The Microsoft Partners In learning Network brings together a community of teachers and global education leaders to encourage collaboration and the spread of ideas for improving education around the globe, including Malta.
The first rule of internet safety is keep passwords secret
In fact this network is open to teachers and school leaders in over 115 countries world-wide and it provides a treasure chest of resources, lesson plans and invaluable learning content from the world’s best teachers. These resources are available at http://www.microsoft.com/education/pil/
Microsoft Malta is encouraging educators to register and make uses of these resources. Right now Maltese primary and secondary school teachers are being provided with a Microsoft Live@edu e-mail account, as part of the strategic agreement between the Government of Malta and the software company.
Indeed nowadays the internet has become both a classroom and a virtual playground for children: a place to learn, connect with friends, experience new things and have fun. But just as cities and towns have places that are unsafe or inappropriate for children and teenagers, there are places in the online world that can expose kids to inappropriate activities and content. Kids can also encounter adults or even other children who could pose a threat.
According to a study by Teen Angels of Wired safety.org, 75 per cent of eight to nine year olds shared passwords with someone else, and 66 per cent of girls, grades 7-12, said they shared their password with someone else.
The first rule of internet safety is: keep passwords secret. Encourage your children to treat their passwords with as much care as the information that they protect.
Microsoft suggests the following rules that kids should follow to stay online:
• Don’t reveal passwords to others and protect recorded passwords.
• Never provide your password over e-mail or in response to an e-mail request.
• Do not type passwords on computers that you do not control.
• Help your kids use social networking safely
• Communicate with kids about their experiences.
• Establish internet rules.
• Ensure your kids follow age limits.
• Educate yourself.
• Teach your children never meet anyone in person that they’ve communicated with online only. Encourage your children to communicate with people they already know.
• Ensure your kids don’t use full names.
• Be wary of identifiable information in your child’s profile.
• Consider using a site that is not very public.
• Be smart about details in photographs.
• Warn your child about expressing emotions to strangers.
• Teach your children about cyber-bullying.
• Removal of your child’s page.
• If your kids blog, make sure they do it safely and without revealing too much.
• Establish rules for online use and be diligent.
• Screen what your kids plan to post before they post it.
• Ask yourself (and instruct your kids to do the same) if you are you comfortable showing any of the content to a stranger.
• Evaluate the blogging service.
• Save the web address of your child’s blog.
• Check out other blogs to find positive examples.
• Beware of online fraud.
• Never share personal information.
• Log off in public.
• Create secure passwords and keep them secret.
• Use only secure sites.
• Recognise and report fraud.
More tips on how children can stay safe online are available at the Microsoft Partners in Learning website.