In recognition of Cyber Security Month, MediaSmarts—a Canadian centre for digital and media literacy, and a PREVNet partner—has launched a series of digital citizenship resources. Stay on the Path: Teaching Kids to be Safe and Ethical Online is a new program for parents and teachers to teach young people to be ethical online citizens.
“It’s increasingly important to prepare young people to be engaged digital citizens who contribute to their communities in positive ways” says Cathy Wing, Co-Executive Director of MediaSmarts. “These new resources will support the development of ethical decision making skills and help kids stay on a safe path when communicating, playing and doing homework online.”
The bilingual program teaches young people to respect people’s privacy (by not oversharing), respect people’s feelings (by not bullying) and respect people’s property (by understanding copyright and plagiarism). It includes a four-lesson unit on search skills and critical thinking; a self-directed tutorial that examines the moral dilemmas that young people face in their online activities and strategies for dealing with them; and three tip sheets for parents on how to teach kids to be safe and ethical online.
MediaSmarts is dedicated to providing parents and educators with the information and tools they need to help young people safely and effectively navigate today’s digital world. It works closely with its partners, including PREVNet, and sponsors to advance education around important online issues such as cyberbullying, online hate, privacy and Internet safety. To find out more about MediaSmarts’ programs, visit: mediasmarts.ca.