Catholic Outlook July 2016

CATHOLIC EDUCATION www.parra.catholic.edu.au @CatholicEdParra CatholicEdParra
Be Safe, Be Respectful,
Be Responsible online
MANY PARENTS are fearful
of their children becoming
active online. We’ve all heard
the horror stories in the
news. Yet many parents and
grandparents are actually
the first to develop an
online presence for their
youngsters.
Keep safe online
By some estimates, the average parent posts about
1000 images of their child online before his or her fifth
birthday. It’s a much, much more public version of the
old-fashioned “brag-book”. In fact, most adults, me
included, use the internet frequently on a daily basis,
including the use of social media sites like Twitter and
Facebook.
Given the prevalence of the internet and social media,
rather than fear their involvement, it is crucial that we
teach our young people responsible online behaviour to
keep them safe.
As parents and educators, supporting children as they
develop their social skills is a major part of our role –
the use of “social” media is no different. Though the
social settings we grew up with have changed, our
duty to prepare younger generations to participate in a
respectful and responsible way has not.
If we fail in this duty, there’s a risk that young people
will view online spaces as morally neutral. As a result, we
become part of the problem and promote “anti-social”
content. Preparing our children and students to make
a positive contribution to society, including through
their activities online, is a must. This is what we mean by
“digital citizenship”.
Part of our responsibility as parents and educators is to
ensure that young people’s use of technology is ageappropriate.
This requires a high level of supervision
but, unfortunately, it cannot prevent children from being
exposed to anti-social material on the internet.
By taking an active role in monitoring and limiting
access, as needed, we can assist in preparing young
people for future independent and responsible online
use. This includes honest conversations about predatory
behaviour and confronting or inappropriate images.
To help parents and educators raise this issue with their
children and students we have created a resource called
Cyberwise, which encourages young people to Be Safe,
Be Respectful, Be Responsible online.
I am very proud of our students from St Mark’s Catholic
College, Stanhope Gardens, who recently created and
produced a short film as part of this resource. It is a
creative way to communicate a very important message.
I encourage you to watch this video with your children or
students and talk about the importance of cyber safety.
On 16 June we welcomed our new Bishop, Most Rev
Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv, and on behalf of
our staff and families I look forward to working with him
in our mission of Catholic education.
Greg Whitby
Executive Director of Schools
@gregwhitby
blog: bluyonder.wordpress.com
CYBERWISE: BE SAFE I BE RESPECTFUL I BE RESPONSIBLE
Schools launch Cyberwise campaign
CONNECTIVITY has become an integral
part of everyday life and learning. As students
communicate, collaborate, create and learn with
online and digital tools, the need to educate
students about responsible online behaviours
has become more important than ever.
Launched on 15 June, Cyberwise is a learning
and teaching resource for students, teachers and
parents to encourage cybersafety in schools.
Available through Catholic Education’s Classm8
site, the Cyberwise web page provides a range of
resources, policies, teaching strategies and tips
TOP TIPS FOR PARENTS TO HELP
KEEP YOUR CHILD SAFE ONLINE
• Be aware of how your child uses the internet and
explore it with them;
• Discuss with your child the importance of keeping
personal information private;
• Talk about cyberbullying and remind your child
online communication should be responsible and
respectful;
• Advise your child not to respond to any negative
messages;
• Consider using inbuilt filters and controls on your
digital devices to manage your child’s access; and
• Keep your virus protection up to date.
For more information visit: www.esafety.gov.au or
http://cnadigitalcitizenship.weebly.com/for-parents.html
to support young people in becoming discerning
and responsible users of technology and social
media.
Designed in collaboration with teachers and
students, Cyberwise is underpinned by Catholic
values and key behaviours to be safe, be
respectful and be responsible.
The focus on these three areas encourages
students to be mindful of their online activity in
a way that puts relationships, human dignity and
personal reputations at the forefront.
Students from St Mark’s Catholic College,
Stanhope Gardens, took an active role in
contributing to the Cyberwise campaign by
producing a video that would provide a student
view of cybersafety issues and a starting point
for discussion within the classroom.
Year 10 St Mark’s student Jacob Aouchan said
the Cyberwise video was extremely relevant for
students.
“It is really important that young people have
a greater awareness of the dangers and risks
associated with social media and are encouraged
to be proactive and seek help when needed,”
Jacob said.
WATCH NOW
http://www.learningexchange.nsw.edu.au/cyberwise
14 CatholicOutlook | JULY 2016
www.catholicoutlook.org