While digital classrooms are bringing about a new revolution in the education industry with social media channels, online scheduling, and learning while immersed in Virtual Reality, it comes with its dangers of cyberbullying, phishing, scams, online predators, and exposure to inappropriate content. A safe classroom is one where such elements are avoided. Here are 5 things to help you provide your students with a safe online learning environment.
1. Web Filters to Block Inappropriate Sites
Because the internet is so varied, it is nearly difficult to avoid seeing offensive material. Inappropriate information upsets children, especially developing teens, and causes severe discomfort to students. Digital classrooms aid student learning, not hinder it by making students feel unsettled.
As such, student safety tools can protect students as they have web filters built for K-12 that block inappropriate content from being viewed by students. Parents, teachers, and students should sit together to also come up with a policy of safe internet usage and guidelines, and that policy should be strictly implemented and adhered to by students.
2. Advise Students Against Online Predators
Teachers and parents should advise students to think before posting anything online, as once posted, the digital footprint will stay forever. Also, advise them against befriending everyone online, especially not people whom they have not met in real life. Predators use such techniques to enter children’s lives – creating fake profiles of themselves.
Elders should encourage open dialogue and discussion and teach children about setting boundaries and consent early on.
3. Educate Children about Cyberbullying
The use of social media and texting platforms while running classrooms online can mean that some students get targeted in the form of hurtful or abusive messages or lies being spread about them. In fact, the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) states that 21.6% of the 19.2% of students bullied said they had been bullied “online or by text.” Students should be able to identify an example of cyberbullying and should be encouraged to speak up against it.
Mandatory sessions against the threats of cyberbullying in schools are a must. Counsellors can teach students the risks of social media and how to handle situations where they are the targets of cyberbullying or witness someone else attacked. When it occurs, remind them to report it to an adult they trust, and if they are scared to, remind them to at least block the bullies on social media. They should also extend their support to whoever they see become a victim and encourage them to report to the authorities.
4. Training to Avoid Phishing
Phishing attacks where attackers impersonate themselves as someone else to steal student and staff personal information and financial data, which is a breach of trust, and all possible means should be implemented to ensure that the confidentiality of data is not breached.
Students should be regularly given reminders not to fall for such scams, pick up unknown phone calls, or give out sensitive information without first verifying from trusted sources. Students should also be trained on regularly changing passwords, not sharing passwords amongst peers, and ensuring that their passwords are stored in password managers, not digitally or on paper.
5. Teach Students to Identify Scams
Social engineering techniques are commonly being used by gathering publicly available content and some psychological manipulation to entice students with offers, causing them to click on links, give away Social Security numbers, and leak other personal information. Students should be taught to identify potential scammers.
Here are some ways they can identify: If they feel like something is too good to be true, it probably is. Ask them not to fall for it. Scammer usually entice students via scholarships or grant offers where they are asked for bank account details or attract them by offers like elimination of student loans for free.
Students should know to monitor their online privacy and ensure that none of their confidential information is publicly available nor never give out any sensitive information.
Conclusion
As classroom technology advances quickly, so does the need for digital safety. By taking the measures listed, students can focus fully on their academics and excel in a secure environment.
