Safety+Online+&+Copyright


 * i-SAFE inc**

__//An Overview//__

i-SAFE inc. is a non-profit organisation and their mission is to educate and empower youth to make their Internet experiences safe and responsible. The goal is to educate students on how to avoid dangerous, inappropriate, or unlawful online behaviour. You can sign up to gain access to teaching resources in relation to staying safe online and sign up is free.

The target audience is wide intending to capture the whole community in this project through education. It provides information for children, parents, teachers, law enforcement and the greater community. It provides educational information, usable and easy to access resources, whilst maintaining it’s main role of advocating safe online practices.

The organisation has developed on demand systems to learn safe and responsible use of the internet at your own pace. There is a set of online videos on internet safety, covering core topics such as personal safety; cyber community; predator identification; cyber security and intellectual property. The iSafe program encourages students to go on to become student mentors so they can take the message to their peers, their family and their community.

__//Implications for the classroom//__

The designated area for kids and teens to interact and play with on the site is called X-BLOCK, and it is geared towards children in upper elementary. This program would be a great resource for older elementary students and above, however it lacks the interactivity for young children which is a shame because children are using online technology before they even begin formal schooling.

More importantly, I can see the potential for the use of the iLearn on demand system to provide professional development with both undergraduate and in-service teachers on how to engage students in learning experiences which will foster and encourage safe online practices. If educators take the time to go through this course, they can then pass the information and skills they have learnt not only onto their students, but also to the greater community. Taking a more communal approach to teaching about online safety practices is key to developing change in behaviours online. Involving local law enforcement, families and key community members means that the community will not only talk the talk, but they will begin to walk the walk. Creating a culture of safe online practices is the aim and this organisation and their website, gives you the tools to begin to create this culture in your community.

__//Assessing student learning based on their use of the site//__

Assessing students learning based on use of this site will be subjective, if the learning is to be at all meaningful to the student. We do not want students interacting with the information on this site, just to meet test requirements, rather we want students to be able to engage with the information and make connections and meaning to their own life experiences online. Assessment should be more about documenting the learning journey and the impact that has on behavioural change rather than the end product. Keeping this in mind here are some recommended actions to measure behavioural and attitudinal growth in students.

Ask students to:
 * take pre-assessment (create a document outlining their current online practices; building a current profile)
 * develop a learning blog to support metacognition and reflection during the learning journey
 * create learning video journals to document the journey at planned intervals based around key themes covered
 * develop a plan to teach others about online safe practices
 * share their learning journey with family, friends and community in a face to face setting.
 * become leaders of positive change in their community advocating safe online practices.