Developing a Cybersafety Policy

My school does not currently have an Internet safety policy, so measures need to be taken to establish one. The last time our ICT policy was updated was 2005, so this also needs revising.
Three ways I think we can inform our school community's understanding of the need for a cybersafety policy are:
1. Establish a cybersafety team comprised of a representative from each area of the school community.
2. Audit both Primary & Secondary students to gauge the types of technology used and the frequency of use. Parents of younger students may be required to complete this on their behalf or teachers can ask the children verbally.
3. Create a policy which suits the needs of our clientele in this international setting.
Instead of being reactive (as we often are in my school), we need to be proactive and get the ball rolling in the right direction if we want our students to be thoughtful and responsible users of the Internet, now and in their future lives.

Digital Citizenship - some thoughts so far

I have done so much reading about DC this week that I feel like my brain is on the verge of bursting. Seriously, though, there is so much to consider when thinking about DC. The idea that keeps coming back to me is that DC must be a whole school approach - as the African proverb says "it takes a village to raise a child". If we want children to be technically savvy and have well developed social skills when using the Internet, then all stakeholders (students, parents, teachers and administrators) need educating. The whole school community needs to buy into reinforcing safe, ethical and responsible Internet habits in all students.

Oxley's description of some teenagers' reckless use of the Internet reinforces in my mind the fearlessness of teenagers (thinking here about the higher road death toll in this demographic). She described how teens are "unconcerned that posting personal info. online might negatively affect their future" (Oxley, 2011, p. 12). Teenagers need to be shown explicitly what the ramifications could be, now and in the future, for any thoughtless, irresponsible actions in the digital world.

Oxley, C. (2011). Digital citizenship: developing an ethical and responsible culture. Access. 25(3), 5-9.