We’ve been busy working with schools across Queensland to help teachers, students and parents all learn how to deal with the digital world – and to be kinder online.
eSmart Schools
We’ve started funding online safety programs in Queensland – 55 schools have started eSmart, helping whole school communities to best manage online risks, bullying and cyber bullying issues so students feel safer and supported. It’s a long-term change program that educates, tracks, monitors and helps prevents bullying and cyber bullying – tailor-made and designed to effect change in that specific environment.
“We have so far found the program excellent as there are a number of areas for improvement that we have identified in our internet policies, planning and procedures.” – St Agatha’s Primary School, Clayfield.
eSmart Digital Licence
This must-have online safety program teaches kids good behaviour and how to deal with bad behaviour online. It’s like a ‘pen licence’ for the internet.
With eight topics, the Digital Licence has real life, interactive scenarios in each question to help students to stay focused while they’re learning. It highlights the good – and not so good part of the internet, and how best to deal with it.
With our funding, so far more than 1,500 students have started their Digital Licence, joining 270,000 other students around the country.
eSmart Connect workshops
These online workshops are taking place across Queensland schools with 70 sessions to be delivered by the end of the year.
We started with the Teaching in the Digital World workshop to teachers and feedback from the initial 26 sessions has been overwhelming, with “100% of teachers saying the workshop content was highly relevant and current” and that they “gained more awareness of the various supports available regarding any online safety concerns.”
“Our school community has participated in the two Connect workshops and I’ve sorted out the 100 Digital Licences for Term 4 and started, we meet on a weekly basis to discuss all technology-based issues.” – Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School, Caloundra.