The Importance of Online Safety

School Safety Programs

Digital Citizenship is an influential subject that many people of all ages, especially student, need to learn about. School-based activities and discussion about Digital Citizenship need to be introduced into classrooms. Many schools do have digital citizenship programs, which is important for the students and even parents’ safety. Schools should provide these to inform the students of the school how they can be safe and cautious. Some of these schools, such as Highland Terrace Elementary School, Edmonds School District, Queen Anne’s County, and Bainbridge Island School District, have great digital citizenship programs. They provide information for their student to stay safe. 

Highland Terrace Elementary School has a digital citizenship program that talks about the resources of the internet and how with the opportunities comes responsibility. “While at school, we have web filters in place to block inappropriate websites accessed on school equipment, there is no replacement for teaching safe internet habits.” Highland Terrace Elementary School states. Web filters can help with keeping students off these inappropriate websites without having to rely on trust. They have a curriculum called the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Opens in New Window. It’s taught in their libraries and classrooms throughout the school to practice online safety. They use a program, NetSmartz (www.netsmartz.org), with three important themes. These themes, according to Highland Terrace Elementary school, are “Online Predators, Revealing Too Much Information, and Cyberbullying”. Highland Terrace Elementary school’s digital citizenship program is very informative. 

Edmonds School District also has a digital citizenship program. They have an instructional technology department, along with libraries, that provide students with the benefit of learning digital citizenship. Edmonds School District is very focused on making sure the message point of their program is very strong to help kids benefit from it. As the grade gets higher the concepts are more in-depth. “Each school has a Digital Citizenship Plan, and students can expect to receive lessons on topics such as online identity and self-image, information literacy, internet safety, fair use & copyright, cyberbullying” Edmonds School District affirms. Along with the program there are computers in every class, and students have a device they are able to take home to keep a successful online place to learn. 
Another district with an online safety program is Queen Anne’s County Public Schools. In their middle schools, they have given students Chromebooks. This allows students to use online textbooks and other sites to enhance learning aspects. The students also have special emails, so only people within their system can email their school account. This is a great way to keep students away from scamming and phishing emails. Since access to Chromebooks and the internet is given, “Teachers are also stressing the importance of Digital Citizenship within their teaching to ensure that students are continuing to build a positive digital footprint.” says Queen Anne’s County Public Schools. They emphasize how it is important to use technology for instructional purposes only. 

Bainbridge Island School District has a program for students to learn about digital citizenship as well. “Digital Citizenship relates to the way in which an individual communicates and presents oneself on the Internet and the identity the user develops through interactions on the Internet and social networking sites.” Bainbridge Island School District explains. They have activities and discussions about awareness related to online safety and cyberbullying. The instructions of digital citizenship are appropriate for each grade level as the students access the internet. They make sure students can stay safe and make the right decisions on the internet at home. 

Digital citizenship and online safety programs within schools is an important concept for students. It can keep students from making bad decisions or scammed. Highland Terrace Elementary School, Edmonds School District, Queen Anne’s County, and Bainbridge Island School District have excellent programs for this. With keeping strong importance on it, these schools provide the right information to keep the students safe and cautious. Digital Citizenship is an influential subject that many people of all ages, especially student, need to learn about. 

Sites: 

Highland Terrace Elementary. “Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship / Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship.” /, 2020, www.shorelineschools.org/domain/1195. 

Edmonds School District. “Digital Citizenship.” Go to Edmonds School District, 2020, www.edmonds.wednet.edu/students/chromebooks_1_1/digital_citizenship. 

Queen Anne’s County Public Schools. “Technology Information – 1:1 Initiative / Middle School.” Technology Information – 1:1 Initiative / Middle School, 2020, www.qacps.org/Page/6656. 

Bainbridge School District. “Technology Department / Digital Citizenship / Internet Safety.” Technology Department / Digital Citizenship / Internet Safety, 2020, www.bisd303.org/Page/977. 

Digital Citizenship and Online Safety Beliefs at Kings

In a generation where information is accessed by the touch of screen, it can be hard to get off your devices. It’s easy to get addicted and keep scrolling and scrolling for long periods of time. Almost everyone has a device in our area. So, with so much of our time spent on devices, you can get into situations when you need to be aware to be safe. At home and at school, online safety is an important aspect of our lives. With a screen at every turn, anything can happen.  

At home I spend a lot of my free time talking to friends online, browsing the internet or just watching shows. There have been times where I’ve gotten messages or phone calls that weren’t the actual person I was talking to, but I knew what to do because I was aware of the situation. Earlier in the year, lots of my friends were being hacked by another account, which I didn’t know at first. They would message me through Instagram giving me a link to a ‘gift card’ or ‘cash-back website’ where instead it would take to a log in screen, that looked almost identical to the Instagram’s, and would say you got signed out. I thought it was too much of a coincidence that when I clicked the site that it took me to a log in screen, so I refreshed the app and went back into it, only to realize it was a scam. When I later added an emoji to my username, I could also see that when they would greet me it would keep the emoji and I knew they were hacked. Now I just simply delete the messages when that happens. Another time, towards the beginning of the school year, I kept getting phone calls from my friends. It would have their correct name as the caller ID, but when I would answer it wouldn’t be my friend. It was a robotic-like voice talking nonsense. I stopped answering my phone unless it was one of my parents that day. I made sure not to take any further action to the phone numbers and just let my parents know what was happening. It stopped happening after that week. Being safe and making sure what you are doing on your device is very important. 

At Kings Schools there is a digital citizenship class in the Junior High. It talks about the importance of your digital citizenship and online safety.  You learn what digital citizenship means and what it’s about. One Kings staff member came in to talk about ways to stay safe with emails. He talked about tips like hovering your mouse over links, checking for spelling errors, and deleting emails that are fake without clicking or giving information. Kings Schools takes education online seriously to benefit students. Kings Schools states, “King’s Kids become confident, self-directed learners ready to solve the real-world challenges set before them”.   

Technology and devices are a big part of mostly everyone’s life at this point in time. Making sure to be safe and aware can impact decision making in situations you can find yourself in. Taking in-school programs or classes is a great way to start learning an in-depth way of online safety. It’s very easy to get distracted with all the thing you can do on one small device. Stay safe and make sure you know the importance of your digital citizenship. 

Sites:  

Kings Schools. “You Searched for Online+Safety.” King’s Schools, 2020, https://kingsschools.org/?s=online%2Bsafety.