January 2015 www.ourict.co.uk 132 Station Road, London E4 6AB Get in touch: tom.carroll@ourict.co.uk

A collection of helpful e-Safety Tips for teachers, support staff and parents.

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Ten Simple tips… Hundreds of possibilities!

The internet is an essential element for educating children in 2015. By coupling

modern technologies with electronic communications, teachers and support

staff are capable of delivering an engaging learning experience in the classroom

that was never possible before the introduction of online learning.

Schools have a responsibility to raise educational standards by providing safe and

secure Internet access as part of the curricular learning experience.

The following whitepaper presents ten brilliantly simple yet effective tips to

improve e-safety within your school by improving your understanding of digital

safety issues, introducing ground rules and applying a series of processes that

will contribute towards a safer online learning experience.

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As the original founder of Our ICT, Tom Carrol has over two decades experience operating one of London’s leading

IT services organisations.

A Microsoft certified Education professional and straight talking ICT specialist, Tom is the person that you should

speak to if you require strategic guidance or expert impartial advice on an expansive range of technology for the

classroom and the server room.

Get in touch: tom.carroll@ourict.co.uk

Find out more about Toms’ vision for education.

“I understand it is my responsibility to ensure that we apply ourselves to the best of our ability, delivering on our principles, ensuring that we

become an integral part of your school’s ongoing success”.

Tom Carroll. Director.

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It is important for parents and educators to retain a basic level of IT competence and remain up to date on

the latest internet trends for the purpose of keeping children safe. At minimum, you should be able to

demonstrate competence in the following areas:

Effectively navigate the Internet and your children’s computer operating system.

Check your internet browsing history.

Log into and navigate popular social media networks.

Check the details of a child’s social media profile.

Keep up to date with the latest social media sites that are currently popular with children.

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There are three key dangers the Internet poses to children:

Reputation dangers – Information submitted on the internet has the potential to stay there permanently

and it is possible for the current generation to have their entire childhood recorded online. Like adults,

children are at risk of posting ill-advised information on the web, including the sharing of inappropriate

images and revealing personal or private information, putting their reputation at risk.

Physical safety threats – The most compelling risk posed by the Internet is the risk to physical safety. Web-

based conversations with strangers, friends and acquaintances can provide an avenue for violence.

Psychological well-being challenge – Cyberbullying has been implicated in a number of suicides. The content

of the Internet is not always child-friendly and the material they view online can harm a childs psychological

well-being.

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You cannot keep a child safe online if you do not understand how they are using the Internet. Both parents

and educators should be aware of constantly evolving Internet trends; the compelling site of today will

become a relic over time, which makes it extremely important to monitor the latest trends through social

media, associated press and most importantly, asking the children themselves. Most children will frequently

visit the following websites:

Shopping sites – popular destinations for children who are interested in trending fashion. While not

inherently dangerous, these sites may tempt children into using a payment method without permission.

Social networking sites – by far the most popular sites among children and teens, allowing children to post

statuses, comment on friends’ activities, share photos and chat with friends. Social media has the potential

to expose children to online bullying, inappropriate information and other privacy challenges.

Blogging sites – A blog is simply a weblog, or online diary. Blogs are rapidly becoming the most popular online resource for both

professional and personal use. Similar to social media networks, blogs also carry a risk to children through the potential exposure to

online bullying, indecent information and breach of privacy.

Photo sharing sites – Sites such as Instagram, Pinterest and Flickr allow children to easily share images. The e-safety implications of

photo sharing websites are obvious, posing a potential risk to child privacy through the circulation and manipulation of children’s

personal images.

Chat sites – There is nothing inherently wrong with web-based chat sites, but like all of the other web-based platforms above, chat sites

have the potential to expose children to harassment from strangers, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content.

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When children use the Internet for enjoyment, the European Paediatric Association (EPA) recommends that

they spend no more than one to two hours per day online. For school projects and other educational

purposes, parents and educators can allow children to spent additional time online.

The EPA further advises that children under two should not spend any time online.

Parents should insist that children turn off their computers during dinnertime, family activities, and

conversations.

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At home, keep the computer in an open location so it is easy to see what children are doing.

Talk to children about the importance of keeping personal information private. Speak to them about the

appropriate use of web chat, emphasising they are never to talk to strangers online and never arrange to

meet people through social media or web chat.

Parents should friend their children on social networking sites and they should keep a record of their

children’s passwords.

When children misuse the Internet, they should lose their computer privileges.

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It is important for your school to apply a series of clear policies and processes for the purpose of keeping

children safe. At minimum, your school should introduce the following policies and guidelines:

Apply an anti-bullying policy that clearly addresses the issue of cyber bullying.

Establish limitations on how much time children can spend per day using a computer.

Enforce strict school policies and guidelines for the use of appropriate and inappropriate websites.

Liaise with your IT resource to block the use of dangerous/inappropriate websites.

Apply an ongoing e-safety education strategy, ensuring that children know how to safely use the Internet.

Engage in open communication with parents about any challenges their children encounter online.

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Social media is the most widely used form of electronic communication. A high percentage of children will

have personal Facebook or Twitter accounts and there are also other social media platforms that are

gaining momentum such as Google+, Reddit and Pinterest. Because of this, it is important to remain vigilant

by establishing a definitive range of policies and procedures that apply to the use of social media within

your school, including an acceptable usage policy (AUP) and a behaviour agreement.

If you become aware of improper use of social networking services by pupils, then it is important to report

this immediately to the point of contact within your school who is responsible for safeguarding e-safety

through the implementation of internal usage policies.

Nearly all social Networking services have an age requirement of thirteen. Because of this, most schools

have adopted a blocking policy for the use of social media sites by technical means. If you wish to block

social media activity in the classroom then speak to your in-house IT expert, or feel free to contact Our ICT for further assistance.

If applied correctly, social media can be used for teaching and collaborative purposes in the classroom, as long as your pupils meet the

minimal age requirement. See Cloudlearn.net for more information about how social media can be adopted as an effective learning

tool.

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There are countless resources available for parents and educators who are responsible for keeping children

safe online.

Internet monitoring services provide information to parents about how their children are using the web

and their smart phones. Sites such as Uknowkids offer such monitoring. An app called SafeEyes allows

parents to track children’s smartphone usage and block dangerous websites.

ThinkuKnow age-appropriate guides offer a fantastic resource for parents and teachers who are responsible

for helping children to learn about Internet safety.

Common Sense Media provides a fantastic resource for families or schools who are looking to apply a media

usage agreement.

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It is important to be just as vigilant about e-safety for mobile devices because most children are frequent

users of mobile phone technology. It is very easy for people to lie online, and it is just as easy for them to

lie in a telephone conversation or a text message. Because of this, it is important to establish a few basic

ground rules for your children to abide by:

Never give your contact number or email address to anyone that you don’t know.

Never send pictures to someone from a mobile phone unless you know who the person is in real life. It is

easy for people to manipulate pictures, forward them on, or to even steal your identity.

Never engage in a webcam conversation with people that you don’t know in real life. Webcam images can

be recorded, copied and shared.

IMPORTANT - If your children receive any messages or pictures that are inappropriate then you can report this online at the thinkuknow

website - http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk.

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Most children have gained a fundamental understanding of how to use a

computer and to navigate the Internet from a young age. However, most

children will not understand what e-safety means, how it works and the

importance of ensuring e-safety at home and in the classroom.

Utilising the Internet itself is a great way to educate children about the

importance of e-safety in a positive way, rather than focusing on the negative

side of e-safety. The CBBC website is a fantastic resource for teaching children

of all ages about the importance of e-safety through a diverse selection of

videos and online activities that can be used in the classroom. Kidsmart is

another great resource with a user interface that is perfectly suited to the

younger age group. ThinkUknow also has a diverse selection of e-safety games.

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T: 020 8501 7670 | E: info@ourict.co.uk | W: www.ourict.co.uk

132 Station Road, London E4 6AB

We hope that you find this whitepaper to be a useful resource. If you have any further questions

surrounding e-safety then please do not hesitate to contact us.