Our children are using Internet of Things (IoT) devices to not only communicate with each other, but to study and learn about the world around them. Therefore it is imperative for parents and educators to allow their children and students to take advantage of everything these technologies have to offer, while keeping them safe. When our students are trying to access apps like Ji Tap, what resources can teachers utilise to protect devices against hacking, child predators, inappropriate content, radicalisation and more? These are important issues in our time not to be taken lightly.  

Be Internet Awesome – Google has developed tools, resources and methods by which teachers can pass over the fundamentals of digital safety to their students. The teacher lesson plan is divided into five topics and complements the Interland game. Topics include, Share with Care (Be Internet Smart); Don’t Fall for Fake (Be Internet Alert); Secure Your Secrets (Be Internet Strong); It’s Cool to Be Kind (Be Internet Kind) When in Doubt; Talk It Out (Be Internet Brave). 

Childnet - Teachers can learn all they need to know about a wide range of issues like e-Safety for children with special needs and also includes a five-part cartoon series called  Adventures of Kara, Winston and the SMART Crew. The videos are aimed for children aged 6-11 and include PDFs with a complete lesson plan to complement the videos. This resource will help you and your students get the most out of the internet. 

Tootoot– Many children may be intimidated when facing online bullying and may hesitate or neglect to report the incident to teacher or adult authority This program empowers children by giving them an anonymous platform to report and resolve bullying and other dangerous online behaviours in a discreet manner.  

Internet Matters – Internet Matters is a great resource aimed at students from 5 – 14 years old. The programming is broken down into four categories, including: pre-school (0-5), young children (6-10), pre-teens (11-13) and teens (14+).  Each age guide looks at important factors like setting age-appropriate boundaries, how to keep information private, safety features for Wi-Fi use and more. Our children are growing up in a very tech-savvy world, and educators and parents must keep pace.

Thinkuknow -  Thinkuknow is a UK site controlled by CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection command). They have resources available for students aged 5 - 14+ as well as resources and fact sheets for teachers and parents. Thinkuknow has created a range of educational videos and games for students to teach them about many of the online safety issues they are faced with. 

Considering that 33% of children ages three to five years are already using the internet on a regular basis means that they can inadvertently come in contact with harmful content. This can disrupt their educational routine, and put them and other children on the network in harm’s way. Like science or biography, teachers now have the resources to ensure that e-Safety becomes an integral part of the educational effort.

Jewish Interactive's portal Ji Tap has a few e-Safety lessons and games written especially for children to learn about using the internet safely.  One example is "Being Safe Online" where children are guided through safe passwords and how not to give away too much information.