Back-to-school season is in full gear and students and teachers have settled into their routines for the year. What does that mean for me? Well, on a daily basis I manage an Internet safety program focused on giving educators, parents and tweens the tools they need to make safe and smart decisions online. When school is in session it’s always a busy time of year for me.
NEA HIN (National Education Association Health Information Network) focuses on health and safety topics that affect our members. I’ve worked with NEA HIN and its members for over five years now and the last two, I have specifically focused on Internet safety topics. Taking on this position was somewhat new for me because I’m not a “techie” but there was something quite interesting in knowing that I could personally change the way parents, educators and tweens view and use the Internet. Given my experience having a tween in my home (my 10 year old daughter), I have been able to get a good grasp on the way tweens think. As a parent I can definitely share the parental perspective as well. The most important thing I try to remember when interacting with my daughter is that we must always communicate, even if we disagree. That is the basic belief of bNetS@vvy; communication is essential to ensuring safe and smart Internet behaviors.
My program, bNetS@vvy (www.bnetsavvy.org), strives to help tweens better understand the risks and benefits associated with the Internet and educate guardians and educators about the power of Internet use. We offer useful tools exploring the issues that confront families and educators, including topics like cyberbullying, sexting, consumer privacy, and social networking. Because it is written by experts, educators, parents, and kids, the information on bNetS@vvy provides multiple perspectives on very important issues.
We are excited to launch a newly designed website this month. Check out our tech glossary, become a guest blogger or utilize our “Ask the Expert” section. Stop by, take a look and let us know what you think! ~Jamila Boddie, bNetS@vvy Editor