6th graders at Scott Middle School learned valuable online safety tips in a pep rally type atmosphere on Tuesday morning. First Lady Suzanne Pillen and members of Google’s “Online Safety Roadshow” played joined six students in a “Family Feud” style game that included questions about what information should never be posted online, including birthdays, full names and personal information.
Google presenters Lauren Chapman and Michael Lynche acted as cheerleaders on the stage as they lead the 45-minute seminar. The main points of emphasis were secure your stuff, don’t fall for fake, share with care, use your power for good and when in doubt, talk it out.
“The internet is an incredibly powerful tool, and because it’s so powerful, it’s important to learn how to navigate it safely,” Lynche told the students. Lynche and Chapman say students must be strong, alert, smart, brave and kind online, and that includes having strong passwords and keeping personal information private.
In order to ensure their online accounts are secure, Lynche and Chapman suggested students have long, complex, unique passwords that would be hard for hackers to guess. They also warned students against sharing personal information, like their home address, birthdays and full names, online.
Students also discussed identifying factors of online scams, like the fake email Chapman pretended to receive. Most often, any random emails declaring people winners of competitions they never entered are from scammers, Lynche said.
Mrs. Pillen says equipping young people with the skills to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly is paramount to their success “This initiative focuses on integrating internet safety education into our classrooms, empowering our youth to make informed choices online.”
Students like Cullen Rains tells KLIN News he liked the way the program was presented. “They made it fun so everyone could participate, everyone had a chance to win something.”
(Photos: Tom Stanton, KLIN News)