INTOUCH 36 MAY 2016

Cúrsaí teagaisc

Safer Internet Day 2016The call to action for Safer Internet Day2016 was ‘Play your part for a betterinternet’ and schools supported the callin great numbers. 67,342 pupils in 463schools around Ireland held events andcampaigns on 9 February to promotesafer use of the internet by their pupils.There were free wristbands for everyonewho took part!

#UP2US competitionwinnersThe grand prize winners of the SaferInternet Day 2016 #Up2Us photocompetition were the pupils from HolyFamily Senior NS in Swords. These pupilsdesigned wonderful posters and enjoyeda week of internet safety lessons usingsongs, poems, stories and online lessons,thanks to their teacher, Ms Farrell. Theywon a GoPro Camera Kit for their efforts.

Runners-up in the competition werethe pupils from Glanduff NS in CoRoscommon. They won a Fuji Instaxcamera having had a class discussion onphoto sharing, viral photos and videos andthey devised their own code for onlinesharing and internet use, to mark the day.

Resource on sharing ofexplicit images launchedElsewhere, Lockers, a new SPHEresource on the sharing of explicit self-generated images was launched at asymposium held in the Royal IrishAcademy. Produced by Webwise, theresource was launched by CiaraO’Donnell, Director of the PDST, at asymposium on ‘Sexting and the

Consequences for Schools’.Lockers (www.webwise.ie/lockers) is an

innovative information and educationresource that assists schools in copingwith and preventing incidents involvingthe sharing of explicit self-generatedimages of minors. Though the twoanimations and six lessons are intendedfor junior cycle students, the 25-page

information section will be a greatresource for all school leaders. It outlinesthe context for sexting among youngpeople, the laws that can come into effectwhen underage sexting occurs and theimplications for school policy.Considerations for schools dealing withincidents of sexting are also outlined.

“For school leaders, it’s very importantto be well informed when encounteringincidences involving the sharing ofexplicit images in their schools. Whenself-created sexual images are sharednon-consensually, the repercussions canseriously undermine the wellbeing ofstudents. Malicious sharing can take theform of cyberbullying, while abusivesharing could indicate a child protectionconcern,” said Ciara O’Donnell, as shelaunched the Lockers resource.

RTÉ support Safer InternetDayRTÉ also supported this year’s Safer InternetDay campaign. Swipe TV launched Bernard

Holy Family SNS, Swords won the Grand Prize in the Safer Internet Day 2016 Photo Competition

Brian Hallissey BL, Helen Ryan (ISSU), Orla Barry, Ciara O'Donnell (PDST), Brian Murray (PDST) and FinolaFlanagan (Law Reform Commissioner) at the launch of Lockers, on Safer Internet Day.

INTOUCH 37 MAY 2016

Teaching matters

Glanduff NS, Co Roscommon were runners-up in the Safer Internet Day 2016 competition

Presenter, Mebs, gave his top five internet safety tipsin videos that aired on Swipe TV.

and Lisa’s WebQuest on the Swipe TVapp. The WebQuest encouraged primaryschool children to watch five videoswhich offered tips on how to stay safeonline. Children who completed theWebQuest gave themselves the chanceof winning a prize.

Presenter, Mebs, also gave his topfive internet safety tips, in videos thataired on Swipe TV throughout theweek of Safer Internet Day. The weekwas topped off by the I Like It anti-cyberbullying rap, performed by theGMCBeats Youth Crew.

Activities for promoting abetter internetIf you missed Safer Internet Day 2016but still want to play your part, here aresome things you can do to promotebetter and safer internet use among yourpupils:

1 Try out the I Like It rap with yourclass. Tá leagan Gaeilge den rap

freisin.

2 Agree an online code for betterinternet use with your class.

3Make a poster using the #Up2UsAnti-Bullying Kit.

4Order one of Webwise’s freeteaching resources at

www.webwise.ie.

5Check out the Safer Internet Day2016 map to see what schools

around Ireland did to celebrate the day.It might give you some inspiration fornext year! www.saferinternetday.ie.

Now in its 13th year, Safer Internet Dayis an EU wide initiative to promote asafer and better internet for all users,especially young people. It is promotedin Ireland by Webwise, the internetsafety initiative of the PDST Technologyin Education.

Safer Internet Day 2017 will take placeon Tuesday, 7 February.

EMILY LYNCH and JANE MCGARRIGLE, Webwiseteam, PDST Technology in Education