Better Internet for Kids

The purpose of this course is for students to identify the potentials of electronic/online games and the benefits resulting from their use as well as identify, understand and address potential risks which they may entail, including dangerous content, play time, communication with other people, behavioural effects, and personal data management.
This document contains information on electronic/online games, a table and description of the learning unit’s activities and worksheets.

The intention of this course is for students to know and apply safety and security measures for protecting their personal data in digital environments, understand how to use and share personal information securely in digital environments, be aware of online risks regarding their personal data and know-how to prevent and deal with them, manage their digital identity (digital footprint) critically and responsibly, and implement effective ways of managing and handling sexting incidents.

A brand new tool to help teachers create a modern, digital-focused curriculum from the UK Safer Internet Centre.

SWGfL, a partner in the UK Safer Internet Centre has now launched ProjectEvolve. It provides resources for four out of the eight strands aspects of online life outlined in the Education for a Connected World framework. It helps educators pick a strand and find the right resources for the students they work with, depending age.

Simply choose the ones you want to focus on and build your lessons around them!

Eight strands cover all aspects of online life:

Report Harmful Content is a national reporting platform operated by SWGfL at the UK Safer Internet Centre that has been designed to assist everyone in reporting harmful content online by providing up to date information on community standards and direct links to the correct reporting facilities across multiple platforms. The service can offer further support to users over the age of 13 who have already submitted a report to industry and would like outcomes reviewed.

Parents worry about how they can keep their children safe online. The purpose of this Guide is to provide parents with some basic knowledge and advice in order to help them with their important role in informing about the safe and responsible use of the Internet. In particular, this guide aims to provide information on the positive and indicative use of the Internet by age groups (pre-school, school and adolescence) as well as inform about the risks involved, giving useful tips on how to talk with their children and how to help them use it safely and responsibly.

“The Diary of Olympios” is a story co-written by 17 pupils of the 6th grade of Lympia Elementary School, during the 2017-2018 school year.
This story deals with Internet security issues (addiction to online games, cyberbullying etc.) and promotes ways to deal with them in order to enjoy the internet use in our lives. The booklet is easily readable for children and delivers important messages. “The Diary of Olympios” explains what we gain from the correct and positive use of the internet.

The eSafe schools yearly programme aims to the training of teachers for creating a culture in the school unit for the creative and responsible use of the internet (https://esafeschools.pi.ac.cy). Through the programme, schools are also involved in the eSafety label (http://www.esafetylabel.eu). At the end of the year, successful eSafe schools and teachers are certified.

The Young coaches for the internet yearly programme aims to train teachers and students in the creative and safe use of the internet (https://youngcoaches.pi.ac.cy). The programme involves teacher mentors as well as student coaches trained to support their school and act as trainers-coaches of their classmates, parents and families. Successful schools and students are certified at the end of the school year.

The web portal Internet Safety https://internetsafety.pi.ac.cy/kids includes a repository of rich educational / information material, resources and tools for children, teachers and parents in order to help them use the digital and internet technologies in a safe and creative way. Especially, the website provides information and a learning space for ethical and useful use of the internet (possibilities and risks). In addition, the website provides interactive games, videos, as well as other informative resources, including materials developed by children themselves.

In an effort to develop children's literacy skills in Media Literacy, as well as building knowledge and shaping attitudes regarding responsible, creative and safe use of the Internet, the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute offers a year-long competition for the creation of short videos from students on the safe use of the internet.