“Most primary schools will have in place a policy regarding e-safety, but they are likely to reflect official policies and perhaps not the reality of pupils’ lives…” (Beauchamp, 2012, p.58)

In this weeks class we were looking at internet safety and using iMovie as a tool to execute it, using a specific topic of our choice. Internet safety is a subject which is extremely important and should be a part of every classroom, to ensure the safety of the children, teachers and staff in the school. Hopefully the information learnt would also be executed at home and outside of the school.

 

Before class I had a look at some of the internet safety videos and websites which were recommended.I particularly liked the THINKUKNOW website which is aimed at particular age groups. I focused on the age group of 5-7 years as my son is 6 years old. In my opinion, the website appeared to be very easy to navigate and child friendly. The language used is great and perfect for young children to understand. “If you feel upset about anything you have seen on the computer or if someone has said something which makes you feel bad or funny inside – you need to tell your mum, dad or whoever looks after you at home.” (thinkuknow, n.d.). This website can be accessed here: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/

There was lots of preparation done at home and last week after class for our groups movie. We decided to choose cyber bullying as our topic as we felt this is an issue which needs to be highlighted continually and can effect both children and adults. We made an initial plan and stuck to it very well!

 

I volunteered to be the “actress” whom was the subject of cyber bullying. We decided to go with the idea of a girl uploading a video to facebook of her singing, with comments appearing with insults and vicious abuse.

I pre-recorded a few videos at home before coming to class, choosing emotive songs that portrayed the effects of bullying…including me crying whilst singing! This, however, was not used as I suddenly came over all embarrassed! Instead we decided to make a TikTok video, which apparently is very popular with today’s generation (I can feel the grey hairs appearing as I type…). We created scenarios which depicted the reality in which cyber bullying follows the victim everywhere, there is no escaping it if you have access to the social media or the website in which it began. We wanted to show how devastating it can be to an individual and the isolation and hurt that it can cause. Information about what cyber bullying is, the different types and ways in which support can be gained was given during the video. We decided to not speak throughout the film and I feel that this adds to the seriousness and makes the video quite striking and effective. Here is a version of our movie, enjoy! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYFsFZ8qAHE&feature=youtu.be

This video could be shown to a class and then be followed by a discussion, to elaborate on areas or answer any questions which the children may want to ask. This would hopefully encourage the children to open up and talk about any experiences in which they have dealt with themselves. I feel that this would be aimed at second level in primary school. There are many issues which could be covered and delved into further with this video. The experiences and outcomes which could possibly be touched on are:

• I am aware of and able to express my feelings and am developing the ability to talk about them.  HWB 2-01a
• I understand that there are people I can talk to and that there are a number of ways in which I can gain access to practical and emotional support to help me and others in a range of circumstances. HWB 2-03a
• I can explore online communities demonstrating an understanding of responsible digital behaviour and I’m aware of how to keep myself safe and secure. TCH 2-03a

I feel that the iMovie app has boundless opportunities in the classroom. It has the capabilities of bringing children together and creating an inclusive environment, where children can learn from each other and share learning. I feel this type of activity could prove challenging for children of all natures, the shy and quiet child may be happy to sit back and not get involved, whereas the confident and dominant child will be happy to do all of the tasks and delve right in. It would, therefore, need to be made clear that each child has a “role” so that there is less chance of anyone feeling helpless or excluded.

Once again I feel that it is of high importance for the teacher to have adequate knowledge and experience before introducing a new app or software to the classroom. I think it would make a teacher feel very under pressure and lack confidence if they had to implement this in class without looking into the app and exploring it themselves.

 

References

• Thinkuknow. (n.d.) [Online] Available: https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/5_7/hectorsworld/ [Accessed: 12 February 2019]
• Education Scotland. (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence.[Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf [Accessed: 12 February 2019]
• Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy top Practice. Pearson.