ESafety Live 2012 London
As the train bumps along the tracks back north my mind has turned to what I have learnt over the last few hours.
Firstly, there are all of people and organisations out there trying to keep people safe online. I guess I knew that already, but to see so many of them in one space made me feel really positive.
I’ll quickly go through a few of the best bits which I have noted down today, it has been a long day and I know I won’t do it full justice.
Protecting your professional identity
@laurahiggins_ and @kcorish ran a session on protecting your professional identity. Which was a cracking start to the morning.
- Think before you post.
- Think about your full digital footprint. Eg Amazon wishlist is publicly searchable.
- Speak to your friends and ask them to think before they post about you. Opt in to tagging approval.
- Keep professional and personal profiles separate but be professional on both!
- Use the tools available. Facebook friends lists can be powerful.
- Be wary of sudden changes in social networking sites policies and settings.
Resources
Connectsafely.Org
Saferinternet.Org.Uk
@Cartes and Rosa Birch from Facebooks Public Policy team came to present on facebook safety & security.  This was an interesting session, some even suggested the facebook reps were very brave to stand in front of us all!
They explained how facebook believe they have created the most advanced set of online privacy tools in the world.  Every single item posted on facebook can have it’s own privacy settings, and the use of friends lists make it even easier to control who sees what.  However, I felt as this wasn’t exactly in keeping with Facebook HQ’s philosophy.  I believe they are building tools so we  share more with a bigger audience!
- They represented a team of 70 people based in their Dublin office. Â One office from three around the world dealing mainly with content removal requests and account investigations.
- The two representatives highlighted the Report buttons and the Help Center [sic] where users can get help removing content from their site.
- Facebook use algorithms and user reports to help prevent suicidal users, underage users, and terrorist content.
- They have a social reporting tool, where a mutual friend or authority figure of the interested parties can act as an mediator.
- Facebook and not in a position to inhibit freedom of speech.
- Content will be viewed in context, and assessed on whether it causes harm in the ‘real world’. Something that is offensive, it not always harmful.
- Under 13 accounts get deleted immediately, rather than the usual 14 days. (I thought normally accounts were de-activated rather than deleted)
Resources
During questions a number of people raised concerns over the under 18’s being able to share content with friends of friends. Â With the culture of gaining as many friends as possible, content could still be shared with tens of thousands of people, the young adult does not know.
Preparing for inspection
@kcorish and Ron Richards ran an interesting session on the new Ofsted framework, which includes some tweaks to the safeguarding section. Â They have both (if memory serves) been involved in training the HMI’s in online safety and how the schools should be educating pupils and supporting them, beyond the school gates.
They gave examples that ‘good’ schools should have, a toolkit of strategies, a whole school – consistent approach, well trained staff, good audit processes, multiple reporting routes, centralised recording and regular evaluation. Â Has your school embedded those ideas into its safeguarding policy? Â Does it also cover eSafety?
Resources
swgfl.org.uk/esafetytraining
swgfl.org.uk/Staying-Safe/Epict/Epict
thesharpsystem.com
commonsensemedia.org
cybersmart.gov.au
parentview.ofsted.gov.uk – Have you checked your school?
OnlineCompass.Org.Uk
Empowering young people online
The folks from @ChildNet gave some example sessions that they run with pupils in schools.  Their sessions started as young as five years old, and were based around what you should and shouldn’t share.  I never expected to sing a song at eSafety Live! They also gave example activities they run with 8-11 year olds, 12-15 and 16+.
Resources
Their aware winning film, Let’s fight it together
childnet.com/kia
digizen.org
kidsmart.org.uk
Embracing Mobile Technology
The most entertaining award for the day goes to @russellprue for his whistle stop tour of new mobile technology.  The key point I felt within the presentation was this; pupils have access to some of the best, most advanced technology in their homes, in their pockets.  Let’s us as schools utilise it.  Russell tells us that banning mobiles doesn’t work.  Embrace instead.
Russell showed us his mobile, a Motorola Atrix which has a laptop dock.  All the processing power, RAM and storage from the phone, on a handy 12″ HD screen with keyboard.  He also demonstrated a pico projector.  More technology which is coming to a new mobile near you soon. With three new mobiles released every week, how do we keep up?
Better that a contract is drawn up between learner, parent and school.  An agreement builds trust and teaches responsibility.  I like the way this man thinks.
4G could soon be delivering up to 1 gigabit to our phones. Â Much faster than the school network, and unfiltered. Â Schools must encourage users to use their networks so they can be monitored, rather than heavily filtered.
Resources
andertontiger.com/Esafety
handywissen.at/services/english
Vodafone Digital Parenting Guide – Also available as a free app on iOS and Android
Empowering children’s organisations
The last event I went to was run by Vicki Green and @PeterBower28, who ran an informal discussion rather than a presentation. Â We discussed all kinds of safeguarding issues and events that had come up in our professional lives, how we had dealt with them, and how we could reduce issues in the future.
Resources
I must also draw your attention to the POSH helpline. An excellent service run by the UK Safer Internet Centre. Â If you have a cyberbullying or safeguarding concern, they are definetly a service you need to know about. Â They provide support for professionals working with young people with regard to their online behaviour.
In conclusion it has to be said that the day was really well planned and set in a lovely venue.  I really have to say a big thank you to all the folk at @UK_SIC and especially @laurahiggins_ (who was excellent at helping me get my colleague into the event). Also a big congratulations on such a brilliant day.  Those of you who are attending in Edinburgh tomorrow have a lot to look forward to!
