Tuesday 12th February 2019
Internet safety, where do I begin! As you are all aware, I have two young children, who would be classed by Prensky as, “Digital Natives” (Prensky, M. 2001). They both have iPads and the oldest has a laptop, which they can work better than me and their dad put together. Nonetheless, I check their iPads religiously for anything suspicious. Why? Well, because it is my job to keep my children safe, I need take responsibility as a parent and since I allowed them to have access to the internet, it falls on me and their dad to be responsible for what they are doing when online. Don’t get me wrong all the parental limits are installed, they do not have access to any social media sites and I have regular discussions with my children about asking for permission to download certain apps and internet safety. However, both are still too young to understand why anyone would want to do anything bad to anyone, especially on something they regard as merely a toy. The main reason it terrifies me is how innocent children can be targeted through what they see as something they play with. I am glad these issues are now being recognised throughout the world and with the introduction of Safer Internet Day, we now have access to a vast amount of information to help us stay safe online. I feel the introduction of safer internet day is a great idea and encourages people to talk about how to stay safe online and what to do if you feel something has went wrong. “The most successful schools… in terms of e-safety ensured that pupils knew what to do when things went wrong.” (Beauchamp, 2012. P60).
The aim of today’s class was to successfully make an iMovie to promote internet safety, as discussed previously internet safety and how everyone has the right to consent even within the internet is a major issue today especially for children, as Beauchamp states, “… the key idea [is] that e-safety is not about restricting children, but about educating them” (Beauchamp. 2012 p58). Today was the final assessment task in the module and I feel the hardest, as internet safety is a big issue right now, I wanted to make sure I was executing this task to the best of my ability and ensure I covered all relevant areas.
I first came across iMovie a couple of years ago when my eldest daughter was talking about it, she was doing a project in school where they had to make their own movie trailer and she was fascinated. It was all she spoke about when she came home that night and the inquisitive part of me was eager to find out what had got her so excited. So, that night I sat down and investigated iMovie, three hours later I eventually raised my head from the laptop and realised what all the fuss was about. It is a brilliant and truly inspiring piece of software; the possibilities are endless with iMovie and I can understand why teachers are using it within their classroom and it will definitely be a tool I would use. The ability to edit your work, shoot scenes, alter sounds and invent any kind of moving video you wish is brilliant. The reason why I was so excited when I heard we were allowed to experiment with iMovie in this module.
Unfortunately, I did not make it in for today’s class, which I was utterly disappointed about as I said before I love iMovie. iMovie is another app I am quite knowledgeable of and I was looking forward to creating an amazing video with my group. All week we have been messaging back and forth different ideas, suggestions of websites to look at for facts and figures of internet safety. I felt fully prepared to come into class and produce a great video to promote internet safety but sadly I was unwell. With it being an assessment task I was panicking at the thought of missing out, however, the group of girls I was working with kept me informed by messaging throughout the task, they gave me a list of things that still needed done and I helped edit the final video, which I was more than happy to do. The only disappointing thing is I never got to star in the video (not). The finished product was brilliant, I was really lucky to be part of an amazing group who made me feel included even though I missed a good part of the task. We aimed our video at second level pupils and realised that creating an iMovie can cover a vast range of experiences and outcomes within the curriculum such as:
HWB 2-44b
I am aware that positive friendships and relationships can promote health and the health and wellbeing of others.
(Education Scotland, n.d. P17)
LIT 1-01a / LIT 2-01a
I regularly select and listen to or watch texts which I enjoy and find interesting, and I can explain why I prefer certain sources. I regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to create texts of my choice.
(Education Scotland, n.d. P25)
HWB 0-06a / HWB 1-06a / HWB 2-06a / HWB 3-06a / HWB 4-06a
I understand the importance of mental wellbeing and that this can be fostered and strengthened through personal coping skills and positive relationships. I know that it is not always possible to enjoy good mental health and that if this happens there is support available.
(Education Scotland, n.d. P80)
LIT 2-06a
I can select ideas and relevant information, organise these in an appropriate way for my purpose and use suitable vocabulary for my audience.
(Education Scotland, n.d. P132)
TCH 2-03a
I can explore online communities demonstrating an understanding of responsible digital behaviour and I’m aware of hoe to keep myself safe and secure.
(Education Scotland, n.d. P307)
The link to access to the completed video is:
Finally, although I never made it into class today, I have done a lot of research on internet safety, as I said before the internet terrifies me especially for my children. The ways in which accounts can be hacked, accessing your personal details, people trying to contact you who do not know you, cyberbullying and so much more scares me. As the digital world grows, I believe it is only going to get worse. I am one of those mums who checks everything my child is doing, and I will continue to do so whether my children like it or not, I believe that is a rule all parents should adhere to. Especially when it comes to internet safety, a child might believe an innocent text, adding someone to a chat or downloading a game is harmless but they do not truly understand the consequences that could arise from that innocent action. Hopefully when I become a teacher, I will ensure that all children I teach will be taught the importance of internet safety and how to use the internet securely.
Deborah ♥
References:
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary School; From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson Education Limited.
Education Scotland. (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence.[Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/documents/All-experiencesoutcomes18.pdf[Accessed:8 January 2019].
Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.MCB University Press.
