Cyber reputation, security and safety have become important topics for students to understand and master. This engaging video program encourages students to think critically about the opportunities and risks provided by their many digital devices. Real-life dangers from predators, spammers and identity thieves are revealed through teen interviews and accounts from experts in cyber security and safety. Students learn why it is important to choose passwords that are hard to guess and why they should not share their passwords with others.
Students are challenged to think about ways that digital technology can be used to enhance or damage their reputations. Teens talk about how compromising photos and other postings online became part of their permanent digital footprint. The video provides specific advice about how to protect students’ privacy, security and online reputations.
Includes:
Research-Based video, plus teacher’s resource book, student handouts and pre/post test in digital format
Reviews
Teens growing up in a digital world face a myriad of new challenges. This comprehensive production presents both the risks and the opportunities that social media offers for teens, with an emphasis on being mindful of our digital footprints. Well-organized chapters range from tagging on Facebook, sexting, password protection, and online phishing to ways that our online identity can enhance our reputation. The male narrator is young and hip, bringing the right amount of seriousness to the topic. His points are elaborated on by two knowledgeable experts, co-founders of Cyberwise (a website that offers free materials that show how and why it pays to be cyber wise). Most effectively, the producers use vignettes from the experiences of a diverse group of teens who, through their personal stories, bring an authenticity and freshness to the production. While most teens may feel that there's nothing new presented here, instructors could use this well-organized program to effectively scaffold classroom dialogue. Rather than watching it straight though, use it as a jumping-off point for richer discussions and as a practical how-to for creating secure passwords or setting privacy settings.
—Meg Allison, Moretown School, VT
School Library Journal