Film is great way for schools to educate young people about online safety in a fun and creative way. That’s why we’ve put together some tips for making film part of our Safer Internet Day activity.
Using film in the classroom
To inspire schools to get involved the UK Safer Internet Centre have developed education packs to help teachers deliver activities for children, young people and parents and carers on Safer Internet Day.
This year the packs aim to empower young people to celebrate diversity online in order to inspire a kind, respectful and inclusive internet, and help raise awareness about the issue of online hate and ensure no child is ever targeted online for being different. This is explored through posters, assembly presentations with scripts, drama activities, quick activities, full lesson plans and even films!
The films, which have been produced as part of SID TV, accompany the education packs and include real-life stories, expert perspectives and feature puppets and poems to make the information digestible, relatable and fun. For example:
- For a quick activity primary teachers can use the SID TV video about Smartie the Penguin to teach young people what to do if they get a mean comment online and how we can all be a good friend to others.
Safer Internet Day 2016: Red and Murphy talk to Smartie about helping your friends online from UK Safer Internet Centre on Vimeo.
- In the classroom, teachers can use the real-life stories, such as Tamanna’s story, in the secondary lesson plan to help young people explore how people communicate online and the impact of their words on other people’s feelings.
Empowering young people to take the lead in creating a better internet
Filmmaking is great way for schools to educate young people about e-safety in a fun and creative way. It provides an effective learning process not only for the young people engaged in the filmmaking, but also the whole-school community.
Schools across the UK are incorporating film making into their Safer Internet Day activities. As Al Risalah Secondary School shared, “Students will film and edit a short video which will be played on Safer Internet Day in a student-led assembly” and at All Children’s Controlled Integrated Primary School “the children in Key Stage 2 are being encouraged to make a short film about how to stay safe online.”
As well as teaching young people about how to be safe online, filmmaking can also be used to empower young people to take the lead in creating a better internet. Here’s some example’s about how you can make filmmaking as part of your Safer Internet Day activities:
- In the classroom, teachers can use the UK Safer Internet Centre’s primary school lesson plan to get pupils to create their own set of Digital Rights which they believe could make the internet a better place. Then, why not turn your Digital Rights into a film, so the whole school can reference them throughout the year.
- New this year, the whole-school activities for primary and secondary are a great way to get everyone involved in Safer Internet Day. This includes our #shareaheart social media campaign where we are inviting schools to take to social media and share their own heart filled messages, images or videos using the hashtag #shareaheart. Print out a heart sign, fill it with your message, grab a camera, record your promise then share it on social media on the 9th February.
Safer Internet Day 2016: young people pledge to play their part from UK Safer Internet Centre on Vimeo.
- Assemblies in the week of February 9th could focus on how we all have a role to play to make the internet a better place. This could involve pupils creating a film that gets them to think about how they can make the internet a better place. Need some inspiration? Watch last year’s #Up2Us film to hear some Safer Internet Day promises or check out the winning films from the Childnet Film Competition 2015.
We love seeing young people using film to help education others so we’re particuarly proud that past Childnet Film Competition winner and judge, Jude, has created an animation for Safer Internet Day. It’s a great example of what can be achieved and we hope it inspires you to get involved!
Jessica’s Wish – an animation for Safer Internet Day by Jude from UK Safer Internet Centre on Vimeo.
If you’re running an activity for Safer Internet Day remember to share what you’re doing by joining the Safer Internet Day supporters list.
About Safer Internet Day
On Tuesday 9th February 2016, millions across the UK and globally will be celebrating Safer Internet Day. Coordinated in the UK by the UK Safer Internet Centre, the day is a great opportunity to talk to your family and friends about the safe and positive use of technology, and to ‘share a heart’ to help create a kinder online community.
This year’s theme is ‘Play your part for a better internet’ and provides a great opportunity for everyone to explore the responsibility we all have to help create a kinder online community.
For more resources, ideas and tips visit: www.saferinternetday.org.uk
