When it comes to online issues and trends, ‘fake news' has unfortunately taken centre stage in 2017 – for this very reason, one of the main objectives of this online course is to promote media literacy and stress the importance of critical thinking skills, with which all children and young people should be equipped from the very start. It is only through this means that they will be able to distinguish reliable sources of information from misinformation. With multiple initiatives being undertaken at national level to educate youngsters about the dangers of fake news (for example, Le Monde journalists in France and their British counterparts from the BBC in the UK have developed resources which can be used in schools), we believe schools and teachers can play a crucial role in building young people's resilience to fake news.
Apart from providing teachers with tools to tackle fake news in the classroom and beyond, this course intends to offer teachers essential knowledge, tips and tools to handle a wide range of issues such as online abuse, cyberbullying, sextortion, establishing positive online relationships, the impact of technology on health and well-being and, above all, hate speech and radicalisation.
Overall, this new and updated edition of the online safety MOOC will enable participants to gain a better understanding of new and old risks and challenges that young people face when they go online. With the course moderators, they will discuss strategies for supporting young people and helping them to develop safe and responsible online and offline behaviours. A wide range of resources that can be used in schools will be provided, and participants will also be asked to share their own experiences, challenges and successes.
Key Objectives
- To understand the importance of providing a safer and better internet for children and young people.
- To explore the opportunities that the internet provides to access knowledge, communicate and develop skills and creativity.
- To learn about online safety challenges and how to support children and young people if they encounter difficulties - including practical tips on how to handle cyberbullying, fake news, sexting and online hate speech.
- To raise awareness of, and signpost to, resources for teaching online safety in schools.
- To raise awareness of the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) strategy and Insafe network, as part of the network of Safer Internet Centres (SICs) in Europe, and associated resources.
The MOOC will be the perfect opportunity to explore some of the numerous resources available on the Better Internet for Kids (BIK) portal in a wide range of languages from national Safer Internet Centres (SICs).
Join us now in the Online Safety Facebook group and share your ideas about the topic on Twitter using #OnlineSafetyMOOC.
Practical information
Start date: 6 February 2018 (Safer Internet Day)
Duration: The course will run for 6.5 weeks, with a total of 5 modules (one module per week, and an extra 1.5 grace week at the end of the course). The estimated workload is 3 hours per week.
Target audience: The course is targeted at primary and secondary school teachers of any subject. ICT administrators and school counselors may also benefit from the course.
Modules:
Module 1: An Introduction to Online Safety
Start date: 06/02/18
Module 2: Media Literacy and Fake News
Start date: 13/02/18
Module 3: Cyberbullying
Start date: 20/02/18
Module 4: Online Relationships and Sexting
Start date: 27/02/18
Module 5: Hate Speech and Radicalisation
Start date: 06/03/18
The Online Safety course is produced by Insafe (as part of the network of Safer Internet Centres in Europe) and it is owned by the European Commission, as part of the Safer Internet Day 2018 campaign.