help. Expect missteps and bumps in the road-becoming safe and competent online takes knowledge, time, and practice.

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Netiquette is a combination of the words internet and etiquette. Our social circle grows when we are online. Kids need opportunities to understand how to treat others with respect even when our interaction is virtual. It's easy to forget that people behind the screen are real too.

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Teaching Teens about Digital Etiquette: Zeeko Tips

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Teaching Teens about Digital Etiquette: Zeeko Tips

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Helping your teenager to understand the importance of 'digital etiquette' is the focus of our blog this week. Here are some tips to you can pass on to your teen to help them to be more conscious of their online behaviour.

Teach the "Grandma Rule": As communication via social media becomes ingrained in our culture, children need to know how to handle social networking etiquette. A good rule is to only share or leave comments that you would feel comfortable with granny seeing or reading. If you hesitate or question how grandma would react, then you probably should not be posting. This concept helps kids define what behaviours are acceptable. Also, remind children that nothing is really private online, everything has the possibility of being shared.

Be in the know: Communication is key. It estimated that 70 percent of our teens actually take measures to hide their online activity from adults. These behaviours range anywhere from dimming screens, closing windows, or creating dummy social media accounts. It is important that we stay informed about trends, new social media hangouts, and what sites our kids frequent. Ask a child to friend you online and check their activity frequently.

Let them know it's okay to "say no" to sexting: Sexting involves much more than sending a racy selfie to someone. Teens who sext can be emotionally hurt, bullied, and targeted by sexual predators. Even with the lurking threats, sexting is now frequently perceived as a safe alternative to sex and a normal part of adolescent development. Children need to know that they can decline a sext request. If a person truly cares about them, they will respect the decision to say no.

Take every opportunity possible to remind teenagers that what they see when they are using social media is only a snippet of people's lives and may not always be a true reflection of reality.

Having an open communication style with your teenager will be a great help when it comes to conversations about social media. If your child knows that they can talk openly to you about what they are encountering when they are using social media, they will be more likely to regularly share their experiences.

Remind your teenager to exercise the same level of caution when they are using social media as they would when they are offline. If they wouldn't share personal information with a stranger in the 'real world', then why would they share this information when they are online?

For older teens, encourage them to activate the safety settings on any digital devices that they are using, be that a smartphone, iPad or Tablet. Regularly reviewing these settings with your teenager is a good idea.

The important thing about safely navigating social media for all of us is knowing how to make smart choices with what you share and who you share it with!

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Teaching Teens about Digital Etiquette: Zeeko Tips

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Helping your teenager to understand the importance of 'digital etiquette' is the focus of our blog this week. Here are some tips to you can pass on to your teen to help them to be more conscious of their online behaviour. Teach the "Grandma Rule": As communication via social media becomes ingrained in our culture, [...]

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Digital Responsibility: How to Teach Kids to be Good Digital Citizens

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Digital Responsibility: How to Teach Kids to be Good Digital Citizens

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Digital responsibility is huge. What to do, how to do it and what not to do all fall into the realm of online responsibility. Let's talk about how to teach kids to be good digital citizens.
My kids love to be online. Whether they are chatting with friends via Facebook Messenger for kids or gaming on platforms such as Roblox or Fortnite, they love the digital world and all it entails. As a parent, I have a love-hate relationship with the Internet, realizing it can be both fun and educational as well as overwhelming and a bit scary.

In this new age of parenting, which encompasses navigating a digital world in a way our own parents didn't have to, it is imperative to teach kids from a young age the responsibilities they have to be good citizens both on and off line. Not only will good digital citizenship keep them safe online, it will help them make positive choices in all aspects of their lives.

Important Talking Points with Kids regarding Digital Citizenship

When I first was deciding where I would start in terms of talking with my kids about internet safety and digital citizenship, I thought back to that State Farm commercial that was popular (and funny in a "too true" sort of way) a few years ago where a guy and a girl are talking and a dopey-looking guy approaches the girl. She tells the first guy that she met him on the internet and that's he's a French model. The "French model," while not very model-ly looking, then says "Bonjour" in a way that makes it evident that he isn't even French. We, as viewers, know the girl has been lied to. But, the idea behind the commercial is that if it's on the internet, it must be true. This was a good jumping-off point with my kids.

How to teach kids to be good digital citizens

1. Be truthful online. Unlike the guy in the commercial, don't tell people you're a French model unless you're a French model.

2. Be kind. Don't say things online you wouldn't say in person. This one is SO important. I remind my kids all the time- anything can be screen shotted and used against them. When it doubt, don't say it, photograph it or participate in it. Always be kind.

3. Don't steal. This one was honestly new to me, but my middle daughter was in tears a few weeks ago when a friend on Roblox convinced her to give her a pet she had and promised one in return. Her friend, then, did not give her a pet in return and she was so upset. We sat down with all three girls and told them that if you wouldn't take something from someone in real life, don't take something digital, either.

4. Be mindful of who you spend time with online. If we only ever chat online to friends, are we actually friends? It's important to teach kids the difference between friends and internet friends. My oldest once complained that a friend from school would talk to her all afternoon on Facebook Messenger but ignored her at school. I told her that must hurt her feelings and we used it at a lesson. If you don't talk to someone at school, don't go home and spend all afternoon online. It sends mixed messages and can be hurtful. Find the balance between online friendships and real-life friendships. And then, log off of your device and go hang out with your friend IRL!

5. Privacy doesn't exist online. This has been the hardest lesson for my kids to wrap their heads around. "But mom," my oldest always says, "I only talked about (that topic) with one person." While I want my kids to trust their friends and their relationship with their friends both online and in real life, I want my kids to understand that the internet is not a place for privacy. It is not a place to say mean or lewd things, share photos or videos that aren't parent-approved or many other things. I remind them constantly that everything they do leaves a digital trail. Everything can be screen shotted and stored away. Nothing. Is. Private. Everything they say and do should be on the up and up. I tell my oldest all the time, "Would you say that or share a photo of that with your grandma?" If she answers no, then I tell her it can't go online!

6. Don't visit sites without parental approval. We have filters on our kids' devices... But it is incredibly easy for an innocent internet search to end up in a really inappropriate way. (For example- our Girl Scout Service Unit is called Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains. They abbreviate it GSTOP. When you first Google GSTOP, well, the sites that pop up aren't really intended for young eyes...) Teach kids the importance of being mindful with searches and not clicking on pop ups. I tell them if they are in doubt to come ask me!

Common Sense Media has a great, short video about digital citizenship for kids that is a great jumping-off point for them to learn about the importance of online behavior. With virtual learning becoming more and more prevalent in kids' lives these days and online gaming being the after school activity of choice for many, kids are never too young to start learning about proper internet protocol and safety!

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How to Teach Kids to be Good Digital Citizens - Kidas

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Digital responsibility is huge. What to do, how to do it and what not to do all fall into the realm of online responsibility. Let's talk about how to teach kids to be good digital citizens. My kids love to be online.

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How digital health tools help kids form better habits

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How digital health tools help kids form better habits

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Rewards badges from Zamzee

The Health Resources and Services Administration at HHS is working on a new texting initiative, based on the successful public health texting initiative Text4Baby, called TXT4Tots. The department is soliciting via the Federal Registry for ways to distribute their library of text messages designed to promote wellness, nutrition and exercise for parents of children under five.

But the government isn't the only one looking for ways to leverage digital health solutions to promote kids' health and wellness.

Even as the players solidify in the burgeoning adult health tracking space, a growing number of companies is looking to apply digital health and self-tracking lessons to the problem of childhood obesity, and the challenge of getting kids to be more active. First Lady Michelle Obama's high-profile Let's Move initiative even acknowledges the role digital health can play in getting kids active: the initiative included an Apps for Healthy Kids contest on challenge.gov. The winner was Smash Your Food, from Food N' Me, a game that builds kids' awareness of the fat, sugar and oil content of different foods by letting them guess those numbers and then check their guess through a simulation of smashing the food in a compressor. A similar app from Medtronic uses an animal avatar called Lenny the Lion to teach kids with diabetes about carb counting.
Getting kids moving: Zamzee, GeoPalz, and Sqord
One prominent emerging solution is web and mobile platforms with accompanying activity trackers that use social and gaming mechanics to spur kids to activity. One of the earliest entrants is Zamzee, a platform that spun out of HopeLab in 2010.

"In terms of where kids are spending their time, the engagement with digital technology is increasingly pervasive," said Richard Tate, VP of Communications and Marketing at HopeLab. "It's a lot of time with technology. A lot of people have pointed to that as part of the 'problem' that has led to sedentary behavior. We were interested in turning that on its head, seeing if digital technology could be part of the solution."

In Zamzee's system, kids wear a Zamzee Activity Monitor, a plastic tracker with a customizable skin. The device tracks their movement, not just steps, the company says, but intensity of activity: whether or not it fits into the "moderate or vigorous" categories considered to be most beneficial to kids. When kids plug the device's USB slider into a computer, they gain "Pointz" based on how much they've moved, which they can use to buy prizes like skins for their Tracker, big ticket items like iPods, or even donations to a charity (a surprisingly popular choice, a Zamzee rep told MobiHealthNews). HopeLab recently released an efficacy study which showed Zamzee got kids to move 60 percent more than non-users over a six month period.

Another system, which MobiHealthNews mentioned in our CES 2013 slideshow, is GeoPalz (their forthcoming mobile-based system is called iBitz). GeoPalz markets their product to parents at Whole Foods and REI stores. They provide a pedometer, worn on the hip or shoe and shaped like, for instance, a lady bug or a soccer ball, and a web and mobile portal. With GeoPalz, kids read their steps taken off a screen on the pedometer and manually enter that number into a website, which converts the steps into points they can use to buy goods selected and priced by their parents. The system has as back-end that allows parents to select appropriate gifts from Amazon.com and set a number of points for each product they think is appropriate.

GeoPalz also partners with game makers (like online flash game maker Nitrome) to license versions of their games on the GeoPalz site. The number of activity points a child has collected during the day will buy a corresponding number of minutes playing a game - once they expire, it's locked until the kid moves some more. iBitz, which also syncs steps automatically, will take that one step further -- partnered game developers have created versions of their games where kids can use activity points to buy in-game goods like secret items and achievements.

A third, burgeoning digital health for kids platform, , just completed a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Sqord offers a wristworn tracker which syncs wirelessly, and the company is focused on the social aspect at the classroom or neighborhood level. Competition is the main motivator in Sqord's platform, rather than rewards. Sqord, which won a Technology Innovator award from Tufts-based nonprofit ChildObesity180, has been in beta with limited pilot trials in classrooms since June 2011. Sqord "is powered in part by" the Fitbit Ultra hardware and API, according to the company's website.

"Our belief is that, at its core, active play is still a lot of fun for kids, it's just gotten crowded out by other interests. If you build a platform based around active play and grab that interest, you can get them back in," Sqord CEO Coleman Greene told MobiHealthNews.

The Sqord hub and PowerBand.
What makes tracking for kids different?
But what does it take to sell digital health to parents and kids? Some of the devices available suggest that adapting self-tracking for a younger audience involves a number of tweaks in approach.

"Parents can be self-motivated just by giving themselves a goal -- measurability and self-reporting, that's parents motivation," said Zan O'Leary, co-founder of GeoPalz. "Kids are completely different. Kids are motivated by prizes, by rewards. They don't care how many steps they take because it's never been put to their attention."

"Kids don't necessarily work out or exercise, per se, for extended periods of time," said Zamzee's Tate. "Kids tend to move in short bursts of activity. They play. And we were very interested in tracking even those short bursts, because over time that's good for you."

A lot of parents would think twice about giving a child a $100 Fitbit device, for instance. Kids' trackers need to be something parents can feel good about giving to children who could lose them or subject them to some harsh treatment while playing. Sqord's PowerBand is waterproof and nearly indestructible, Greene claims, and O'Leary says the steel GeoPalz tracker is water-resistant and robust. Zamzee says their device is pretty tough, too, but they also offer a generous replacement policy for lost or broken trackers. As for the price point, Zamzee trackers are $29.99, GeoPalz charges $25.00 for their classic and $40.00 to pre-order the iBitz PowerKey, and Sqord is looking to charge around $20, according to Greene. All three companies stressed the importance of a fashionable, personalized tracker for getting kids engaged.

One final challenge to building a platform for kids, especially kids under 13, is greater privacy considerations. Kids digital health companies want to provide a social experience also, but it's important they do so in a way that's compliant with COPPA, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. GeoPalz largely shies away from social features because of COPPA, O'Leary said. So the sharing that happens with GeoPalz is limited to the family unit, within which parents and siblings can share data. But Tate told MobiHealthNews that Zamzee saw an opportunity to make their social features more creative instead.

Zamzee users create online profile with made up names and they can share their tracking data and enter into competitions with other users anonymously. There's no free chat, which would compromise security, but there is a feature called "Whamz" which Zamzee Content and Social Media Manager Nina Gannes described as status updates crossed with Mad Libs. Kids choose from drop down menus to create statuses like "Walking the dog on the moon and making it epic" that they can share on the site.

By selling their platform to organizations, Sqord can focus on social motivators without running up against COPPA problems. Kids are only interacting on the site with known peers.

"Our platform is more fun the more people you have, kind of like with any game," said Greene. "Really the schools and the youth organizations are where we've spent most of our time today."
Kids can track weight, blood sugar, and, soon, allergens
The forthcoming iBitz PowerKey from GeoPalz

Last month, health peripheral maker Withings released their Smart Kid Scale, a version of their flagship connected weight scale product aimed specifically at parents. The scale is equipped with a basket so it can be used as a baby scale, but the basket is removable so it can continue to track weight up to age 8. The connected app also lets parents track height, to keep a record of a child's growth.

"With the Smart Kid Scale, we're hoping to bring the same positive outcomes we've seen in adults with weight tracking to the adults of the future," Withings co-founder Cedric Hutchings said in a statement. "We've made it very simple for parents to track the weight progress of their children and therefore giving them a tool that will assist in turning their children into healthy adults."

Although fighting obesity and promoting activity is one of the most obvious mass market opportunities for kid's digital health, there are also some chronic diseases that affect children, and some companies are leveraging mobile and digital health solutions to help kids manage these conditions.

Ayogo's Monster Manor app uses progressively unlockable games, similar to GeoPalz, to encourage kids with diabetes to check their blood sugar regularly. The app is synced with an app on the parent's phone, so when kids check their blood sugar, their parents can see the results right away. The parents can even customize the in-game incentives to meet their child's needs, and the whole system is designed to be done in 10-minute spurts, so kids aren't kept away from their classrooms throughout the day.

Just like with fitness tracking, one factor that's at play here is habit formation, and it stands to reason that habits formed at a young age will persist into adulthood, whether the habit is working out or carefully and regularly checking one's blood glucose.

Another chronic condition afflicting kids, moreso than adults even, is food allergies and intolerances, which are inexplicably on the rise. As MobiHealthNews reported in mid-December, a UCLA researcher is working on technology that will turn smartphones into mobile labs to test foods for particular allergens.

One more company is leveraging gamification and tracking to keep kids honest with brushing their teeth. The FDA-cleared Beam Brush is a smart toothbrush that uploads data on how much and how often kids brush to an app their parents can track. They just partnered with Kiip to offer rewards to kids who meet their dental hygiene goals.

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How digital health tools help kids form better habits

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Rewards badges from Zamzee The Health Resources and Services Administration at HHS is working on a new texting initiative, based on the successful public health texting initiative Text4Baby, called TXT4Tots. The department is soliciting via the Federal Registry for ways to distribute their library of text messages designed to promote wellness, nutrition and exercise for parents of children under five.

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The EVO Visian ICL Lens is intended for the correction of moderate to high nearsightedness. EVO Visian ICL and EVO Visian TICL surgery is intended to safely and effectively correct nearsightedness between -3.0 D to -15.0 D, the reduction in nearsightedness up to -20.0 D and treatment of astigmatism from 1.0 D to 4.0 D. If you have nearsightedness within these ranges, EVO Visian ICL surgery may improve your distance vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Because the EVO Visian ICL corrects for distance vision, it does not eliminate the need for reading glasses, you may require them at some point, even if you have never worn them before.

Implantation of the EVO Visian ICL is a surgical procedure, and as such, carries potentially serious risks. Please discuss the risks with your eye care professional. Complications, although rare, may include need for additional surgical procedures, inflammation, loss of cells from the back surface of the cornea, increase in eye pressure, and cataracts.

You should NOT have EVO Visian ICL surgery if:

Your doctor determines that the shape of your eye is not an appropriate fit for the EVO Visian ICL

You are pregnant or nursing

You have moderate to severe damage to the optic nerve caused by increased pressure (glaucoma)

You do not meet the minimum endothelial cell density for your age at the time of implantation as determined by your eye doctor

Your vision is not stable as determined by your eye doctor

Before considering EVO Visian ICL surgery you should have a complete eye examination and talk with your eye care professional about EVO Visian ICL surgery, especially the potential benefits, risks, and complications. You should discuss the time needed for healing after surgery. For additional information with potential benefits, risks and complications please visit DiscoverICL.com.

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Kids and Digital Eye Strain Facts - Health, Kids

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The EVO Visian ICL Lens is intended for the correction of moderate to high nearsightedness. EVO Visian ICL and EVO Visian TICL surgery is intended to safely and effectively correct nearsightedness between -3.0 D to -15.0 D, the reduction in nearsightedness up to -20.0 D and treatment of astigmatism from 1.0 D to 4.0 D.

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Whether you're responsible for a complete Information and Computer Technologies program or introducing students to coding for kids within your regular grade classroom, teaching children responsible digital citizenship is a key area of technology learning

Digital citizenship encompasses all elements of responsible technology usage, including cyberbully prevention, online safety, digital responsibility, and digital health and wellness.

The titles included in this collection have been specifically chosen as the best books about digital citizenship exploring many of these themes - everything from keeping personal information private, meeting strangers online and the importance of developing healthy screen time limits.
Want to learn more about the science of computer coding? Check out this collection of 25 Picture Books about Coding for more!
15 Books About Responsible Digital Citizenship

Once upon a time, a laptop arrived in Fairy-tale land, and a happily ever after was only a click away! This fun story about what happens when your favourite fairytale characters receive a laptop is useful for starting conversations about good digital citizenship.
Available: Amazon

But I Read It On the Internet by Toni Buzzeo: A useful story to share with intermediate grades as they learn to assess the accuracy of web based sources of information.
Available: The Book Depository

Chicken Clicking by Jeanne Willis: A cautionary tale about a cheeky chicken who loves shopping online...but when she makes a friend online and decides to meet him in real life, she discovers all is not as it seems!
Available: The Book Depository

Troll Stinks by Jeanne Willis: Billy Goat and Cyril are messing about with the farmer's mobile phone, taking selfies and playing games until they find the number for Troll. Trolls are bad so Billy and Cyril decide to send Troll nasty messages. After all, trolls really do stink! Don't they?
Available: Amazon

For more handy learning resources, check out our related posts;

Pin for later:

Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.

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11 Picture Books We All Need to Read! Books About Responsible Digital Citizenship

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Whether you're responsible for a complete Information and Computer Technologies program or introducing students to coding for kids within your regular grade classroom, teaching children responsible digital citizenship is a key area of technology learning Digital citizenship encompasses all elements of responsible technology usage, including cyberbully prevention, online safety, digital responsibility, and digital health and wellness.

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Digital Rights and Responsibilities of Students and Educators

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Digital Rights and Responsibilities of Students and Educators

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How to help your students build Digital Fluency

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How to help your students build Digital Fluency

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How to Help Your Students Build Digital Fluency

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Spread the loveYears ago, educators were tasked with teaching students the concept of how to read and write thoughtfully. The concept of literacy continues to evolve, and teachers are now facing a new and unique task that is pertinent to the modern age.

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by Alyona Eidinger, Privacy Intern

Parent and Teacher Privacy Resources

Let's Start with the Basics: Are Children Protected Online?

What privacy protections do children have online?

How can I help protect kids' privacy?

A national law sets the stage

Back in 1998, in the "Privacy Online: A Report to Congress," the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urged Congress to develop legislation that would put parents in control of how their children's personal information is collected online and used. Four months later, Congress enacted the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a law intended to help parents protect children's privacy.

So, who is covered as a "child"?

For the purposes of COPPA, a "child" refers to a person younger than age 13. Teens are not included. Really? So a 13-year-old is considered an adult? That would be a "yes." COPPA prohibits operators of commercial websites or online services to collect personal information from children younger than 13 unless the operators undertake certain safeguards. First, there must be a notice posted online describing the operator's practices related to the collection, use, and disclosure of children's personal information. Second, the operators must obtain "verifiable parental consent" (VPC) to be able to collect, use, or disclose children's personal information.

What counts as "personal information" under COPPA?

The current COPPA Rule, which went into effect on July 1, 2013, defines "personal information" as "individually identifiable information about an individual collected online," including:

1. A first and last name.

2. A home or other physical address, including street name and city or town.

3. Online contact information, which means an email address or any other substantially similar identifier that permits direct contact with a person online, including but not limited to, an instant-messaging user identifier, an identifier for voice over internet protocol (VOIP), or a video-chat user identifier.

4. A screen name or username where it functions in the same manner as online contact information, as defined in this section.

5. A telephone number.

6. A Social Security number.

7. A persistent identifier that can be used to recognize a user over time and across different websites or online services. Persistent identifiers may include a customer number held in a cookie, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a processor or device serial number, or unique device identifier.

8. A photograph, video, or audio file containing a child's image or voice.

9. Geolocation information sufficient to identify a street name and the name of a city or town.

10. Information concerning the child or the child's parents that the operator collects online from the child and combines with an identifier described in this definition.

Attachment A tracks how COPPA's definition of "personal information" has changed since 1998. As the FTC has been conducting its regulatory review of the COPPA Rule since 2019, more changes may be forthcoming.

How can we provide consent? (Or not!)

COPPA uses broad strokes to define verifiable parental consent. It defines VPC as any reasonable effort (considering available technology) to ensure that a parent receives notice of the operator's practices related to the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information and then authorizes the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information before that information is collected from the child. For the purposes of COPPA, a parent includes a legal guardian.

Unless the collection fits into one of the COPPA Rule's exceptions, the Rule generally requires a person operating a commercial website or an online service to obtain VPC before collecting any personal information from a child.

Although COPPA does not define or prescribe specific methods for obtaining parental consent, it provides several examples of which parental consent methods satisfy COPPA's requirement for VPC. The COPPA Rule further clarifies that any method to obtain VPC must be reasonably calculated, in light of available technology, to ensure that the person providing consent is the child's parent. These methods include:

1. Providing a consent form to be signed by the parent and returned to the operator by postal mail, fax, or electronic scan.

2. Requiring a parent, in connection with a monetary transaction, to use a credit card, debit card, or other online payment system that provides notification of each discrete transaction to the primary account holder.

3. Having a parent call a toll-free telephone number staffed by trained personnel.

4. Having a parent connect to trained personnel through video conference.

5. Verifying a parent's identity by checking a form of government-issued identification against databases of such information, where the parent's identification is deleted by the operator from its records promptly after such verification is complete.

6. A company that does not "disclose" (as defined by COPPA Rule § 312.2) children's personal information may use an email coupled with additional steps to provide assurances that the person providing the consent is the parent. Such additional steps include sending a confirmatory email to the parent following receipt of consent, or obtaining a postal address or telephone number from the parent and confirming the parent's consent by letter or telephone call. A company that uses this method must provide notice that the parent can revoke any consent given in response to the earlier email.

Attachment B tracks how methods for VPC have changed since 1998.

The most significant change was the introduction of the safe harbor program, an FTC program that allows industry groups or other organizations to submit for the FTC's approval self-regulatory guidelines that implement the COPPA Rule protections. Companies that comply with the approved guidelines receive a seal to display on their websites, making it easy for parents to identify products that are compliant with the COPPA Rule. Currently, the FTC has approved seven safe harbor organizations, including TRUSTe and kidSAFE.

As the FTC is currently reviewing COPPA, more changes related to the methods of obtaining VPC may be forthcoming.

What happens if companies break the law?

Congress empowered the FTC with the authority to create rules implementing COPPA. On April 21, 2000, the FTC's COPPA Rule went into effect. In the preceding press release, the FTC alerted the operators of the commercial websites that they would be breaking federal law if they collected personal information from children younger than 13 without the consent of their parents.

Congress also empowered the FTC with the authority to enforce COPPA and bring actions against companies that failed to comply with the provisions of the law. Since enacting its COPPA Rule, the FTC has brought 33 enforcement actions.

Well, the internet has changed a bit since 1998, so ...

Another responsibility of the FTC is to make sure that the COPPA Rule keeps pace with changes in technology, the development of new business models involving data collection, and the evolving ways that children interact with online services. This obligation triggered amendments to the COPPA Rule in 2013. Other contributing factors included:

The rise in social media platforms allowing children to upload photos and videos.

The explosive use of smartphone technology permitting the collection of precise geolocation information.

The use of behavioral advertising for children.

The FTC typically reviews its Rules every 10 years to ensure that they have kept up with changes in the marketplace, technology, and business models. Yet the FTC initiated the COPPA Rule review process in 2019, ahead of the regular schedule. Aware that the online environment for children continues to evolve at a rapid pace, and faithful to its goal to stay alert to the technological innovation, the FTC sought public comments on how the COPPA Rule should apply, given the growth of education technologies, the use of voice-activated connected devices, and the prevalence of platforms that host third-party content. There were 118,985 public comments submitted. Common Sense Media was among the participants to submit comments.

What can we do to protect kids?

1. Check out our privacy evaluations, then choose and use products with better privacy ratings.

2. Education, education, and yes, more education. The Digital Citizenship Curriculum has sections on privacy education for kids and their parents.

3. Stay up to date on tech with our quick guide.

4. School districts can join our privacy work at the District Consortium.

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Let's Start with the Basics: Are Children Protected Online? | Common Sense Education

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What privacy protections do children have online? How can I help protect kids' privacy? Back in 1998, in the "Privacy Online: A Report to Congress," the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urged Congress to develop legislation that would put parents in control of how their children's personal information is collected online and used.

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Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. For more info please see my disclosure policy.

Today we are talking about copyright laws. Just as it is important for me as a blogger, podcaster, author, and YouTube creator to know how to legally use another's content, when our children write papers, interact on the internet, or create media content it is important for them to know what is legal and what is not. When it comes to obeying these laws, ignorance is no excuse.

Just to make sure we are all on the same page, copyright is a law that gives you ownership over your media creations-poetry, essays, photos, paintings, websites, videos, etc. This means that you and only you have the right to perform the work, display the work, write variations of the work, reproduce the work, or distribute copies of the work. If you perform or make copies of a work, even with attribution, you are breaking the law unless you have the OK from the creator.

In Europe, they actually go a step farther than in the United States, by adding a moral right which says authors also have the right to object to any derogatory action that may damage the author's reputation or distort the original intent of the work. In other words, we need to be very careful when quoting or using another's content.

So here are 5 copyright laws you will want to make sure both you AND your child know before their next content creation.

1. Using Someone Else's Content to Make Money is Illegal

One of the most commonly used defenses for using quotations and other copyrighted media content is what is known as the fair use law. "Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. copyright statute," [and I'm quoting here] "it is permissible to use limited portions of a work including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, and scholarly reports. There are no legal rules permitting the use of a specific number of words, a certain number of musical notes, or percentage of a work." As you can see, the law on fair use is fairly vague and is usually only used on the defensive if you get sued. That doesn't encouraging, does it?

Yet we know that using other's content to validate our own is an important part of content creation so how do we teach our children to do this legally? Some important factors judges consider when looking at fair use copyright cases is whether the use deprives the copyright owner of income, whether it's used for educational purposes, and how much content was used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole.

While no specific perimeters are given by the law directly, Stanford University has created a 10% guide for its students which I think is a good starting point for homeschool students as well. In short, they recommend:

1,000 words or less or up to 10% of written quotations (whichever is less)

30 seconds or less or up to 10% of music and lyric excerpts (whichever is less)

2,500 fields or less or up to 10% of database information (whichever is less)

No more than 5 images by the same artist or photographer or up to 10% of their photographs (whichever is less)

These are just guides given by one educational institution and not the letter of the law. However, the point is -use quotations sparingly and for educational purposes ONLY NOT for commercial use. By the way, if you want to check your child's original content for plagiarism, you may want to copy and paste your child's text into a free online program like Plagium for a quick scan. ( I'll include the link in the show notes).

2. Creative Commons is NOT the Same as Public Domain

Any work in public domain is free to use and no longer restricted by copyright. Students can use these works to create parodies, write derivatives, and offer critiques without any repercussions. Winnie the Pooh stories by A.A. Milne just became public domain as of January of this year so I fully expect to see a lot of variations of this classic being published over the next few years.

Creative Commons, however, is NOT the same. Creative Commons is a type of license that allows a student to use copyright-protected material without direct approval from the author.

This is actually one of the better ways for students to find useable media content but there are some strings attached. While Creative Commons media is FREE to use, this media usually requires an attribution and must be used for non-commercial purposes. An attribution is often something as simple as the words "taken by Kathy Gossen " written under the image with a link to the author's website. Thus, it is always good to check the conditions of any Creative Commons content before using.

3. Bible Quotes are Revered. Recipes are Not.

With the exception of the American Standard Version, The King James Version, Young's Literal Translation, and the Webster Bible, which are all public domain, Bible translations have their own copyright. Some allow you to quote up to 250 verses without written permission. Others do not allow you to quote anything without written permission. And most require that you provide some form of copyright information for each quotation.

So, if your child is quoting Bible verses in their essays, for example, be sure to have them check the copyright requirements for the translation they are using on Bible Gateway or via the Bible's copyright web page.

As far as recipes, they are generally NOT copyrighted. A list of ingredients alone is never copyrighted and if the directions are written in one's own words, you are usually free to share any tried-and-true recipes desired. It's just generally recommended to never copy recipes out of a cookbook directly or in their entirety as this would be a copyright infringement.

4. Images, Music, and Video are ALL Copyrighted Material

With the age of Pinterest and Instagram, a once clear copyright law has become somewhat blurred. Can your child copy and paste images or music on social media, add popular music to their Instagram stories, or include copied graphs in their science report? The short answer is it depends.

Instagram pays or gets permission from composers and performers to allow users to include a portion of their compositions as background music on stories so that is ok IF a user selects a popular song from Instagram's audio library.

However, if you were to use those same songs on a YouTube video without prior permission, that is NOT ok. The use of any other music on YouTube except royalty free music (which basically means the same as public domain) and music that comes with written permission of the artist and/or composer is illegal. This is why YouTube has its own audio library -to make it easy for users such as your students to find legal royalty free music to accompany their video content.

For free media content, students can easily find Creative Commons images and videos by selecting "Creative Commons" under the tools menu on Google or by accessing Wikimedia's Commons database. Just remember an attribution is most likely required

If you don't want to worry about attributions of Creative Commons images, send your students to Clkr.com for royalty-free clipart, the Public Domain Archive for beautiful royalty-free photos, or Canva which has an amazing database to royalty-free images thanks in part to partnerships with Pexel, Pixabay, and other free stock photo websites.

5. Your Thoughts and Creations are Copyrighted too

Just as students need to know that the content of others is copyrighted, they also need to understand that their own works are copyrighted. A work is protected by copyright the moment it is created, by whomever created it. However, just because it is protected doesn't mean the court will enforce that protection. Let me explain what I mean.

Prior to 1978, all you needed to have was a copyright symbol © to protect your content. However, in 1978, the law changed so that any creation from the moment of its inception gives the author full copyright during his or her life plus an additional 70 years. This means your child's creations are your child's creations today, tomorrow, and up to 70 years following his or her death which will hopefully be many, many years down the road.

Now there are some exceptions to this law, but for the most part, our kids just need to know that the moment they save something on their computer that is original, good or bad, it's theirs for life. However, plagiarism can still be an issue so some things your child can do to deter someone from taking his or her content includes the following:

If your child is creating a blog or website, have them put the copyright sign in the blog footer along with the year and the statement "All Rights Reserved." You can see an example of this in my footer on CornerstoneConfessions.Com. It's just one way your child can let others know that their content is not public domain.

If they are creating a novel or longer written work, have them include a copyright page. I will include a copy of my Encompass Preschool Curriculum copyright page as an example in today's transcription.

Encompass Preschool Curriculum
Copyright © 2021 by Kathy L. Gossen. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro-duced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photo-copy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author, except as provided for by USA copyright law and as stated in this book.

Unless otherwise stated all Scripture citations are taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNA-TIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have your child register important content through the U.S. Copyright Office. This is really the only way courts will be able to enforce copyright law protection. The rest are just deterrents to encourage users to "do the right thing." And for most users, that is enough.

So encourage your students to be responsible users of others' media content. If they don't know if they can use a quote, image, video, or music, they shouldn't use it. It is always better to be safe than sorry because the fine for "willful" infringement can range up to nearly $150,000.

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5 Copyright Laws Every Child Needs to Know - Cornerstone Confessions

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Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. For more info please see my disclosure policy. Today we are talking about copyright laws. Just as it is important for me as a blogger, podcaster, author, and YouTube creator to know how to legally use another's content, when our children write papers, interact on the internet, or create media content it is important for them to know what is legal and what is not.

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by David Sohn, Executive Director of Copyright & Creativity For Ethical Digital Citizens

Being familiar with the basic principles of copyright and fair use is an essential element of modern digital literacy after all, students are interacting with digital media in lots ways every day. But how can we teach students about copyright in a manner that will be effective and engaging?

The challenges are significant. First, if copyright is taught as a series of "thou-shalt-nots" a bunch of negative rules that restrict students' ability to enjoy media the way they want to you can bet that they won't be very receptive. Second, if educators view copyright as a complex legal topic that they don't have a great handle on themselves, they may not feel confident teaching it to students.

Copyright and Creativity has developed a full suite of free K-12 teaching resources on a nonprofit basis to address these challenges. Its materials include lesson plans, slides and videos that walk through the more legalistic bits, and a professional development course for teachers who want a little brush up or an introduction before teaching it to students. Importantly, C&C aims to teach copyright from a positive and practical perspective. The lessons emphasize the "why" of copyright by getting students thinking about themselves as creators of content rather than just consumers. (Many students are surprised to learn that they are already copyright holders themselves; they often start out believing that copyright is only for commercial creators.). And the lessons offer guidance on how elements like fair use, the public domain, and Creative Commons can help empower students in their own creative endeavors.

So what exactly do students need to learn? Among C&C's education resources is an infographic poster titled 10 Things You Should Know About Copyright. It offers a good high-level introduction to the overall topic. (Of course, C&C's various videos go into more detail and offer concrete examples.) Here, briefly, are the ten things students ought to know:

1. We're all consumers and creators of creative work. As consumers, we watch movies, listen to music, read books, and more. As creators, we take photos, write songs, make videos, etc.

2. Copyright protects creative work, so people can't generally copy or share or perform other people's work without permission.

3. Copyright comes from the Constitution. Its purpose is to promote more creativity. The idea is that letting each of us decide what happens to our own creations will encourage us to keep creating.

4. All creative work is protected by copyright as soon as it is written down or recorded or saved and not just works by professional artists or big studios. Copyright protects all of us our photos on Instagram and everything we write or create.

5. If you copy other people's creative works without permission, that's called copyright infringement. An example would be streaming or downloading movies, music, ebooks, or games from illegal sources that operate without artists' permission. Copyright infringement is illegal and carries serious penalties.

6. Copyright gives a lot of protection, but it also has limitations. Not everything gets copyright protection. Facts and ideas are not protected by copyright.Ê Neither are U.S. Government documents, like NASA photos and reports by federal agencies.

7. Another limitation of copyright is "fair use," which allows us to copy and re-use copyrighted work without the artist's permission in certain, limited ways that still are fair to the creator.

8. When students re-use portions of someone else's work for a school project like using images or songs for a presentation in class that's a fair use situation. You don't need the author's permission.

9. Copyright protection doesn't last forever. Eventually, it expires, and the creative work falls into the "public domain." Works in the public domain are free to re-use and share however you want.

10. Some creators are happy to share their creative work. They use a licensing system for sharing called Creative Commons. You can find millions of CC works that are free to share or re-use.

Speaking of Creative Commons . . . that's how C&C's resources are licensed. So anyone is welcome to go to the website, register (it's free), and then use and display the materials they find there in any way they see fit. Questions?Reach out at info@copyrightandcreativity.org. And if you like C&C's resources, please help us spread the word!

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How and What to Teach Kids About Copyright

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by David Sohn, Executive Director of Copyright & Creativity For Ethical Digital Citizens Being familiar with the basic principles of copyright and fair use is an essential element of modern digital literacy after all, students are interacting with digital media in lots ways every day.

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Laws Children need to know about Social Media

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Laws Children need to know about Social Media

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Laws Children Need to Know About Social Media
Children can be the biggest threat to other children's safety online, as well as their own, and there are laws governing digital-media activity of which children and parents need to be aware.
Many children and young people are avid users of social media and mobile devices. While many use these technologies to stay in touch with friends and family, there are some who misuse them to harm others.

It is crucial young people be aware of their legal rights and responsibilities when using social media and mobile devices, to avoid being a victim of crime, or an offender.
The minimum age of criminal responsibility in Australia is 10, which means anyone this age or older can be subject to prosecution.
Bullying and Harassment

Cyberbullying can include posting hurtful messages or images, sending repeated unwanted messages, excluding someone from an online group, or creating false social-networking profiles.

The main difference between cyberbullying and other forms of bullying is that cyberbullying can occur 24/7. It can be seen by a large invisible audience, and once shared online cannot be deleted.

For these reasons, cyberbullying can often be more harmful to the health and wellbeing of both those bullying and those being bullied than other forms of bullying.

Using social media or mobile devices to bully or intimidate others can fall under laws related to harassment. The most relevant is Section 474.17 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code 1995, which refers to "using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence".

'Carriage service' means the internet and fixed and mobile phones. The offence carries a maximum penalty of three years' imprisonment.

Explicit Photos

Many young people like to share photos through social media or mobile devices. However, sharing explicit photos using these media (sometimes referred to as 'sexting') can be considered creation and transmission of child pornography.

Child pornography relates to any image or depiction of someone under the age of 18 in a sexualised pose, engaged in a sexual act, or in the presence of others engaged in a sexual act.

Under Section 474.20 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code 1995, production, distribution and possession of these images are each punishable by a maximum 15 years' imprisonment and possible registration as a sex offender. Police have used these laws to charge young people in relation to sexting-type behaviour.

Hacking

Section 10.7 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code 1995 refers to offences that can be grouped under the term 'hacking'. These offences relate to unauthorised access to data, and its modification and impairment, and carry penalties of two to 10 years' imprisonment. Young people may engage in hacking for political, financial or entertainment reasons, and may be unaware of the seriousness of the offence and possible penalties.

Under-age Users

Most social media networks have a minimum registration age of 13 years. This is due to a US law that prohibits collecting the personal information of children under 13 without parental consent. It is not a crime for children under 13 to use these networks, but it is a violation of terms and conditions.
Children who lie about their age to access these networks can also be vulnerable to contact from predators.
Online 'grooming' is when an adult makes contact with someone under the age of 16 with the intention of establishing a sexual relationship. Some offenders will pretend to be another young person or will admit to being much older than the child, but can manipulate them into thinking such a relationship is normal.

Under Section 474.27 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code 1995, this offence is punishable by a maximum of 15 years' imprisonment and registration as a sex offender.

Knowing the Rules

Young people may not be aware their digital actions can be traced and can have legal consequences. They may feel distanced from their actions and the impacts they can have on others, and may not be fully aware how serious and harmful their actions can be. Young people may not fully understand their legal responsibilities, but they understand the difference between right and wrong, and this should guide their behaviour.
Knowing the law is important, but just like a driving a car, there are many other steps users need to take to make safe and considerate choices.
Just as we need to wear a seat belt and anticipate the actions of other drivers on the road, so too do we need to think before we post, and avoid contact with those who use technology to harm others.

Melissa Sevil is the High Tech Crime Operations crime prevention project officer for the Australian Federal Police. For more information on online laws, visit www.thinkuknow.org.au.

Words by Melissa Sevil

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Laws Children Need to Know About Social Media * CHILD Magazines

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Children can be the biggest threat to other children's safety online, as well as their own, and there are laws governing digital-media activity of which children and parents need to be aware. Many children and young people are avid users of social media and mobile devices.

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10 Ways to Decide if your child is ready for a smartphone

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10 Ways to Decide if your child is ready for a smartphone

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Knowing why your child wants a phone will give you an insight into their actual motive for wanting a mobile phone.

Is it because they want to use a certain app that their friends are using? If this is the reason then find out what the app is about and see if it is age-appropriate for your child- you do not want to hand over a phone to them just for the same reason they are not allowed to use it.

If they are begging for a phone, because all of the other children have one then do not believe them.

Unless they are above 16 years old they are probably saying this to emotionally blackmail you.

2. Have I spoken to my child about porn?

If you think your child is too young for this conversation then they are not ready for a phone.

The internet has made it easy to access pornography. A new report suggests that children as young as 8 years old have admitted to being addicted to internet pornography.

If you are going to give your child a mobile phone you need to be prepared that at some point they will most likely stumble on porn websites, even when you have parental control switched on. Inappropriate content always finds a way to slip through.
Here are few tips to help you talk to your tween about online pornography
psst, don't forget to :Download the THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT helping children to stay calm and grounded during this difficult time

3. Does my child know about cyberbullying?

Social media has taken cyberbullying to an increasingly dangerous level. Children as young as 11 are feeling suicidal because of bullying. Only one in 10 victims would inform their parent if they are being abused online.

10-year-old Ashwanty Davis committed suicide after a video of her fighting with an alleged bully was uploaded online.

Parents have a conversation with your child about cyber-bullying, why is it harmful to do this on someone else and what to do if it happens to your child.

You need to speak to your child about suicide and let them know what they can do if their friends are feeling suicidal.

It is important they know to never encourage anyone to harm themselves even though they were "just kidding" about it.

The CDC reported that suicide rate has increased by 30% for teenage boys. For girls between the age of 10 to 14 years old, it has tripled over the last 15 years.

With so many children dealing with mental health issues, giving unsupervised access to a smartphone can exarcerbate the situation.

If you think your child is not ready for such a conversation, then do not give them a phone.

psst, don't forget to :Download the THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT helping children to stay calm and grounded during this difficult time

4. Is my child aware about sexting?

Sexting is sending sexual text and images to another person.

In Scotland, if your child is below the age of 18 years old it is considered an offense to send and distribute nude images.

It is crucial that parents understand that sexting is common among teenagers. A study conducted by Pediatrics found that one in five children between the age of 10 and 15 years old are sexting.

Let your kids know that once an image is sent, it can never be taken back. If a message goes viral it can follow your kids for many years to come.

If you think you are not ready to talk about sexting to your child then delay giving them a phone until they are ready for such conversations.

5. Is my child aware of sexual predators and sextortion?

Inform your kids about the possibility of encountering strangers online. Let them know that people online tend to pretend to be someone they are not.

Predators pose as teens on social media. It is easier for them to meet kids and groom them. The tactic they use is by complimenting your children constantly and flattering them.

Once, they built trust with kids, predators manipulate kids into sending them naked pictures of themselves. They can then demand more pictures with the threat of exposing them.

According to an ABC report, "one in five kids aged 10 to 17 reported they had received unwanted sexual solicitations online, ranging from sexually suggestive comments to strangers asking them to meet them in the real world for sex."

Equip your children with safety precaution measures. Instead of telling them not to talk to strangers, let them know the reasons behind it. Show them articles and videos of how sexual predators target children. Telling them that there are monsters behind the screen is not comfortable for many parents. But if you want to give them a smart phone then you cannot ignore this topic.

psst, don't forget to :Download the THE GROWTH MINDSET KIT helping children to stay calm and grounded during this difficult time

6. Have my child agreed to be monitored?

Make your child understand the purpose you are monitoring them is not to spy on them but rather to protect them from some of the online dangers explained above.

Using parental control apps you will be able to keep an eye on what your kids are doing and whether the rules imposed on them have been followed through.

7. Have my child agreed to sign a phone contract?

A phone contract can help your kids understand the rules that come with owning a mobile phone. They will be liable if they break any of the rules.

The contract should be written and agreed upon before buying the phone. Here is an example of a family media contract.

A list of rules would be included in the contract, such as :

Screen time rule. For instance, how many hours a day is allowed and only after certain chores are completed

No screen time during family meal time

Type of apps allowed to be downloaded

Instead of just printing and signing a ready-made contract template, customize it based on your priorities. Sit with your child and negotiate the contract together. This will help kids understand the significance of the contract and what is required of them.

8. Does my child know about basic online safety rules?

Final and most important point: Is my child mature and responsible?

It is hard to say at what age should a child get a mobile phone. You will need to look into the characteristics of your child and decide if they have a sense of responsibility and maturity.

Preparing them for the online world takes a lot more than just telling them how to browse. Guide them every step of the way so they are prepared for anything that sees or read online.

Teach them to use technology wisely so they can exploit the advantages of it and be creative.

As scary as it sounds giving your child a smartphone it can also be a source of education with infinite possibilities. Don't just hand over the phone to them but be with them in the online world to show them how incredible it can be.
Here are example of teens making good use of the internet and creating businesses from a young age. If you think your child is not ready for a smartphone but you need to be able to be in contact with them, then consider buying a flip phone instead.

Your child is ready for a smartphone, now what?

Here are few resources for you to look at :

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Smartphone for kids: Are your kids ready?

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Knowing why your child wants a phone will give you an insight into their actual motive for wanting a mobile phone. Is it because they want to use a certain app that their friends are using?

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Home > Findings > Digital Inequality

Research Summary

Tens of millions of children growing up in the U.S. are in low-income and minority families. They are more likely to experience digital inequality - too little access to the internet and devices that connect to it. This inequality can worsen existing socioeconomic disparities. While children should be protected from too much screen time, we argue that it is also necessary to consider how unequal technology access can limit low-income children's access to a range of social opportunities. This paper highlights research that is needed on how digital inequality may affect the way children develop over time, and concludes with guidelines to help clinicians support digital connectivity and more equitable social opportunity for the increasingly diverse population of children in the US.

FAQs

If immigrant and minority children have internet access on smartphones, isn't that good enough?

No. Although internet access through a smartphone is better than having no out-of-school connectivity, there are many instances (e.g., writing an essay or creating a spreadsheet) where young people need the computing power of a desktop or laptop computer to succeed in school. Our research also shows that children who have mobile-only internet access go online less frequently and for a narrower range of learning activities than children who have access through a computer.

Do one-to-one laptop or tablet initiatives address these issues of digital inequity?

Not totally. These initiatives are generally designed for classroom use. Even if students are permitted to take those devices home, children cannot use them to their full potential unless they have reliable, high quality broadband at home.

Why is equitable access to technology a developmental concern for children?

As educational innovation becomes synonymous with technological innovation, enabling all children to have consistent, high-quality connectivity and opportunities to develop digital skills is crucial to ensuring equitable access to social opportunities, both now and in the future. Furthermore, as more resources and services migrate online, parents' connectivity is becoming increasingly important to ensuring that they can access the economic and occupational opportunities that increase family stability for lower-income children.

Key Takeaways

Overexposure to media and technology is a concern for children's development, but so is unequal access to technology and the social opportunities that are made available by connecting to them. Lower-income children in the U.S.- who are disproportionately children of color and/or children of immigrants - are most affected by digital inequality.

Providing lower-income immigrant and minority children with access to technology increases their self-efficacy in mathematics and science by enhancing learning through active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and real-world connections.

Consistent Internet connectivity outside of school supports children's learning and development by maintaining the out-of-school access to teachers and peers that is critical to subject mastery and school success. Consistent connectivity also provides opportunities for interest-driven learning - the learning activities that foster joy, motivation, and self-confidence.

Guidelines for Parents

Child's learning ecosystem: School and teachers are important components of children's learning ecosystems, but so are their families. Our own research shows that parents and children support each other in learning about technology, and in using technology as a tool to learn (Rideout & Katz, 2016). Siblings are also important learning partners, though they are often overlooked. We find that these relationships are even more intense amongst families with the lowest household incomes, those in which parents have less than a high school diploma, and those in which parents are not English proficient (Katz, Moran, & Gonzalez, 2017). These findings speak to the importance of family members in children's technology experiences-they also reveal how important it is for families to have high-quality, trusted people and organizations in the community that can support their digital skills development and access to consistent, quality internet connectivity and devices in good working condition (Katz, Moran, & Ognyanova, 2017). Family members and community resources are crucial to children's learning ecosystems, so digital equity initiatives that only focus on youth as end users cannot be sufficient for closing the "digital divide."

Children as creators: According to Dale's Cone of Learning (1969) people retain 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, and 30% of what they see. Additionally, people retain 50% of what they see and hear, 70% of what they say, and 90% of what they say and do. Media can be used to facilitate and support learning by supporting knowledge construction, acting as a vehicle for the exploration and access to information, supporting contextual and real-life learning situations, acting as a medium for collaboration and dialogue, and providing a mechanism to reflect on and represent their knowledge (Roschelle, et. al., 2000). Because media helps to create cognitive and affective environments that describes and portray people, places, and things that influence how and what young people learn, youth should be more involved in using media to determine what they hear, see, and experience in their everyday lives.

Diversity in media: One-third of African American youth report that they often encounter online content that is disrespectful to African Americans, and one-quarter often encounter disrespectful online content about women (Rideout et. al, 2016). This frequent exposure to negative content, along with stereotypical and imbalanced representations, may lead to lower self-esteem for minority youth (Martins and Harrison, 2012). Children need to see different types of people, characteristics, physical attributes, a variety of family structure, lifestyles, and power/working relationships. Children need to hear a variety of sounds, voices, and music. Parents should not only be concerned about diversity (or lack thereof) is heard, seen, and done in one particular media product, but also, across a collection of media products; that is, not in one book, but throughout a library of books, when 85% of children's books (Horning, 2016) feature main characters who are white. Diversity in content and creation yields more authentic products, which is a welcome change to media consumers. According to the Hollywood Diversity Report (Hunt, 2016), television shows and movies with diverse casts typically have better ratings and perform better at the box office.

Sources

Katz, V.S., Gonzalez, C., & Clark, K. (2017). Digital Inequality and Developmental Trajectories of Low-income, Immigrant, and Minority Children. . doi:10.1542/peds.2016-1758R

1. Clark, K. (2016). Technology tools for family engagement: The role of diversity. In C. Donohue (Ed.), Family Engagement in the Digital Age: Early Childhood Educators as Media Mentors. New York, NY: Routledge Publishing.

2. Horning, K. (2016). Publishing statistics on children's books about people of color and first/native nations and by people of color and first/native nations authors and illustrators. Cooperative Children's Book Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI.

3. Hunt, D., Ramon, A., and Tran, M. (2016). 2016 Hollywood Diversity Report: Business as usual. Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA).

4. Katz, V.S., Moran, M., & Gonzalez, C. (2017). Connecting with technology in lower-income U.S. families. New Media & Society. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1177/1461444817726319

5. Katz, V.S., Moran, M., & Ognyanova, K. (2017). Contextualizing connectivity: How internet connection type and parental factors influence technology use among lower-income children. Information, Communication & Society. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1080/1369118X.2017.1379551

6. Low, J. and Ehrlich, H. (2015). Where is the diversity in publishing? The 2015 Diversity Baseline Survey results. Lee & Low Books.

7. Martins, N. and Harrison, K. (2012). Racial and gender differences in the relationship between children's television use and self-esteem: A longitudinal panel study. Communication Research, 2011; 39 (3).

8. Rideout, V.J., & Katz, V.S. (2016). Opportunity for all? Technology and learning in lower-income families. New York: Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Available at www.digitalequityforlearning.org.

9. Rideout, V., Scott, K., & Clark, K. (2016). The digital lives of African American tweens, teens, and parents: Innovating and learning with technology.

The analysis, conclusions, and recommendations contained in each paper are solely a product of the individual workgroup and are not the policy or opinions of, nor do they represent an endorsement by, Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.
Additional Information

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Digital Inequality - Children and Screens

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Home > Findings > Digital Inequality Tens of millions of children growing up in the U.S. are in low-income and minority families. They are more likely to experience digital inequality - too little access to the internet and devices that connect to it. This inequality can worsen existing socioeconomic disparities.

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What is digital commerce and how can we teach children about it?

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1. Understanding of the problems and benefits of purchasing goods and services online

2. Identify potential online scams vs. legitimate offers.

3. Understand the risks of identity theft through online commerce.

4. Know what steps to take to avoid identity theft of report and how signs of theirs being stolen.

According to Ribble (2015), Harris Interactive reported that America's youth age 8-24 spent $220 billion online in 2009. By now, 2016, one could only assume that number has grown. With that amount of spending taking place, consumers need to be educated on how to navigate the online world of shopping. Unfortunately, online commerce can be a haven for illegitimate offers and scams that steal people's money and even their identity. According to , identity fraud hits a new victim every two seconds, and was responsible for over $18 billion dollars stolen from victims. The website provides viewers with tips on how to avoid common types of internet fraud.
While schools and universities may see this as someone else problem, it is important to their students. By incorporating lessons about digital commerce and providing accurate information about how to participate responsibly, educators can help protect the safety and economic well-being of their students.

At some point while surfing the internet we have all encountered advertising designed to catch our eye, some even targeting us specifically. How did they do that? How did they know I was looking for a new bicycle? Online commerce has become extremely sophisticated to the point where a person's location and browsing habits are placed in an algorithm to create these "convenient" ads. It's big business that can easily take advantage of the unsuspecting. Often those who are taken are the elderly and the young. My in-laws do their best to stay current with today's technology (heck, they have iPhones), but unfortunately it is still an unfamiliar, sometimes dangerous world for them. It is not uncommon them to ask me for help with something "strange" happening to their computer. When I check it, I find that there are numerous open icons in the task bar and even more pop-ups on the screen; most of which being opened because of some "ad" that told them that their virus protection was inadequate, or that they needed to update something. All or which just attempts to get them to naively inquire further or pay for something unnecessary. Helping them to better understand the commerce element of digital citizenship helps them to avoid future scams like these.

Regardless of age, gender, race, etc., anyone can fall prey to online scams that attempt to steal money or identity. As educators that rely on the digital tools to teach, learn, and make a living, we all have a vested interest in having an internet that is safe for commerce, as well as learning. Problems that arise from not being an informed, vigilant digital citizen can haunt someone for years. Educated students (and citizens) can avoid major problems later, and perhaps even make the prospect of online fraud less attractive to would-be criminals.

So what do we tell students to watch for in order to shop safely and avoid scams? According to Kimberly Palmer of U.S. News and World Report, people should do the following:

1. Avoid suspicious websites - If a website suffers from poor design or multiple pop-up windows, it might not be a legitimate retailer. To stay safe, stick with big-name retailers or, on smaller sites, familiar payment systems, such as PayPal.

2. Don't click hyperlinks in emails- A common scam involves sending emails that ask the recipient to click on a hyperlink or open an attachment and then enter personal information, such as bank account numbers. The Better Business Bureau recommends ignoring any emails that make these kinds of requests.

3. Keep your social security number to yourself - Fraudulent emails and fake websites sometimes request Social Security numbers. Legitimate businesses almost never make such requests. Shoppers should not share this information online.

4. Stick with plastic - Credit cards usually come with extra fraud protection, which means consumers might be able to get their money back if they fall victim to fraud. Shoppers should contact their card company at the first sign of a scam.

5. Use strong passwords - Retail sites often ask for passwords at checkout. Using the same password across multiple accounts, including financial accounts, can leave you at risk for password break-ins. For important accounts, use only secure passwords that are long and difficult to guess.

Ok, so just when it seems like digital commerce is risky, the positives should also be shared. If one adheres to the tips on staying safe online, according to 3. Comparison of Prices - The advanced innovation of search engine allows you to easily check prices and compare with just a few clicks. It is very straightforward to conduct price comparisons from one online shopping website to another. This gives you the freedom to determine which online store offers the most affordable item you are going to buy. eBay they can easily reap the following benefits:

1. Save Time - Do you have the specific list that you want to buy? With just a couple of clicks of the mouse, you can purchase your shopping orders and instantly move to other important things, which can save time.

2. Save Fuel - The market of fuel industries battles from increasing and decreasing its cost every now and again, but no matter how much the cost of fuel are it does not affect your shopping errands. One of the advantages of shopping online is that there is no need for vehicles, so no purchase of fuel necessary.

24/7 Availability - Online shopping stores are open round the clock of 24/7, 7 days a week and 365 days. It is very rare to find any conventional retail stores that are open 24/7. The availability of online stores give you the freedom to shop at your own pace and convenience.

4.
​5. ​​Easy to Search Merchandise You Want to Buy - You are able to look for specific merchandise that includes model number, style, size, and color that you want to purchase. In addition, it is easy to determine whether the products are available or out of stock.

Victims of social security number theft find it hard to bounce back
February 9, 2015

​Victims explain how they discovered that their identity had been stolen and the worries and struggles they encounter with employment, health care insurance, and financial matters. Best advice is to be vigilant and check your records frequently.

http://www.npr.org/2015/02/09/384875839/data-stolen-by-anthem-s-hackers-has-millions-worrying-about-identity-theft

Identity theft: Kids don't know they're victims
May 23, 2012
Runtime: 3:40

Child ID theft is more common than you think, and can go undetected for years since a child's identity and credit is rarely checked. After many failed attempts to get help from the Social Security Office and law enforcement, their state's attorney general got involved. An estimated 10% of of children are victims of identity theft. There are now several ways to enroll children in credit protection programs to help prevent them from being a victim.

​http://www.npr.org/2012/05/23/153030774/identity-theft-kids-dont-know-theyre-victims

Smartphones Tame Black Friday Shopping Frenzy
November 28, 2015
Runtime: 4:00

Black Friday shopping was reportedly a little less frenetic and crowded this year. Many people stayed home to shop online. And some of those who did show up at, you know, stores, as they're called, used their phones to try to get the best deals while they stood in line. NPR's Sonari Glinton reports on how the smartphone is taking some of the frenzy out of Black Friday.

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3rd ed.) . Eugene, OR: International Society of Technology in Education.
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Advantages-of-Online-Shopping-and-its-Disadvantages-/10000000177896151/g.html​
​http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/06/pf/identity-fraud/
​http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/slideshows/10-ways-to-avoid-online-scams/2

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Understanding of the problems and benefits of purchasing goods and services online Identify potential online scams vs. legitimate offers. Understand the risks of identity theft through online commerce. Know what steps to take to avoid identity theft of report and how signs of theirs being stolen.

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Online Shopping Tips for Kids and their Parents - Kids First Community

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Kids now need to know how to purchase products online safely. Here are some tips for teaching kids how to do online shopping.

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I'm gonna talk about ways for kids to make money so they can launch their e-commerce business and I'm a bit excited! I'm gonna throw in a ninja training camp, and I'm gonna show you some kids that are crushing it.

What are Some Ways for Kids to Make Money?

I've had a lot of questions lately with parents coming up and saying, "Hey, I want my kids to become entrepreneurs and start e-commerce, but we really don't have any money. What are some ways for kids to make money to be able to buy inventory?" Watch the video below to see our discussion about how kids can start earning their own money and see some kids that are currently crushing it in e-commerce.

We put together a list of a whole bunch of ideas. One of them that I thought was really good, is to hold a ninja training camp. You invite some of the neighbor kids from the neighborhood over and charge $5.00 or $10 and the kids that are in charge, my eight- and nine-year-old, they could ninja train or superhero train some of the kids in the neighborhood.

You could do that with cupcake wars, have this little mini cupcake war, with some four- and five-year-olds in the neighborhood. My teenagers could put that on. Check out this list of 28 ways for kids to earn money! There are so many good ideas that you can do. We've actually got a free section where you don't have to have any money. Zero money. Then another section where a $25 investment into some of these ideas will help you get that cash flow started so that you can start investing into e-commerce and be able to make money while you're sleeping. My girls did it and it is an absolute reality. It's happening. It happens with me in my businesses because e-commerce is amazing.

Start Teaching Kids to Earn Their Own Money

It is so fun to be able to start teaching kids that they can earn their own money. They can create their own financial freedom. If we can start teaching them how this works when they're little, imagine what's gonna happen when they're adults. They're not going to be chained down by financial debt. They're going to know that they have the power to create income and do the things that they want to. Get started, make this a reality. Talk to your kids about how they can start earning some income so that they can start their e-commerce business.

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28 Ways for Kids to Make Money to Start an E-commerce Business

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I'm gonna talk about ways for kids to make money so they can launch their e-commerce business and I'm a bit excited! I'm gonna throw in a ninja training camp, and I'm gonna show you some kids that are crushing it.

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A few days back, I launched my business website which includes an e-commerce site. Even though I didn't develop the website, I had to work with two website developers, and both of them disappointed me by way of abandoning the project halfway.

Long before the web development, I had to spend days with my dad brainstorming the domain name. Finally, in order to help entrepreneurs in the future, marspreneurs was born (https://marspreneurs.com/). I had to learn about hosting services, domain name providers and I had to calculate the Rupee value we have to pay.

I had to find and negotiate with suitable vendors for my eCommerce site. My web developer and I worked hard to look out for various plugins to suit the website. I had to check the market prices of the competitors. A suitable delivery service had to be chosen. Currently, I am learning about payment gateways.

Since I have the business academy for kids and teens, I had to include the courses available on the website. Incorporating the blog was challenging as I create different types of content including video content on YouTube.

I have been pivoting my business model since the two web development companies abandoned us. Since I have been building my personal brand, I wanted to leverage that. That is how the luxury living segment was added to the website.

If you're looking for a luxurious life, you will find that section helpful.

Currently, I am learning how to use Google analytics and the search console to improve my website. I'm also learning about search engine optimization, keyword research, and many other web-related technologies.

This exercise opened multiple doors to the e-commerce and digital world. I know when you're in 9th grade, you are taught commerce and accounting. I doubt whether e-commerce is taught this way. I have realized that e-commerce should be taught to kids and teens at the early stages of their life. If you want your children to learn web management and e-commerce hands-on, send them to my business academy.

I would like to thank my web consultant Mr.Nishshanka De Silva of Digital Force (Pvt)Ltd for providing me with initial knowledge on how to build a site. His guidance helped me understand a lot of things. I would like to thank Mr.Salinda Dahanayaka of Adeon Solution for helping me fine-tune and launch the website.

If you haven't visited my site, the link is below.

Your feedback would be appreciated

(more items and sections will be added soon)

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Kids and teens should know e-commerce hands-on.

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A few days back, I launched my business website which includes an e-commerce site. Even though I didn't develop the website, I had to work with two website developers, and both of them disappointed me by way of abandoning the project halfway.

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How to Bring Digital Communication to your classroom

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How to Bring Digital Communication to your classroom

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Students and teachers in today's classroom have the ability to communicate, collaborate and share with others beyond the walls of their school building, all thanks to technology.

Pssst... Some may feel overwhelmed by all the options available. But don't worry, we are going to learn some tips to start off with your Digital Classroom, as well as some useful tools you can use.

In the past few years, we have seen a rise of incredible technology tools and apps that promote communication and collaboration. I wrote a post titled My Favorite Tools for Communication and Collaboration that you might be interested in checking out.

1) What can we do with these tools?

Many of these tools allow for:

Messaging

Video interaction

Annotation

Audio communication

Educational gamification interaction

Creating posters, presentations, diagrams, etc. together in real-time...

Students who were once limited to learning about professions and other cultures by reading textbooks or watching videos, now have the ability to communicate and collaborate with their global world.

Teachers are using Skype, Google Hangouts, Appear.in and other free video conferencing tools to bring a special guest, or even a new cultural community, right to their classrooms.

Students are safely communicating and collaborating with other students in their community and around the world in a controlled digital environment, by posting video messages and leaving comments, using digital tools like Flipgrid, Padlet, and Dotstorming.

Since more and more of these digital tools are being created and brought into our classrooms, it is important that both teachers and students have a solid understanding of how to stay safe online.

Beneylu School offers a digital classroom in which students, teachers and parents can communicate in a 100% safe platform designed for elementary school, that includes a classroom blog, mail, school website, and a ton of educational apps.

2) Tips for Teachers

Be familiar with terms of service. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) states that sites requiring the collection or use of any personal information from a student must require parental consent for children 13 years of age or younger. With that being said, there are many web tools and apps that do not require students to sign up for an account, but still have the ability to allow for communication and collaboration while keeping anonymity.

If your students are going to be posting their picture or a video anywhere online, you must have parental consent. Most schools send out a photo release form in the beginning of the year. Be familiar with those who have permission and those who do not.

3) Tips for your Students

Your students should know that they should never share personal information with ANYONE in the digital world. They may use their first name but never tell anyone their full name, where they go to school, their address, etc.

Additionally, students need to know how to take proper action if they run across something that doesn't seem appropriate when working online. The message that you can never guarantee who is on the other end needs to be reinforced constantly.

3) Conclusion:

Allowing students to communicate and collaborate in the digital world helps engage their learning process while providing an authentic learning experience for everyone. It is important for us educators to embrace these advancements and learn alongside our students.

How do you plan on having your students communicate and collaborate to extend beyond the four walls of your classroom? Tell us!

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How to Bring Digital Communication to your Classroom

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Students and teachers in today's classroom have the ability to communicate, collaborate and share with others beyond the walls of their school building, all thanks to technology. Pssst... Some may feel overwhelmed by all the options available. But don't worry, we are going to learn some tips to start off with your Digital Classroom, as well as some useful tools you can use.

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Mylemarks | Therapy Resources For Kids and Teens

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Electronics & Internet Worksheets for Kids and Teens

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Therapeutic worksheets focused on helping kids and teens explore electronic and internet usage. Tools found on this page focus on exploring screen time, internet safety, social media safety and much more.

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How to teach how to collaborate in a digital age

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How to teach how to collaborate in a digital age

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How to Teach Kids to Communicate in This Digital Age

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Spread the loveWhen even the youngest children are spending the equivalent of a full work day looking at screens, it is perhaps no surprise that parents are wondering how to teach their children to communicate in the digital age. Since the parents themselves did not grow up with tablets and smartphones, the situation is even more challenging.