iGeneration - Humane Use of Technology in an AI world (Pedagogy & Digital Innovation)

These engaging activities can spark conversations about oversharing, digital footprints, cyberbullying, and more.

In this one hour webinar guest speaker, Paul Davis, will assist parents and guardians to:
understand the rules for online safety;
define responsible use of technology;
and learn about digital trails, cyberbullying, picture taking and sharing.

Paul will help parents and guardians understand where their kids should be online, in spaces that are safe, productive, and educational. The focus will be building healthy relationships and creating positive digital citizens. Along with parents and guardians, principals and vice-principals will be provided with helpful resources to proactively address issues arising from online use.

NeedHelpNow.ca helps teens stop the spread of sexual pictures or videos and provides support along the way.

There is a growing crisis within children’s mental health, and this is not a term used lightly – between 2010 and 2015 there was a 50% increase in hospital admissions because of children self-harming. And in 2016 Childline reported the highest ever number of callers expressing suicidal thoughts. This is a figure that has doubled over the last five years. Damien Page, Dean of The Carnegie School of Education, Leeds Beckett University writes in The Conversation. A report by the Children’s Commissioner for England warned that more than 800,000 children were living with mental health issues in the UK, with a large proportion from vulnerable families. Issues they face include parents with alcohol addiction, involvement in the care system, as well as dangers posed by street gangs and modern slavery. As children’s mental health becomes one of society’s most pressing issues, many teachers find themselves on the frontline – with the effect being felt in schools across the country. In 2017, 79% of teachers in both primary and secondary schools reported seeing an increase in stress, anxiety and panic attacks in their pupils as well as a rise in depression, self-harm and eating disorders. But without specialist training – which isn’t currently a requirement – a lot of those working in schools feel unprepared for the challenges they are facing. With this in mind, below are a few ways schools can try and help.  1. Start talking about it Mental health needs to be integrated into the school curriculum, which will help increase understanding and reduce stigma around issues. Without this, pupils may not be aware their mental health is deteriorating and feel silenced or shamed when seeking help. If both pupils and teachers have more open discussions about mental health, issues will also be easier to identify early on, and this will help to build students’ knowledge and understanding of the subject. Ideally, mental health needs to be talked about the same way physical education or healthy eating is, because research has found that when schools adopt a comprehensive approach to discussing mental health it supports all pupils – including those who are experiencing mental health difficulties already.  2. Create a safe space Students do better in schools when they feel safe – this means ensuring that bullying incidents are low and addressed, including the rising incidents of cyberbullying. The evidence also shows that when students feel a sense of belonging, have good peer and teacher relationships, and feel listened to when they raise concerns, also helps to support positive mental health in schools.  3. Support for all Everyone in schools from the teachers to the teaching assistants, the school lunch staff to the school nurse, all have a role to play in improving the school environment – and making it more open to discussions around mental health. But they can do only do this if they are supported and healthy themselves. Looking out for the well-being of staff will itself have a positive impact on the students. And research shows that when staff are trained in mental health they are more confident in supporting their students. The same research also showed that this additional mental health training even helped to boost staff’s own resilience and job satisfaction.  4. Make sure teachers know how to help Headteachers should demand mental health training for all new teachers. And before a school takes on a new or trainee teacher, they should ask to see what mental health training they have. This could include an understanding of the risk and resilience factors for their students, how to spot the signs of mental ill health, along with how to support and get help for students at risk. This will ensure that all new teachers have a basic understanding of the mental health challenges they will face, and will make it easier for them to help pupils in need.  5. Recognise that it takes a village Looking after children’s mental health isn’t just something that can be done on a small scale, it involves a shift in the way everyone not only works together, but also communicates on issues. The good news is there are lots of additional things schools are already doing in this area, including working with parents and having staff as mentors for vulnerable students. Many schools have also introduced peer mentoring, where children are partnered up with older children who can look out for them. Running extracurricular social activities for pupils has also been shown to help have a positive impact on students, by providing a space for them to work through their emotions and develop strategies to address their challenges. Read more Five things schools can do to help pupils’ mental health Are these helpful tips? How much responsibility should teachers have? Please tell us your thoughts in comments or via Twitter ~ Tamsin     Lower GCSE results likely 'due to early exam entries'

What are the most significant signs of online or cyberbullying in the classroom? Learn the top 14 signs here.

In this 1-hour webinar, guest speakers from the field of cyber safety will advise parents and guardians in grades 7 to 12 on:
navigating the risks of cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, and cyberviolence;
building healthy online relationships and safe spaces for students;
and using the internet for positive purposes.

Along with parents and guardians, principals and vice-principals will be provided with helpful resources to proactively address issues arising from online use.

Cyberexclusion isn't the same as cyberbullying, but it can still hurt kids. Watch as an expert explains online social exclusion and how to stop it in this video.

Parent's Guide: watch Common Sense Media's 5 Ways to Stop Cyberbullies advice video to help you make informed decisions with your children.

Anne Collier helps us understand the statistics on bullying and cyberbullying. We talk about targets, those who bully and how to respond when helping those embroiled in this situation. October is the month we work to take a stand against bullying, so this is a topic of emphasis this month for many of us. Today’s […]

Check out these cyber bullying posters and pictures that you can use to keep students aware and help them differentiate between rights and wrongs of web!