Should online safety be taught in the elementary classroom?
Online safety is a rising topic of discussion in this day and age. Even though it feels like the internet has been present for a decent amount of time, in reality it hasn’t. If you put it into perspective, the internet was first developed in 1969, with the first form of social media in 1997. We are still in the process of observing the impacts of social media on this generation. The future generations of teachers are part of the first group that experienced technology from a young age, and because of this, we are the perfect group to educate on how to be involved safely. In simple terms, students deserve to be taught about internet safety to prepare them for their future. In an article, 7 Things You Should Know About Privacy in Web 2.0 Learning Environments from Educause, it is stated: “Providing similar training to students will enable them to become good stewards of their online presence, with an eye to its potential influence on their academic and professional lives.” Viewing this through an educator’s lens, if we start training our students about the dangers of the internet, they are able to navigate with caution. The goal of teaching this topic is not to worry the students, but rather to showcase both sides of the online presence. If there is a common lesson or curriculum put in place about online safety, it can eliminate possible problems that would arise in the future. Children are gaining access to powerful technology at younger ages each year, without proper education on the impacts it can have on their brains. Requiring them to learn about personal online security will help find a solution without forcing these young children to not have technology. To sum up everything stated, online safety is a critical lesson for people to learn. Since children are becoming present on the internet at younger ages, something must be done to combat this. This is why elementary-level classrooms should be taught basic online presence and security to protect their future.
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