Header

CyberIQ Road Show

December 15th, 2011 | Posted by Whitney Williams in Promote IT | World of IT - (0 Comments)

CyberIQSome of you may remember the launch of CyberIQ, an event for middle school girls and their parents devoted to cyber safety and awareness. Over the past few years, cyber safety has become a huge issue among children and teenagers. With the introduction of new forms of social communication, including Facebook and Twitter, and new ways to share information, children and teens are running into new dangers. From sexting to cyber bullying, the online world can be a scary place – unless children are given the power to be responsible.

Diedre Murphy, Venue Manager, and I had the unique opportunity to take CyberIQ on the road recently. Last month, we talked with 22 middle school girls from the STEM Girls Club at Chapin Middle. We covered everything from cyber bullying to texting to social netiquette. After that afternoon, we decided more students needed to know how to be in control online. Hence, the CyberIQ Road Show!

This morning, Diedre and I talked to the 5th graders at Satchel Ford Elementary. First, can I say what a COOL school Satchel Ford is?!? The vibe around the school is one of happy children who are excited and eager to learn. We walked in and were greeted by the 1st graders parading through the hall in their holiday-themed pajamas singing “Jingle Bells” on their way to their Polar Express Pajama Party. How much fun! (And I am still waiting for my invitation!) Diedre was thrilled to be back at Satchel Ford – for the first time in a number of years (my lips are sealed). Diedre informed the children there that Satchel Ford is her alma mater, but that she was “old as dirt” and that was forever and a day ago (again, her words, not mine).

We were taken to the library, which is filled with bright colors and sea creatures. There, we met over 100 bright and eager 5th graders. Cyber bullying is an issue that begins at an age that gets younger and younger, and does not stop, no matter how old you get. Cyber bullying is a real issue that affects not only the child being bullied, but can have an impact on his/her family, friends, school life and more. We were there to educate these young children on cyber bullying and give them the power to stop it. We spent an hour talking openly as a group about examples of cyber bullying, how to handle a cyber bully, what to do if you see someone else being cyber bullied and other topics related to social networking.

One video we watched (produced by Wired Safety – see link below) gave a very startling fact: 90% of the middle school students they polled say they have had their feelings hurt online, and only 15% of their parents knew about cyber bullying.

Cyber bullying is a real issue today. It’s not in a school in a different town or a different state. It happens here – in your hometown, in your child’s school. How do we stop it? We need to give children the power to stop it – and that power is knowledge. Parents and children need to know about cyber bullying, its dangers and how to stop it. Here’s a brief look at cyber bullying, and how you can learn more.

So, what is cyber bullying?
“Cyber bullying is bullying that happens online. It can happen in an email, a text message, an online game or on a social networking site. It might involve rumors or images posted on someone’s profile or passed around for other people to see.” (Source: OnGuard Online)

What are some examples of cyber bullying?

  • posting pictures/videos that are mean or make funny of someone
  • writing mean or hurtful things
  • spreading rumors
  • sending or forwarding mean text messages
  • posting pictures/videos WITHOUT someone’s permission

What makes cyber bullying different from regular bullying?
In a way, cyber bullying can be worse than regular bullying. A bully can be escaped when leaving school (or wherever the incident is taking place). A cyber bully is always there – on social networking sites, through text messages or emails, on YouTube. Cyber bullies are not left behind when the bell rings at the end of the school day. They follow you.

Cyber bullying also spreads quicker than regular bullying. A picture or video is posted that hurts someone’s feelings, and within minutes an entire community is reached through social networking sites. The incident no longer involves just a bully and a victim, but involves the entire community.

What should you/your child do if someone is cyber bullying?

  • Don’t respond or react – bullies are looking for a reaction from their victim.
  • Block or delete the bully.
  • Report abuse to the website where it is taking place.
  • Contact a parent, trusted adult, school official or law enforcement.
  • Be sure to save the evidence!

Often, children are not the cyber bullies themselves, but they witness the bullying taking place. What should a child do in this case? Or a parent? Please, please, please encourage children to tell the bully to stop. If that does not work, tell an adult!

Where are the places most of the cyber bullying is taking place?

  • Social Networking Sites – Sites like Facebook are the most common place for cyber bullies to take control.
  • Video Game Chat Capabilities
  • YouTube – YouTube, a video posting channel, has become a cruel outlet for cyber bullies. Videos are made and posted often making fun of someone or spreading false rumors about the victim.
  • Texting
  • Emails

How can you help? Spread the word about the CyberIQ Road Show! We are here to talk to children and teenagers, as well as parents. We want to take the power away from the bullies. We also emphasize that the child is responsible for their actions – they know there are consequences to what they post online, and they are responsible for those. For more information on the CyberIQ Road Show, contact me at powers.strickland@it-ology.org.

Here are some great resources that you can share with your child, your child’s teacher and other parents on cyber bullying:

  • OnGuard Online: OnGuard Online is a government website providing information on cybersafety. They have a great section dedicated to protecting kids online. You can also order free materials for classes and workshops.
  • stopcyberbullying.org
  • Wired Safety Video: This is a great video with real interviews with real teenagers who have been cyber bullied.

Join us in the mission to promote cyber safety!

, , , , , , , , , , ,

cyberIQ – What an event!

September 12th, 2011 | Posted by Whitney Williams in Education | IT-oLogy Defined | Promote IT | World of IT - (0 Comments)

 cyberIQWow! I cannot say enough about how amazing the cyberIQ workshop that took place at IT-oLogy this past Saturday was. IT-oLogy teamed up with the Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands, as well as volunteers from SCANA, Sandhills School, AAC/Department of Education and BlueCross BlueShield of SC, to bring a workshop on cyber safety and awareness to middle school girls and their parents. Over 60 middle school girls and their parents spent their Saturday morning learning about social networking, cyber bullying, mobile devices and the dangers that are out there.

A huge thank you goes out to Deputy Tapler with the Richland County Sherriff’s Department, Rick and Cammi Stilwell, Dr. Joe Holt, Tran Nuyen with Verizon, Investigator Narewski with the City of Columbia Police Department, MariClare Martin and Grace Hunter. We are especially grateful for Representative Laurie Funderburk taking time out of her schedule present the keynote on cyber safety and what she is doing to help protect our girls.

I also would like to recognize the hardworking, dedicated group of volunteers who made this event happen. Without them, cyberIQ would not have been possible. Thank you to Martha Bode and Nicole Talton, SCANA; Christy Hall and Earnestine Beatty, Girl Scouts volunteers; Anne Vickers, Sandhills School; Deb Huggins, AAC/Department of Education; Lowndes MacDonald, DP Professionals; and Carol Wallace, BlueCross BlueShield of SC. I would also like to recognize the time, talent and resources dedicated to cyberIQ by Lee Morriss and Susan Schneider, Girl Scouts SC – MM, and Diedre Murphy, IT-oLogy.

Why was this workshop important? Here are a few facts from www.commonsensemedia.org:

  • Facebook has more than 500 million registered users (Facebook, 2010). If it were a country, it would have the third largest population in the world.
  • 73% of 12- to 17-year-olds have at least one social networking profile(Pew, 2010).
  • 22% of teens check social networks 10 or more times per day (Common Sense Media, 2009).
  • 54% of teens have joined an online community or social network group in support of a cause they care about (Common Sense Media, 2009).
  • 48% of Facebook-using parents with kids under 18 are “friends” with their teens on Facebook (Retrevo, 2010).
  • More than 30 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) are shared on Facebook each month (Facebook, 2010).

 What did the girls and parents get out of cyberIQ? A LOT! Teens today live digital lives. Relationships are cultivated and managed via social networking, the internet and cell phones. Learning is done by interacting and connecting online. Cell phones are an everyday part of life for many teenagers. Living digitally is not a bad thing or a scary thing. We just want teens to know there can be dangers, they need to stay safe and they need to know what consequences are out there. Parents: the digital world is not a scary place! It holds great opportunity for children to learn, connect and interact. We want you to know what’s out there so you can have a real conversation with your child on how to play safe in the cyber world.

What do we want to see as the outcome of cyberIQ? We hope we started real conversations about staying safe online! Teens, talk to your peers and your parents. Parents, talk to your teens. Establish guidelines and rules that you both will follow. Respect each other, but understand the need for safety. An online pledge is a GREAT way to get started!   We also got a lot of great feedback on how to make the sessions more interactive next time!

 In the meantime, be sure to check out the following resources for great information:

 Common Sense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org)

Great resources for parents, teens and educators on all things digital! Parents – do you need Facebook 101? Check it out here: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/facebook-parents.

Pew Internet (http://pewinternet.org)

 Cybersmart (www.cybersmart.gov.au)

The FTC has a number of resources available for both teens and parents! Check out their list of recommended websites, as well as order their free materials: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.shtm.

Some cyber bullying resources:

http://abcfamily.go.com/movies/cyberbully

http://a.media.abcfamily.go.com/a/media/pdf/ABCF_Cyberbully_ConvGuide_plot%20specific_fnl.pdf

http://www.stompoutbullying.org/aboutbullying.php

Information on Geotagging:

http://icanstalku.com/why.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotagging

Stay tuned for more information in the near future regarding a resource page on the IT-oLogy website that will include presentations, links and more on cyber safety!

Want cyberIQ to come to your part of South Carolina? Let us know! We are currently working to scale this workshop across the state, and are in need of volunteers and sponsors to make it happen! Contact Powers Strickland, Communications Manager @ IT-oLogy, at powers.strickland@it-ology.org today!

, , , , , , , ,