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In The Classroom

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The NCSA’s Cyber education programs are based on three key pillars:

  • Cyber Security
  • Cyber Safety
  • Cyber Ethics

Cyber Security
Cyber Security focuses on how children can protect their computers and employ good computer “hygiene.”  Much like they are taught to wash their hands to avoid disease, there are “infections” that can infect a child’s computer if he/she does not follow a handful of computer basics.
Children need to learn what types of emails they should open and which they should not.  In addition, they need to learn about the types of programs and protections needed to ensure that they don’t lose all of their pictures from that recent family trip.

Cyber Safety
Students need to understand the link between the online world and the “real” world.  The Internet is not a game, it is real life.  Cyber Safety education focuses on teaching children how to protect themselves from cyber predators, stalkers, etc.  In short, cyber safety is focused on teaching online behaviors that will protect a child’s physical well-being.

Cyber Ethics
While ethics is a complex topic for many young children, Cyber Ethics education is really focused on treating others online as you would like to be treated.  Much like you teach your students not to slander people with their tongues, Cyber Ethics education helps to show children how what is typed on their keyboard and posted online can be even more damaging than talking in the hallways.  Cyberbullying and other inappropriate online behaviors leave a record for all to see and attract a much larger audience than a traditional person-to-person confrontation.