Keep Calm and Teach English

Every day, whether we want to or not, most of us contribute to a growing portrait of who we are online; a portrait that is probably more public than we assume. Our digital footprint is all the stuff we leave behind as we use the Internet: comments on social media, app use, photo sharing, email records, the list goes on- it’s part of our online history and can potentially be seen by other people, or tracked in a database. photo by pexels-2286921 Everyone cares about their reputation, but many students (and teachers) don’t realise that what they do online can impact their digital footprint, permanently. How can our digital footprint become a problem? In the best case scenario, it helps employers look into your background and advertisers track your movements across multiple websites. Refusing to be a part of the online world is not always a solution so it is important for teachers and educators to advise students about the rights and responsibilities they have as digital citize...

On Safer Internet Day (SID) 2018 (Tuesday, 6 February), an EU-wide series of initiatives entitled #SaferInternet4EU  was launched at an event at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Throughout 2018, a range of #SaferInternet4EU initiatives will reach children, young people, parents, teachers, and other EU citizens to become empowered and responsible digital users. It will cover a wide range of topics, such as critical thinking, media literacy and digital skills necessary to identify and combat fake news and the risks brought by emerging online technologies and connected devices; and provide tips on cyber hygiene. A number of initiatives will be launching as part of the campaign, including: a European contest to reward high quality resources and inspiring initiatives pursuing Better Internet for Kids objectives. The competition will cover three categories: professionals, teachers and youth. a massive open online course (MOOC) on child online safety with resou...

Online safety is an integral part of what schools need to be teaching in 2017. It encompasses a wide range of issues and affects staff, pupils, parents and the wider school community. As more and more schools embrace technology as a tool to support learning, it is important that staff and pupils alike understand how to use it safely and responsibly. Research suggests that 57 per cent of young people think that their friends engage in risky behaviours online  which demonstrates the need to address this in schools. The "Online Safety Course"  at the European Schoolnet Academy offered participants a better understanding of the current risks and challenges that young people face when they go online. They discussed strategies for supporting young people and helping them to develop safe and responsible behaviours when they go online. A wide range of resources that can be used in schools was provided, and participants were also asked to share their own experiences, chall...

For Safer Internet Day 2017 , 1,500 young people aged 8-17 years took part in an online survey conducted by ResearchBods and commissioned by the UK Safer Internet Centre. The aim was to explore the role of images and videos in young people’s digital lives and the influence this can have on their self-esteem, behaviour and emotions. The findings reveal how important images and videos are in young people's digital lives, demonstrating the positive role this plays as well as the risks and pressures they may face as a result. It underlines the importance of ensuring that all children have the skills, knowledge, confidence and resilience to communicate using images and videos safely, responsibly and creatively. Parents, teachers and most importantly schools in general should be able to understand the implications such surveys convey in order to guide children and teens towards better and  safer  internet use. 

Safer Internet Day 2017 will be celebrated globally on Tuesday 7th February with the slogan ‘Be the change: Unite for a better internet’.  The day offers the opportunity to highlight positive uses of technology and to explore the role we all play in helping to create a better and safer online community.  As young children and teens are more and more involved in social media without actual guidance, it is vital for schools to offer them advice on internet etiquette and safety  as well as model responsible behaviour and use.  The official page  of the campaign offers a gallery of resources in many languages together with lesson plans for students of all ages.  You can find ready made activities especially designed for EFL learners in the British Council . Levels range from A1 to C2 so there is something for everyone there. 

In September 2015, the European Schoolnet Academy offered a MOOC on developing digital skills in our classroom. Digital skills are already an essential requirement for young people to succeed in an increasingly digitized society. Not only are these skills demanded for an increasing number of jobs, they also are a requirement and a right of citizens, if they are to be functional in today’s society. Schools and teachers therefore need support to work with their students to develop a wide range of digital skills that ensure young people leaving school have the skills required by the labour market and by an increasingly digitized society. The course guided teachers in how to develop a range of digital skills and to introduce them to the tools and resources that are available to them.   Created with Padlet