The Lake Marie leopards received digital citizenship training through a CyberSense assembly at their school on Friday, August 31, to learn about how they can be responsible online and “think before you click”.
Students in third through sixth grade were able to participate in this interactive assembly. The assembly was done by James Munton, who is an author of two books about digital and online safety. Aside from being informative, James is also a magician and had students participate in magic tricks while teaching them about important and age appropriate topics that have to do with their safety online.
Some topics that were talked about were cyberbullying, identity theft, keeping their passwords safe, sharing inappropriate photos and messages, and staying safe against online predators.
Munton explained the importance of safety for not only yourself but others as well. He explained how what you put online can effect your future and the future of others. He then shared the importance of keeping personal information like your name, where you live, and your age private and to always tell an adult when someone online asks about your personal information.
He encouraged students to control their online presence and gave them tips on how to create a perfect password. He shared examples of how it can be difficult to take back photos and messages that were posted online and how those mistakes can affect college admissions, job opportunities, and relationships. He also covered cyberbullying and what they can do to help.
Throughout the assembly he had students come up and help him demonstrate examples of these lessons. The magic tricks made the lesson interactive, fun, and memorable for students and he encouraged all students to always “think before you click!”