SXSWedu 2017 Panel
Hosted by Absolute: Empower K-12 staff, parents and community by learning best-practices for digital citizenship, including device safety and security, cyberbullying and Internet crime. Learn how to promote a healthy environment for students and faculty, including education on device safety and scenarios where they may be at risk; and how to work with local law enforcement to protect devices and data. Harold Reaves, Level V Certified in Homeland Security, shares best practices to protect student-assigned mobile devices and risks regarding social media and the Internet; and education consultant and former IT director can provide real-life scenarios, lessons and best-practices.
Empower (Educate) K12 Staff, Parents, and Community
Students don't think much about safety and security. Parents may think a lot about it but don't necessarily know what to do.
Communities expect we manage devices paid for by their tax money well. There's also an expectation that we protect students when we give them access to devices and send devices home with them. Helping parents have a role and responsibility in this is important.
Use your website and other communication tools to help educate parents with videos and other modes of information.
Show that your organization understands their responsibility by making it a community collaboration to help keep students safe.
Educating community members who are not tech savvy can trickle down and help everyone.
Digital Citizenship
Schools and districts often have curriculum for digital citizenship, but it is just as often not implemented because it's not tested.
Students are connected to devices 24/7. They rarely unplug.
Digital citizenship cannot be taught one time in drive-by lessons. It has to be continually taught, retaught, and revisited.
Do students know they should keep their devices out of sight when they aren't using them to protect them?
Work With Local Law Enforcement to Protect Devices and Data
When doing a big new tech rollout, get local law enforcement involved from the beginning. They can consult with you on how safe your site is where you are storing the devices. Also it's good to establish the communication with them ahead of time in case technology should disappear later.
Publicize to the community the security measures you have in place on district devices. This lets them know you are being a good steward of the resources and also may help deter theft.
Protect Student-Assigned Mobile Devices
Teach students how to treat them properly: carry them, store them, etc.
Data Risks
Are we teaching data backup? What happens if a child drops and breaks their device. Teach good data stewardship.
Find Partners to Help You With Awareness Programs
Pro-active training strengthens the reputation of your program and builds public confidence. Districts can demonstrate they have taken measures.
Absolute has developed a curriculum for mobile device safety training.
What do you thing is the most common security issue facing students and teachers today?
Device security.
Putting out too much info on the internet. Lack of awareness of how this could endanger them.
Not thinking about how much personal information they are giving over to apps and extensions when they install them. (Think of all the access an extension might ask for when you install it in your browser. Do we ever even read that?)
Recommended video: Privacy is Dead; Get Over It
Online Resources
- Common Sense Media
- Digtal Citizenship Webquest
- Tech Learning
- Elements of Digital Citizenship
- Edutopia
- Microsoft Security and Safety Site
- Raising a Digital Child
Absolute Resources
- IDC White Paper
Student Technology Analytics: How K12 Leaders Make the Case for Better Technology in the Classroom - Safe Schools Program
Absolute Safe Schools Program Helps Promote Safe Digital Citizenship - www.absolute.com
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