OTAN News

Keeping Everyone Safe on the Internet

February 9 is 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 170 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. Guides can be shared online with our students and can be posted in classrooms and computer labs as reminders on how to stay safe while working in class.

• The Student Privacy Compass website, hosted by the Future of Privacy Forum, is a good resource to visit throughout the year to learn more about student privacy at all education levels.

• Social media sites are a good place for ideas from other organizations on how to keep everyone safe online. Visit the Safer Internet Day Facebook and Twitter profiles, and view the conversations with the hashtags #SaferInternetDay and #SID2021.

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.