Who did it?

Who's responsibility is it to teach students to be safe online?

The youth of today are more tech savvy and connected than any previous generation. But unlike many other skills they develop, their elders are seldom their mentors or teachers in developing their tech skills. One of the consequences of that is there is seldom the regulation, critique, and guidance that the gardening generation felt is necessary before the youth get behind the keyboard and start driving their computers around the cyberworld. Some of these youth are aware of the dangers, some ignore them, and some are ignorant of the consequences of cyber activity that is not restricted.

The question of “who is responsible” is a very Western question. Why are kids fat? Why are there unwanted pregnancies? Why tooth decay, bad posture, plagiarism, …? Some societies are quick to turn to teachers and request a quick fix to the growing problems. Teachers probably know more about technologies, both parents are probably working and don’t have the time to monitor their children’s activities when domestic chores await, and computer-related activities frequently are associated with education.

Students do need to know how to use technological tools to further their understanding, communication, and education. Their culture also assumes literacy in the variety of tech services that are available. For these teachers rightfully should be knowledgeable and skilled at using the technologies when they are the best avenues for assisting student learning. Teachers help students avoid plagiarism, create tech products as class projects, use tech tools for analysis, and critique information found on the Internet.

While it sounds like a logical progression that teachers are also responsible for teaching students to be safe online, the links of these safety issues related to student learning in the various subjects is not as direct. Some questions arise from the “Who is responsible for teaching students cyber safety?” issue:

1) Where in a school’s curriculum would this be taught?
2) Who would be responsible for developing the curriculum?
3) How would the appropriate staff be trained to prepare and be kept up to speed in the variety of technology safety issues?
4) When would this training occur for resident students in the school and when would new students to the school be given this orientation?
5) Would something that is already a student requirement (of time, energy, stress, and scheduling) be dropped so this curriculum could be included, or would time be taken out of a schedule that is already undersubscribed for classes?

In spite of all of this discussion, schools are responsible to giving students a safe and healthy environment for learning. All teachers are media teachers, so all of us are responsible to learn about cyber safety and use it at teachable moments in our presentations, lessons, and assessment criteria. In addition, schools need to instruct the youth about the school’s acceptable use policy (AUP) and include concepts like cyberbullying, inappropriate sharing of password and personal information, and profile hijacking and pirating.

The “responsibility” task is only completed when parents have taken on their part. They , too, need to be educated, take on their share of monitoring, guiding, and screening of student cyber use, and understand that it is not the school’s responsibility when students access inappropriate sites, become addicted to cyber gaming or social networking, exhibit other behaviors that are not part of a healthy, balanced young adult life. The school provides instruction and opportunities for learning, but is not the scapegoat for the reason students deviate from the information the school provides.

It will be a challenge to determine where the line will be drawn between society and governments restrictions and responsibilities, parent’s responsibilities, and school’s responsibilities for students’ online safety.