e-Safety in Schools

In July 2010, all Kent Schools and education settings received copies of the recently updated Kent e-Safety Sample Policy and guidance to enable them to consider recent advances in technology and ensure that their school practise is up-to-date. Included with these documents was a short check list which we requested schools to complete and return to the e-Safety Officer. This checklist was essential in ensuring that Kent County Council understand better the issues that schools, settings, children and young people have with e-Safety and also to plan the e-Safety Officer's input and focus for the next academic year and help schools and settings work towards a common goal of an e-Safety aware Kent. 

To date, over 160 schools and settings have completed and returned the forms.

The key issues identified from the results received so far are with staff training (especially for non-teaching staff and governors), staff confidence in teaching e-Safety (especially at Key Stage 1 and 2 and in special schools) and working with parents/carers. As a result of this we are pleased to announce that the e-Safety Officer is delivering a selection of training which will be suitable for school staff from a variety of settings to attend.

Multi-Agency training for all professionals can be accessed via the Kent Safeguarding Children Board. This training is delivered across different course -  a half day which focuses on e-Safety awareness raising for professionals, a half day which enables staff to become an accredited Think U Know trainer and a whole day which focuses on Child Protection Concerns and looks at some of the key online risks in more detail. The KSCB training can be booked here

Additionally, School staff can access e-Safety training via EIS which is a series of ½ sessions focused on delivering an e-Safety curriculum and working with parents. These sessions are split into Primary and Special and Secondary and Special and are targeted at the designated e-Safety leads. This training will provide staff with a variety of resources to use with pupils as well as staff and parents/carers in order to raise the profile of e-Safety within their own setting. The courses will also look at professional behaviour online as a number of schools raised concerns about protecting staff especially the use of social networking sites. The EIS training can be booked here

District training sessions for groups of schools which will look at staff CPD, Pupil training and sessions for parents/carers in local areas and bespoke training sessions for schools will also be offered by the Kent CPD Online portal which can be accessed here

We have also been able to identify specific gaps in the resources Kent County Council offers and are now working on updating these to reflect recent changes. We have identified that some schools and settings do not ensure that all staff sign a Code of Conduct or Acceptable Use Policy and are therefore are updating the current Kent template. This will also emphasise the fact that staff should be using school provided email address etc for professional purposes as this could potentially leave staff vulnerable.

If you are a Kent School or educational setting and have not yet completed and returned the e-Safety checklist please complete the document and return either via post, fax or email to the e-Safety Officer as soon as possible.

The responses recieved so far echo a recent study undertaken by University of Plymouth and South West Grid for Learning of the 547 education establishments in England and Wales using the 360 Degree Safe e-Safety tool. The 360 Degree Safe tool enables schools to assess their own provision against 28 separate aspects and offers improvement advice and is free to use.

The report revealed that the filtering out of unwanted and harmful websites and the adoption of e-Safety policy by schools is generally strong, but that staff training is one of the weakest areas. The report also reveals that primary schools generally rated themselves lower compared to their secondary counterparts and suggests that there are fewer opportunities for e safety advice to children in rural and semi-rural schools compared to urban areas. Mobile phones and hand held devices are also identified as being a challenge for both primary and secondary schools. 

You can read the full report here 

For any other e-Safety queries or concerns, please contact the e-Safety Officer.

Facebook Places is now live to all Facebook users in the UK. If you are a Facebook user, please ensure you understand how the feature works and how to protect yourself.

What is Facebook Places?

Places is a location based Facebook feature which has just been launched in the UK. Places allows Facebook users to see where their friends are and share their location in the real world using a location based device such as a Smartphone or mobile phone. When you use Places, you can see if any friends are currently "checked in" nearby. You can "check into" nearby Places to tell your friends where you are, tag your friends in the Places you visit, and view comments your friends have made about Places you visit.  

Facebook Places hopes to enable users to connect with people in a completely new way and make real life links and if you are responsible and careful there can be some benefits to most users. However, Places does bring about several privacy and security risks especially for children or more vulnerable groups of people, as they may not consider the full implications and consequences of sharing either their own or their friends real world location online, potentially with strangers.

Your location is not automatically shared by Facebook and is only shared when you (or your friends) check in to a Place. Facebook users have control over whether and with whom they share your check-ins. However Facebook Places is an Opt Out rather than Opt in application, so all users need to be aware how to ensure they use it appropriately (if at all).

How can I change the settings?

In the "Customize settings" section of your main privacy settings, simply select the drop-down box next to "Places I check in to" and select one of the four recommended settings: Everyone, Friends and Networks, Friends of Friends, or Friends Only. Alternatively, you can make the locations you check in to visible to or hidden from specific people by clicking "Custom" - you can also choose "only me" which is the most restrictive setting and is the closet option to opting out.

If you don't want your friends to be able to check you into Places, (meaning friends can potentially share your current location with others), then select the drop down box in "Things Others Share" called "Friends can check me in to Places."  If you don't want your friends to be able to "check" you into places then set this to "Disabled". Keep in mind that if you enable this setting then any friend could potentially check you in any place even if you are not there.

How do I remove my name when a friend has tagged me in a place?

If a friend has tagged you in a Place and you would like to remove your name, then go to the Place story (which can be found on your profile, your friend's profile, or the Place page) and select "Remove Tag." You will no longer be connected to that Place.  Only your confirmed friends on Facebook are able to tag you in a Place and only if you have enabled them to do so.

How does Places Privacy work for under 18s?

Facebook have reduced the visibility of information for anyone under 18 (assuming they signed up with the correct date of birth). With the Places application in particular, under 18s will only be able to share their locations with people on their friends list on Facebook (it is essential that young people understand this when accepting online friends or setting up a profile). Even if they have set all other information on their profile as visible to "Everyone", the settings for places will automatically be restricted and only their friends list will be able to see Places he or she has visited.

For further information please visit Facebook's Help Section on Places

 BBC News Report can be found here

Below is a selection of new tools and resources to help with your e-Safety practice in this school year!

Teach Today - Teacher of the Month Competition

Teach Today is a website which aims to help education professionals understand new technologies and to help them be aware how to protect themselves as well as students.

Enter the Teachtoday ‘Teacher of the Month' competition and win a cash prize to help you implement your e-Safety project in class. All you have to do is share your ideas and experiences on promoting the responsible use of digital technologies (eg internet, mobiles, social networking and games consoles) in the classroom.

Your post should describe:

• a project you have implemented or wish to implement in class to educate your students about the responsible use of new technologies, such as the internet, mobiles, social networking and games consoles

•   the strategies, pedagogical material or code of practice you have set up in class to foster responsible use of new technologies

Visit the website to learn more about entering - read the rules to learn more about the competition or simply sign in and post your blog or create a new strand in the forum. In sharing your ideas you will help foster a community of support from your peers. The author of the best entry each month will become "Teacher of the Month". Please feel free to post your questions in the blog , in the forum  or via the contact form

Teach Today has a team of experts ready to respond so make sure you get your entry in fast!

A Back to School 2010 gift from Insafe 

Insafe is a European network of Awareness Centres, Co-funded by the Safer Internet Programme, promoting safe, responsible use of the Internet and mobile devices to young people. They have launched a box of tools and tips to start the year off on a positive note which includes lesson plans and activities on Password safety, quizzes and safety tips.

All the lesson plans etc can be all be accessed here

Own your Space - Free ebook For Teens

Microsoft has released a free ebook covering a wide range of on-line safety and security topics aimed at older teenagers/secondary school students.

The book is called "Own Your Space - Keep Yourself and Your Stuff Safe Online" and is a useful and comprehensive resource for anyone interested in learning more about online security such as phishing, cyber-stalking, cyberbullying. It also provides history and real examples of the problems that can come from security risks as well as how to take steps to protect ourselves online.

You can download all (or separate chapters of the book) here 

Safe Project for Primary Schools - Launching October 12^th 2010

"Safe" is a new programme of practical, activities to develop primary children's skills, self-confidence and safety awareness when using social network sites. Safe is a project created by Radiowaves, Childnet International  and The I in Online.

Combining a safe, social network, downloadable materials and teacher resources, the programme will enable primary schools to deliver fun activities which develop their pupils' digital literacy skills. By completing the programme pupils gain a Safe certificate as evidence of their learning and will be encouraged to develop online safety skills to use at home and at school.

All Safe tasks are linked to the English Primary Curriculum as well as the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence. All of the pupils tasks are supported by teacher packs which include how to guides, discussion topics and expected learning outcomes.

Safe is based around 3 core concepts to help encourage pupils to ask critical questions before they share information or media.

• Who?
• Who will see what you share? How do you control who can see it?
• What?
• What are you sharing? Is it yours to share? What personal information are you sharing?
• Where?
• Where are you sharing things? Is this the best place for you and your work?

Register at www.digitalme.co.uk/safe to express your interest and to keep informed about new resources and updates ready for the launch date on October 12th 2010.

Beat Bullying and National Anti Bullying Week

This year's Anti-Bullying Week takes place from 15-19 November and kicks off with something really special on Monday 15 November. The theme for 2010 is 'Taking Action Together.' With this in mind Beat Bullying are inviting you to get your school ready for the biggest and most exciting Anti-Bullying Week ever planned. Beat Bullying have produced a range of merchandise which your school can purchase to tie in with Anti-Bullying Week.

The Big March
For this year's Anti-Bullying week Beat Bullying are doing something truly special and invites you to take part in the Big March against bullying. The Big March is the world's first 'virtual' march - young people, their friends, families, teachers and parents will be signing a petition and marching across the web. No real marching takes place, it all happens online, as thousands of people will 'virtually' march across a range of partner websites to deliver the petition at No. 10 Downing Street on the first day of Anti-Bullying Week - Monday 15 November.

The Big March Park opens on September 15th and you can register for the march, sign the petition, get your placard and get ready to march with Beat Bullying. In the park there is  a range of virtual tents with a huge number of  interactive resources for young people, teachers and parents including lesson plans, videos, learning materials and much more! Some tents are  sponsored by companies like Google and others by children's charities like Action for Children and the Children's Commissioner.

Please do visit the Park, sign up with your schools and classes and help Beat Bullying make digital history! All you need to do is go to www.beatbullying.org/bigmarch to sign up.

Beatbullying Merchandise
A range of exciting merchandise has been produced this year as well as some special Beatbullying SillyBandz designed by Aston from JLS. They can be purchased in packs of 50 and 100 and if you choose you can sell them back to students to raise funds for your school. You can find out more and order wristbands and stickers.

The Big March is a pioneering campaign and is going to capture the eyes, ears and hearts of the world. Please encourage your school to visit the Park and sign up
 

If you have any further suggestions for useful e-Safety resources then please contact the e-Safety officer or post them in comments below.