i-Safe+Follow+Summary

Return to eSafe


 * OIT/SLS Collaboration with i-Safe**
 * 2007 Overview**


 * Summary**

NYC DOE OIT collaborated with i-Safe over one week to provide an internet safety assembly to students, teachers, and iTeach/iLearn principals and provided train the trainer training to more than 100 librarians, regional library representatives, parent support officers, parent coordinators, technology staff developers, instructional technology specialists, and principals.

This was a tremendously successful week which achieved the desired outcome of building capacity throughout the system to provide students, teachers, leaders, and parents with tools and teaching that will enable them to use the internet safely, appropriately, and acceptably. As a result of the professional development we now have Parent Support Officers, Regional Library Representatives, and Instructional Technology Specialists in every Borough and region in New York who are prepared to work with others across the city to make the internet a safer place for New York City teachers, parents, students, and administrators.

We found it extremely beneficial to provide participants with a full hour following the training to discuss and create thoughtful implementation plans ensuring that following the workshop they had a plan in place to share this information. As a result of the program participants have real plans in place that would not have materialized if not for the collaboration between the NYC DOE and i-Safe. Of note we have participants who are planning to train their student support teams to deliver training to staff, leaders, and other students; we have participants forming student task forces; assemblies are being scheduled throughout the city; acceptable use policies are being updated, comprehensive education plans are being updated and revised, collaborations with parent coordinators, librarians, principals, students, and teachers are taking hold; policies are being changed and updated; library programs and the curriculum are changing shape and incorporating this into an important part of their instruction.

· I have already started the process with the administration. We held a cabinet meeting to discuss Cyber Safety. I have a scheduled meeting with teachers to discuss Cyber Safety in the classroom. An assembly program is also being held to explain Cyber Safety. The Parent Coordinator, and I will be collaborating to develop an outreach to parents. Finally, periodic assemblies and distribution of materials as it becomes available will be given to those at the school level. · I will have assemblies with students, PD with teachers and administrators and will present to parent body as a workshop/s. · I will discuss my training with principal - suggest our Digital Worlds course include a curricular unit on safety. · I plan to conduct staff development workshops for the faculty and parents based on this model. Students will be given the School Wide Policy at the beginning of the semester. In addition, they will be taught how to navigate the internet safely. · I will reach out to students. I plan to incorporate this content into my information literacy instruction about using the internet. I'm particularly interested in using the lessons geared toward younger audiences, as I have not ventured into this area with students in the primary grades. I also plan to use this content as part of professional development sessions I run for teachers about technology. Finally, I will work with the parents association to develop programming to educate families about cyber safety in the home. Additionally, it would be great to work with teachers on the issues of cyber-bullying. · Parent Coordinators, President's Council and Parent Associations will receive training on the I-Safe program. It will also be incorporated in the District Comprehensive Educational Plan. · I will provide PD just like the one I received today to Parent Coordinators and create a task force with students. · Update and push our acceptable use policy. Mail copies to all families. offer workshops to parents during PTA meetings and curriculum night. Enroll library squad students as I mentors. Include AUP as part of computer roll-out wrack grade. · I will closely monitor on-line activity; check histories, offer workshops to teachers/parents/students, and add cyber studies as part of library orientation. · I have had many requests for workshops for parents on cyber safety. I developed a safety tip sheet for one school and referred Parent associations and parent coordinators to different agencies. Now I can offer presentations to both these groups and spread the safety. · I plan to speak to the four principals in my campus high school and urge them to make the following mandatory: 1. every class visits the library the first two months of the school year for a lesson on appropriate and safe use of the computer 2. every teacher takes the cyber safety course from the library media specialists OR be required to take the self-administered sessions and provide feedback to the principals 3. provide cyber-safety workshops at the PTA meetings. In addition, the library media specialist should make plans with the neighborhood public library to have a cyber-safety course · Turnkey to staff, and push-in to teach iSquad student technology support teams. Have iSquad students teach their homerooms. · I will turn key this information to Parent Support staff and Parent Coordinators. I will recommend that they hold information sessions for their parents and staff and students. I will suggest that parent leaders in each District contact I-Safe for additional presentations at the local level.
 * Overview of What Participants Plan to Do Next**


 * Participant Feedback Following the PD**

Following the workshop 97% of our participants said they found their experience extremely valuable, 3% said valuable. Some feedback from participants in response to the question, “Which part of the training did you feel was most beneficial?” included…

· All! there were so many things I was not aware of, probably 80% of the info presented was new information to me · For my students, Cyber predators would be most beneficial because they are clueless. For myself, teachers and administrators, just knowing what is out there is a first step in dealing with it. Ignorance of the facts and circumstances will hurt us. · One of the best workshops for iTeach/iLearn. I learned many new things. · A lot of the details of why we do things the ways we do: why we don't open unsolicited mail, etc....what a trojan horse vs. worm is, etc. · I feel that the trainer Jonathan brought us expertise and knowledge in this area and it was helpful to have that background knowledge to get a clearer picture of this topic. · It was great to have a very knowledgeable trainer. Obviously, he is on the cutting edge of this issue and has contacts all over the nation. This made the greatest impression on me. · To be quite honest, I found it all beneficial and would like, however, to go through it again. There was so much stuff to absorb that I need another run-through. · Hearing actual stories, having each component of cyber safety explained so well. · Learning how predators use the internet, and learning about internet bullying. Having an awareness of this I'll be able to better educate and advise all concerned. · The discussions, the knowledge and energy of the presenter.


 * Next Steps**

One piece of feedback we received, as expected, is that they wanted to see more videos and hear more stories about kids that looked like savvy city kids. We look forward to collaborating with i-Safe and others on this and additional ongoing work.

Lisa Nielsen PD Manager – Office of Instructional Technology New York City Department of Education lnielsen@schools.nyc.gov
 * Questions**