Review: Be Internet Awesome
Internet safety and Digital Literacy through a game!
I began exploring digital literacy last week when a parent reached out to me to see if I could do a session on internet safety for the children in school. In India at least, with schools being closed and the coronavirus spreading rapidly, children have been spending a lot more time online. So it is crucial that they know how to protect themselves and how to stay out of trouble. Be Internet Awesome is Google’s initiative to teach children internet safety and digital literacy.
While it is fair to say that Google knows more about any of us than any other organisation on the planet (this makes me slightly nervous), they do also come up with some pretty fascinating learning content. Whether it is their CS First coding curriculum, or their curriculum for internet safety and digital literacy, they have a ton of brilliant resources for everyone.
I recently had a chance to play around with their digital literacy game called Interland, and also went through their curriculum document for educators. Interland is an adventure style game where children (and older children like me!) move through various ‘lands’, and in the process, learn about how to stay safe on the internet. The game has cool graphics and music, and is actually really fun to play.
Children love games, particularly these days when they don’t have much opportunity to get out of the house. Interland is a constructive way for them to have fun while they learn about various critical internet safety and digital literacy topics. The curriculum devised by Google is split into 5 core areas:
- Be Internet Smart: This module teaches children to be a positive influence online, to think before posting, privacy issues and how to protect your secrets online.
- Be Internet Strong: The importance of a strong password, frequent changes in passwords and how to choose a good password that won’t be easy to guess.
- Be Internet Alert: How to avoid scams, knowing how to spot a secure site and how to check for credibility while exploring online.
- Be Internet Kind: This is a module about ideal online behaviour, and most importantly, how to treats others as you would like to be treated. It is a good reminder to avoid saying stuff online that you wouldn’t ordinarily say in real life.
- Be Internet Brave: The final module is about how to deal with offensive, hurtful or negative content. In particular, it reminds children that whenever they encounter something they aren’t sure about, they need to talk to a trusted adult about it.
All in all, I really like how the content is structured, and it allows you to move ahead at your own pace. I just finished the first stage of the Interland game and got a certificate!
At school, we have been taking our students through these protocols, and though I haven’t yet told them about the Interland game, I am certain they will have a ball playing that!
If you are a parent or educator, I highly recommend checking out the resources at Be Internet Awesome. They are engaging, well structured and beautifully designed.
I think of the internet as a playground — Be Internet Awesome will equip your child to make the most of this ever expending playground. Give it a go!
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