Global Arab Network | Shifting Paradigms in Teaching About Cyber Safety

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Shifting Paradigms in Teaching About Cyber Safety

Global Arab Network - - Maha Karim

Sunday, 07 June 2009 17:31

"Close your eyes. Put yourself in the shoes of a parent and ask yourself: What comes to mind when you hear the word "cyber safety"? Now, open your eyes and resume your teacher role and instead of testing your students, take a quiz by yourself."

With this introduction, Mala Bower, Executive Director, Cybersmart, started her engaging lecture on the timely issue of Cyber safety, during a recent ICT in Education Conference, held by ictQATAR and College of North Atlantic (CNA-Q). Attendees were predominantly teachers from across Qatar and Bower challenging them to explore how cyber security should be handled with children. Should it be taught as a way to: (A) protect them from dangers online? or (B) ensure a fun and safe online experience for them?

For some, the two options seem very similar, yet they represent two distinct contexts in which cyber safety has been dealt with. Option A comes from the traditional approach first used in the United States about 10 years ago where law experts were those tasked with teaching children about cyber safety. The tactics used were fear, resistance and a notion of ""stranger danger.""

Looking at cyber safety from a law enforcement context resulted in more fear from parents and teachers alike, Bower asserted. It created the effect were the internet was viewed as dangerous and something law enforcements experts should handle instead of teachers. With homes often being the first place where children accessed the Internet, safety messages were sent to parents from Internet Service Providers who provided lists of rules on how to enforce online safety - rules developed by the law enforcement community. With heightened media attention on the possible dangers of the Internet, cyber safety seemed to be a legal issue that should be viewed in the contexts of laws that protect children from 'online predators.'

And it was a mistake, according to Bower. With more incidents of cyber bullying, the issue of cyber safety started to evolve differently than expected. "Law enforcers were off-target, as they had no conversations with children who were harassed verbally online, or those who had rumors, or negative pictures being spread about them online. There was a missing link. And it was the teacher." Children had distress and there was something more needed - something more than just a list of laws that people can recite. They needed guidance."

It was then where the educational perspective of cyber safety started to emerge and be valued. Teachers began addressing the topic by teaching children values such as responsibility, respect for others and online ethics, most of which was overlooked with the legal view of the issue.

With teachers being involved, a paradigm shift seemed on the horizon. It was no longer about scaring children. "There is no research that has proven that fear tactics are effective - but there is plenty of research out there that proves that students need to learn critical thinking."

"We'd rather explain the differences between the face-to-face world versus cyber space"", explains Bower. She advised teachers to carefully select the expressions they disseminate to children in class when tackling the issue and encouraged them to understand that for today's generation reality is a combination of their face-to-face life and their cyber world. She encouraged teachers to frame their messages about cyber safety to children with nine key terms in mind: informed, curious, creative, empowered, creative, safe, collaborative, unique, ethical and honest. All of this creates a student that is 'cyber smart.'

The move between the face-to-face world and the cyber world is not just in the times a child is in front of the computer. It's a mindset and paradigm shift that permeates into all aspects of life and has great potential for growth and development. But cyber safety must be taught to ensure that children have fun online and are not afraid, but they are equipped with critical thinking skills to make informed, smart choices.

* ictQATAR

Global Arab Network

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