OTAN News

Keeping Everyone Safe on the Internet

February 11 was Safer Internet Day, a worldwide recognition of the need to actively safeguard children and adults when they spend time on the Internet. Safer Internet Day is a good reminder of the continuous need to educate everyone on staying safe online, protecting personal data, and acting as good netizens.

Safer Internet Day began among European partners in 2004 and has expanded around the world to about 1 60 nations, including the US. As the movement has gone global, there are a number of resources that have been developed that we can use to help educate ourselves as educators, as well as our adult students and those who are parents of children.

• On the Safer Internet Day Website, the Resources Section has many resources in a variety of languages, including lesson plans, guides and books, and videos, that could be used with native English speakers and parents whose first language is not English.

• ConnectSafely is the US host of Safer Internet Day, and it has its own website with news items and guides in English and Spanish on many Internet safety topics. Some of the guides can be posted in classrooms and computer lab as reminders on how to stay safe while working with teachers and students in class.

• For Safer Internet Day 2020, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) released a "Student Privacy 101" Video Series for educators to better understand privacy laws at the federal and state level and the importance of protecting student data. The four-part series begins with an introductory video on issues around student privacy, then drills down into three topics: legal compliance, mitigating risks, and being transparent. The FPF blog post Safer Internet Day: How Schools Can Improve Children’s Data Privacy has more information on the video series, and FPF has its own Resources Section on the FerpaSherpa website.

There are many resources that we can tap into to educate ourselves and students about Internet safety. You can also contact OTAN at support@otan.us or call our office at 916-228-2580 to schedule a digital safety training at your school.

Website: Safer Internet Day

Website: ConnectSafely

Website: FerpaSherpa by the Future of Privacy Forum

OTAN News Item: Reviewing the Privacy Ratings for Edtech Products

OTAN News Item: Keeping Yourself Cybersecure