Safer Internet Day 2021

Safer Internet Day 2021 is on Tuesday 9th February 2021 and celebrated in the UK with the theme: 

An internet we trust: exploring reliability in the online world

This year in the UK, Safer Internet Day explores reliability online. The internet has an amazing range of information and opportunities online, but how do we separate fact from fiction?

With the term 'FAKE NEWS' becoming part of our natural vocabulary, how well do children (and adults) understand the information they come across online? Are we able to distinguish between true and false? Have you ever just accepted what you were fed without double-checking? Today is all about teaching ALL of us how to be sure.

Assembly with a Difference

A great way to kick off 'Safer Internet Day' is with a virtual assembly. Here are a few links to follow, feel free to watch just one or all. Digiduck in particular is one of the characters we meet regularly at school, discussing his (generally poor) choices about technology and internet use.

** If you are only exploring one, please select Detective Digiduck **

Competition with a Difference

The internet is filled with SO MANY THINGS. Even THIS WEBPAGE is filled with so much information . Do you think you could do a better job of teaching your friends, and all the other children at Churchill, exactly what they need to know this Safer Internet Day?

Do you remember the ways Wise_Owl taught Digiduck to check if information online was true? That's right!

• talk about it with an adult
• consult an expert (if you know one!)
• ask yourself some questions about what you've discovered, do you already know any facts?
• Digiduck also used a trusted website that his teacher suggested (you can always trust a teacher!)

Below are posters designed around two of our favourite characters, Digiduck and Smartie the Penguin. They include SUPER IMPORTANT messages about internet use. This year we need YOU to design a poster about how to find RELIABLE information ONLINE.

• Is it true?
• Can you trust it?
• How do you know?
• What might be real?
• What might be fake?
• How could you check?

Can your poster answer these questions and more? This is a non-fiction poster so YrR/1 don't forget to include lots of the features we know really well from this term's Literacy lessons!

You will definitely need:

• a title
• pictures or photographs
• labels and captions
• a sentence or two (or even a paragraph!) explaining how to NOT get tricked online

Post your fabulous finished poster on Class Dojo and Miss Francis, Miss Pearson and I will get judging over half term. The winning poster/s will be printed and laminated ready to display in EVERY classroom in the school ready for when all the children come back! Good luck, Detectives. 

Stories with a Difference

Our FAVOURITE way to learn at school is through stories. Here is a selection for you to share at home. If you can find the time, watch them ALL. They are not hugely long or complicated, however they do follow extremely IMPORTANT themes. Can you work out what their themes are? 

    Parents and carers, if you can spare the time to watch these along with your children, they will make for interesting discussions. How to manage life online is a key learning point for all of us and you may be surprised to hear what even the youngest children know and/or assume - let's bring these thoughts out into the open now and keep discussion flowing as they grow older.