INNOTECH conducts Knowledge Forum on Cybersafety of Filipino Learners
Kicking-off the series of knowledge learning activities for its 50th anniversary, SEAMEO INNOTECH organized the Knowledge Forum on Cybersafety of Filipino Learners last 27 May 2019 in Quezon City. Teachers, policy makers and individuals from the civil society gathered in this one-day forum to discuss emerging issues related to the safety of Filipino learners online.
“A child in the cyberworld is a whole person with dignity as much as a child in the physical world,” said Department of Education Undersecretary Josephine G. Maribojoc in her keynote speech, emphasizing the need to protect children and their rights wherever they may be.
As technology become widely used in schools and in the society, it is important to build a safe cyberworld, especially for the children. This has been eminent in the DepEd Ordinance Child Protection Policy, a commitment of DepEd for zero tolerance to all forms of abuse, violence, exploitation, neglect, and discrimination against learners.
One important step in protecting one’s safety online is knowing which data to share publicly. Atty. Erlaine Vanessa Lumanog of the National Privacy Commission briefly explained the different types of personal data and how each should be shared and handled. Highlighting the importance of data privacy, she pointed out the need for every institution and organization to protect the security, integrity and confidentiality of all the personal information they collect.
Digging deeper on the safety of learners online, Stairway Foundation, Inc. gave a brief overview on their research on Cybersafety. Mr. Ysrael Diloy, presented the importance of 3C’s in cybersafety – Content, Contact, and Conduct. A child or learner can be at risk based on the content they access online, the online interactions or contact they make, and on how they present or conduct themselves online. He emphasized on the need to establish policies and systems that will make the online environment safe for learners. He also underlined the importance of online protective behaviors of learners and building the capacities of duty bearers and stakeholders so they can effectively protect the learners in the Cyber Space. Stairway Foundation also presented their Cybersafe Learning Resources that teachers can use to teach digital citizenship to their learners. One of which is the Dalir-eskwela, a set of educational materials that tackled cybersafety issues in a fun and informative manner.
Adding to the list of relevant resources, SEAMEO INNOTECH showcased its e-Citizenship project. The e-Citizenship is a set of learning packets focused on the various aspects of digital safety, security, and privacy in the classrooms. The learning packets aim to provide teachers with tips, strategies, and activities for young people to be safe, healthy, and responsible users of ICT.
(Related resources: Mobile Technology for Teachers and e-Citizenship Learning Packets)
The one-day forum concluded with a workshop, which allowed the participants to list down their ideas on how to effectively communicate the importance of cybersafety to parents, teachers and learners. Using the principles of design thinking, the participants prototyped one idea from their list that they deemed to be innovative and effective in communicating and fostering a cybersafe environment.
