Inauguration of the Social Media School to combat cyberbullying from primary school onwards
This initiative, led by eduPad and European Schoolnet, launches a new resource platform for parents and teachers to help them support their children on social media.
One in two Year 7 pupils already has a social media account*, well before the legal age of 13. 1 in 10 teenagers report having already been victims of online violence. Because they are not prepared to deal with situations that are beyond their control, The School of Social Networks aims to equip educators, teachers and parents to support them in the responsible use of digital tools with children from Year 5 onwards.
On the occasion of National Anti-Bullying Day, parents and teachers are invited to discover the Social Media School during its inauguration, which will take place will take place on 5 November at 6:00 p.m.. The online event will give you the opportunity to engage with a panel of experts in formal and informal education, using digital technology to help better support children in protecting themselves and behaving kindly towards others.
Link to register for the event : https://bit.ly/3moHzUo
The Social Media School is an educational game so that children can safely experience situations they will encounter (or have already encountered) through a chatbot that invites them to «catch» the 59 cards/questions and ask themselves: Can I chat with people I don't know? Is everyone who they say they are? How can I find help? How can I be a good online friend?
Daniel Jasmin, co-founder of eduPad: «The digital world is a universe of discovery for children, but without adults to build a frame of reference for them, they are very exposed. After moderating the first secure social network for 6-10 year olds for three years, we saw the risky situations they faced, which we incorporated into the Social Network School in the form of a game so that they can learn while having fun.»
The Social Media School is above all a comprehensive range of resources enabling teachers and parents to lead discussion workshops in the classroom and at home, drawing on answers, advice and practical activities. For example, one of the activities involves writing on each finger of a drawn hand the names of five people the child can contact in case of a problem.
Marc Durando, Director of European Schoolnet: «In these times of pandemic and misinformation, it has never been more important for parents and teachers to join forces to put digital technology at the service of learning. The positive and pragmatic approach of the “social media school” meets this need. With this kind of guidance and support, children will be able to get the most out of the digital world in complete safety.»
This free public service is available to teachers and parents at http://www.lecoledesreseauxsociaux.org/ was the winner of Google.org Impact for Change on safety*** and will soon be rolled out in England and in three other European countries over the next three years.
To promote and enrich the Social Media School, partners have been brought together: Réseau Canopé, a training and professional development provider for teachers; CLEMI (Centre for Media and Information Literacy); and Safer Internet France stakeholders: Internet Sans Crainte, a national programme to help young people better manage their digital lives; and Net Ecoute, 0800 200 000, national toll-free number for combating cyberbullying, intended for children and teenagers facing problems with their digital usage, operated by the e-Enfance Association.
About:
Founded in 2011, eduPad is a publisher of educational applications, whose applications are used by 10 million children in 146 countries. With Monster Messenger, a secure social network for children aged 6 to 10 launched in 2016 and which partnered with Facebook Messenger Kids in 2019, eduPad has acquired unique experience in children's expectations and behaviour on social networks.
Established in 1997, European Schoolnet is a network of 34 education ministries in Europe whose purpose is to support education ministries, schools, teachers and relevant stakeholders in Europe in transforming educational processes to adapt to the needs of 21st-century digital societies.
Contacts
- Daniel Jasmin – daniel@edupad.com 06 87 61 82 28
References
- The school of social media : https://schoolofsocialnetworks.org/fr
- The social media school on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/LecoledesReseauxSociaux
- eduPad : https://www.edupad.com/
- European Schoolt: http://www.eun.org/
The Partners
- The Canopé network : https://www.reseau-canope.fr/
Réseau Canopé, a national public administrative institution, carries out its mission as a provider of training and professional development for teachers within the framework of the Ministry's Continuing Education Master Plan. This mission is broken down into objectives for innovation and development in digital education and mobilises the capacity for publishing, producing and developing educational resources on all media and in all areas of education. It is responsible for promoting their use in France and abroad. - Clemi : https://www.clemi.fr/
CLEMI is the leading operator within the French education system for understanding and mastering media information, preparing students, teachers and parents for the challenges of citizenship in the digital age. With the support of its network of academic coordinators, CLEMI is active in various areas: educational validation, training of trainers, production of educational tools and resources, and organisation of educational activities around media and information, including Press and Media Week in Schools®. - Internet without fear : www.internetsanscrainte.fr
Internet sans crainte (Internet without fear) is a national awareness programme designed to help young people become more digitally literate, both at school and at home. Since its creation in 2008, it has offered dozens of free digital resources, advice and training courses for education professionals and families to help them support and safeguard the digital activities of children and teenagers.
It is one of the three lines of action of “Safer Internet France”, supported by the European Commission.
As such, it is a member of the Insafe network, which brings together 38 countries. - Net Listening : https://www.netecoute.fr – 0800 200 000
Net Listening 0800 200 000 is the national toll-free number for children and teenagers facing problems with their digital usage. Free, anonymous and confidential, the service is available by email, chat and Messenger from 9am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday. The number is operated by the e-Enfance Association, an official partner of the French Ministry of Education in the prevention and fight against cyberbullying among students.
- **Study conducted by the e-Enfance Association, Lab Heyme with OpinionWay (2020), available from: g.demontousse@e-enfance.org
- ***Google.org Impact for Change on safety: https://impactchallenge.withgoogle.com/safety2019.
