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Family Cybersafety Forums a Success      
 
Family Cybersafety Forum at Thames High School
 
An initiative from the NetSafe education team has seen attendance at parent education evenings at schools throughout NZ soar in recent months.
 
Educating the parent body is a core component of the NetSafe Program for Schools, as part of ensuring that schools have a comprehensive plan in place that caters for the whole school community. In NetSafe’s experience, schools can sometimes struggle to compete with the busy schedules of their otherwise committed parent body. While our educators have always been happy to speak to a group of any size, the bigger the group the more we are able to spread the cybersafety message and meet our goal of educating all New Zealanders.
 
NetSafe’s Family Cybersafety Forums are just one new venture that the education team is implementing for the 2008 school year. Unlike traditional parent information evenings, the forums utilize the knowledge and skills of students themselves to educate parents about the online environment. With the guidance of NetSafe staff, students outline the precautions they are already taking to minimize online risks such as cyberbullying, before NetSafe staff summarise with even more useful tips and advice.
 
We have had resounding success with the forums to date, with schools commenting on the interest that parents show in learning from their own children, and the depth of information and insight they’re able to gain from getting first-hand experience of what their young people are doing online. The packed staff rooms and school halls our education team is greeted with at each forum are also testament to their effectiveness!
 
More information about holding a Family Cybersafety Forum at your school in the New Year, contact Education Sector Manager Richard Beach at richardb@netsafe.org.nz.
 
      
         
Setting Up Individual User Accounts
 
Does every person who uses a computer in your home or school have their own individual user account?
 
Individual user accounts (with strong passwords) are a great way to improve security and ensure that private files and documents are kept just that.
 
If children are using the computer, setting up individual user accounts can also be a positive way to begin an ongoing dialogue about a child’s use of ICT. Encouraging children to set strong passwords and to only share their password with their caregiver or teacher is a great first step to the fundamentals of online safety.
 
Microsoft users can learn more about setting up individual user accounts at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/HA011886291033.aspx.
      
         
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Cybercitizenship Matrix provides guidance for Integrating Cybersafety into Teaching Programs      
 
NetSafe Education Sector Manager - Richard Beach
 
NetSafe is in the final stages of developing 'The NetSafe Cybercitizenship Matrix' for use in early childhood services, primary and secondary schools. The Matrix will provide guidance to educators as they integrate cybercitizenship* education across the curriculum.

Education Sector Manager Richard Beach (pictured) says “the recently released New Zealand Curriculum provides ample opportunity for educators to incorporate aspects of safe and responsible ICT use into their programs.  The NetSafe Cybercitizenship Matrix draws on these opportunities, and will assist schools and early childhood services ensure that children learn to use ICT confidently and ethically, and become the best possible cybercitizens of tomorrow".

The NetSafe Cybercitizenship Matrix offers a learning pathway of developmentally appropriate skills along with suggested learning activities all of which aim to help develop cybercitizens who manage ICT with integrity and confidence.
Richard says “it is widely accepted among the cybersafety fraternity that the most effective way of teaching cybercitizenship is to integrate learning into existing curriculum at every possibility.”

As an online resource, the matrix will provide links to resources from NetSafe, Hector’s World™ and other organisations, as well as advice on how these resources could be utilised within cybercitizenship education.
NetSafe has just distributed the Cybercitizenship Matrix to members for consultation and feedback is due in end of December.
 * Cybercitizens manage their use of ICT with integrity and confidence