Category Archives: Internet Safety

Twine Presents: Privacy and Security

 

This post involves using Twine as an introduction to non-linear storytelling, and chooses as its subject “Privacy and Security”, but only as a thin excuse to explore the Twine Software.

Here is my twine story zipped in html format. For unpacking zips, see below.

An Adventure into Privacy and Security for Teachers of Elementary School Students

Here are the steps to the process of viewing the Twine. You must:

  1. download the twine above to your computer
  2. unzip the archize, perhaps with 7zip or the unzipping program included with Windows 7 and up
  3. go to twinery
  4. clink on the “use online” link if on Twine website, otherwise continue below
  5. click on import from file on the right side of the page
  6. and choose the unzipped html file

Archive of my Twine for learning purposes : 3.8.2017, an adventure -Case 10 – Twine Archive

 

The twine story briefly and flippantly goes over ideas of privacy based on the legal reasoning that:

  1. No child shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, or correspondence, nor to unlawful attacks on his or her honour and reputation.
  2. The child has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Data Privacy

  • making sure to have anti-virus etc software installed on school digital technology
    • Anti-virus software is in line with the concept of data privacy. Data privacy involves the skills and awareness needed to avoid or remove malware, web bugs (like web cookies),  or other programs that aim to gather personal information without the user’s knowledge or consent.

Social Privacy

  • making sure your school knows and follows school rules and protocols about internet usage, information sharing, and website use
    • such as a digital code of conduct form that guides students and parents to understanding what computers are used for at school (VSB version )
    • This code of conduct follows the ideas within the concept of social privacy. Central to the idea of social privacy is the idea that while a site like Facebook is a public space that can be checked by adults at anytime, children may still feel invaded and that just because you can access something doesn’t mean you should. 
    •                  While at the same time, once information is posted, it is very difficult to control who accesses it.
    • Learning to respect others privacy as an essential component of one’s own privacy is an important aspect of digital citizenship.
    • Resources like a (fictional) day in the life of a child using the internet, “My Privacy Everyday”, show how important social and date privacy are to everyday life.

Cyber Security

  • This relates to protecting oneself from spam, fraud, identity theft, and software threats, which can include
  • Mobile Viruses
  • Bluejacking
  • Bluesnarfing, among others
  • With very young children handling pay-per-use software such as mobile games, care should be taken that pay options are limited or disabled to avoid accidental charges.
  • With older children, raising awareness of when and where ‘free’ services in fact entail giving up personal information for marketing purposes, and so on.
  • Resources involve the Guide for Trusted Adults and others for teachers and for parents.

More Resources

  • The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) includes higher grade level information about how to educate students about safely using digital tech. 
    • Includes a graphic novel (grade 6+) about privacy, social media, and the internet 
    •                    This resource deals with such topics as violating social privacy norms and data sharing safety.
    • Includes thematic activity worksheets ranging from coloring pages to connecting the dots to cryptography 

END NOTE: Interestingly, Twine was a thing in the 1980s. Or, not Twine exactly, but the idea of non-linear, branching storytelling and concept formation (though in paper form).

 

 

Where do I start looking (if I want to teach Digital and Media Literacy Studies)?

The New BC Curriculum, of course!

This great piece of work has curricular competencies related to digital and media literacy for all grades. It starts concretely with asking teachers to show students how to use the materials, tools, and technologies, and then slowly builds in the later grades to awareness of safety.

    • Curricular competencies for grades
      • K-3: Use materials, tools, and technologies in a safe manner in both physical and digital environments (Take a look at “12 Essentials of Digital Literacy” for an overview of what skills to start teaching [case 10 blog link])
      • 4-5: Use materials, tools, and technologies in a safe manner, and with an awareness of the safety of others, in both physical and digital environments
      • 6+: Demonstrate an awareness of precautionary and emergency safety procedures in both physical and digital environments
    • Content starts in grade 6-7 as digital literacy and media arts, and looks like this:

Digital Literacy & Internet safety

  • digital self-image, citizenship, relationships, and communication
  • legal and ethical considerations, including creative credit and copyright, and cyberbullying
  • methods for personal media management
  • search techniques, how search results are selected and ranked, and criteria for evaluating search results
  • strategies to identify personal learning networks

Media Arts

  • digital and non-digital media, and their distinguishing characteristics and uses
  • techniques for using images, sounds, and text to communicate information, settings, ideas, and story structure
  • media technologies and techniques to capture, edit, and manipulate images, sounds, and text for specific purposes
  • influences of digital media for the purpose of communication and self-expression

Need I put a plug in for MediaSmarts? This resource covers many of the above topics and then some. Check it out!

MediaSmarts