Safe and Responsible ICT - Information For Parents

As a student teacher, I feel an overwhelming need to be aware of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) use in and outside the school classroom. Over the years ICT has progressed to becoming a necessity in most peoples, including students, everyday lives.
ICT can come in many forms including laptops, computers, I-Pads, mobile phones, tablets and I-pods; all which allow us to find almost any piece of information online and also communicate to each other via the internet. These gadgets can be very useful and beneficial but they can also be used as a vindictive and dangerous tool. This is why I believe it is important for us to teach students to learn how to use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically.

Through my personal experience I found that ICT principles are primarily learnt through the beginning years of high school, years 8 to years 10. So if you or someone you know has children around this age group, I ask that you give up a few minutes and continue reading on how you as parents and caregivers can teach and reinforce ICT safety to your children. Together we can create a safe and secure ICT future for our children.

                           By following simple rules we can keep each other safe online!      
                                                                                                           (Ashton on Mersey School, 2105) 

Recognise Intellectual Property

In recognising intellectual property, students should have an understanding of applying practices that comply with legal obligations regarding the ownership of others work and identify how to legally use the information.
Examples of these practices include:

• Understanding and avoiding plagiarism
• Checking for permission and legal obligations before publishing work
• Understanding the concept of pirating

(ACARA, 2015)

How you can help:
The first thing you need to do is understand the law. Pirating, or the act of downloading movies or music without paying, is an illegal act and has many consequences for not only the person involved but also all the people involved in the making and production of the digital piece. Plagiarism is also an illegal act which involves using someone else’s work without acknowledging of giving them credit.

To help teach your children about these concepts you can:

• Read through your child’s written work, look for signs of plagiarism and ask question where necessary. E.g. where did you get that information from?
• Ask how they might feel if someone copied their school work. Let them identify and relate to the situation to enable further clarification
• Answer any questions they may have about plagiarism or pirating. Research the answers together so you both have the same understanding.
• Prevent the use of illegal downloading applications or websites in your home. This can be accomplished through your computer security and privacy settings.

For more information of plagiarism watch this small clip from Cybersafetyed422.com:
CLIP

Apply Digital Information Security Practices
In order to apply digital information security protocols students should use a variety of strategies for protecting themselves from the internet, be able to assess the risks associated with the online environment and understand why not to store private information of public sites.

Examples of these practices include:

• Applying privacy parameters
• Use complex and varying passwords, and
• Acknowledge how to modify parameters within the social networking sites

(ACARA, 2015)

How you can help:
As parents and caregivers it is up to you to keep your home ITC’s safe for your children’s use. You can provide this by:

• Teach your children strategies they can use for password safety. This involves using a variety of letters and numbers and also using a variety of different passwords.
• Apply privacy and security settings for your child’s logins. This can involve applying age restriction passwords and parental controls.
• Remain engaged in your child’s ITC use. This can involve paying attention to the sites and environments being used and showing interest in their online activities.
• Research how to change privacy setting on the networks your children use and explain to them why it is necessary for you to apply these.

For more information on parental controls visit:
https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/parent-resources/parental-controls

Apply Personal Security Protocols
Personal security protocols are very important in the protection of one’s identity and are a very important area for parents and caregivers to watch over. This involves being aware of and applying strategies to protect privacy, identity and emotional safety of oneself and others, and understanding of suitable protocols when using different communication tools around global communities.

Examples of these practices include:

• Understanding when it is acceptable to forward personal communications
• Analysing possible consequences for posting personal information online
• Taking responsibility for communications with others online, and
• Understand and employ anti-cyber bullying strategies

(ACARA, 2015)

How you can help:
Keeping the identity of yourself and others is a difficult task when it comes to the internet. Many people are unaware of the variety of ways you can find information on a person via the internet. It is getting increasingly difficult to stay safe online and therefore there are many things you can do to help.

• Teach your children about cyberbullying. Research cyberbullying together and explain the consequences it can have on everyone involved.
• Watch for signs that your child may be getting cyber-bullied. According to esafety.gov, children often keep it a secret from their parents so it is important that they feel they can talk and be supported by their family.
• Help them understand that their actions online have consequences and that it is important to take responsibility for these.
• Discuss with your children what personal information they should never post on the computer. You can view this by viewing your child’s personal social media sites.

For more information on cyber bullying visit: https://esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/esafety-issues/cyberbullying/cyberbullying-information-for-parents

Identify the Impacts of ITC in Society
I find this section the one that links everything all together. Without an understanding of the impacts of ICT in society, none of the other sections sound necessary. It involves an understanding of the benefits and risks of ICT in the workplace, or other environment, and having an idea of how we can influence the role of ICT in the future.

Examples of these practices include:

• Understand how jobs are being replaced by machines and computers
• Recognise the potential of inclusivity for people with learning difficulties and disabilities through ICT, and
• New types of work ICT has given to society

(ACARA, 2015)

How you can help:
This area is all about the knowledge and understanding of the how’s and why’s of ICT. You can help teach your children by:

• Inform your children of your job and how ITC has helped in the industry.
• Research together how ITC has given hope and education to many people with disabilities; try give an example of someone you know.
• Discuss together what life may be like if we didn’t have the technology we have today. 
• Control your child's online time

Remember, being aware of your child’s online activities and social networks is not invading their privacy; it is about keeping your child safe and teaching them the responsible way to use ITC’s.

Further Resources for Parents and Caregivers

www.connectsafely.org : A basic guideline site for parents and teenagers on internet safety

www.esafety.gov.au :

www.getnetwise.org : A useful resource to learn how to protect yourself and others from online dangers

www.ikeepsafe.org : A great tool for parents and teachers for teaching children safe ITC use

www.safekids.com :A useful resource for parents on how ideas for keeping your children safe online

References

ACARA, (2015). Information and Computer Technologies: Applying Social and Ethical Protocols and Practices when using ICT, Education Services Australia, Accessed 10 Oct 2015. <http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/information-and-communication-technology-capability/continuum#layout=columns&page=5>

Ashton on Mersey School. (2015). E-Safety: E-Safety Poster. [Image] Accessed on 11 Oct 2015. <http://aomschool.thedeantrust.co.uk/e-safety/>

National Cyber Security Alliance, (2015). Stay Safe Online: Raising Digital Citizens. Accessed 10 Oct 2015. <https://www.staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/for-parents/raising-digital-citizens>

Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner, (2015). Cyberbullying – Information for parents. Australian Government. Accessed 10 Oct 2015. <https://esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/esafety-issues/cyberbullying/cyberbullying-information-for-parents>

Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner, (2015). eSafety: Stay Smart Online. Accessed 11 Oct 2015 <https://www.esafety.gov.au/>

Weebly. Cyber Safety: Piracy and Plagiarism. ED 422 Collaborative Cyber Safety Website, Accessed 10 Oct 2015  <http://cybersafetyed422.weebly.com/piracy--plagiarism.html>

Richardson. T., (2010). Youtube: Own your Education. Accessed 11 Oct 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6glagcLVP-E&feature=youtu.be>