Teaching about online safety, privacy, misinformation and digital health to Grade 6 students in an effective and engaging manner
Subject
Abstract
The internet has become an ever-increasing part of our personal, educational, and work lives. We rely on technology and the internet for accessing information, music, and films as well as to socially interact with others. This great reliance on technology and the internet for accessing various forms of media offers many undeniable benefits, but it also places users in the path of potential dangers, where the risks could be very serious. We are living in uncharted territory where the internet is accessed by people of all ages from preschoolers to the elderly, with many unaware of the scope of dangers that they could potentially be exposed to. Three topics that relate to online risks to youth are the focus of this paper, and they are: online safety and privacy, misinformation and digital health and well-being. This study responded to the critical challenge question, “How can middle school teachers teach about online safety and privacy, digital health and well-being, and misinformation in an effective and engaging manner?” For this major project, a resource website was created for early middle school teachers, housing recommended lessons from quality evaluated free online resources for teaching these topics. The basis of evaluation of these free online resources was using criteria that was generated from recommendations found from a current literature review. The website provides an explanation of how the resources align with the BC Curriculum and BC Digital Framework for grade 6, which correlates with 12 years of age, the ideal age to introduce these resources. It also supplies an explanation of the evaluated resources, and suggestions on how teachers can use them to start teaching about online safety and privacy, digital health and well-being and misinformation.