Social safety above all

Freek first emphasizes the importance of social safety. “From the age of nine, children often spend hours a day on social media. This mostly happens outside school hours, but the impact can sometimes be so great that it finds its way into the classroom. There, it can affect social safety. Think of an online argument. The tension this creates within a class can disrupt lessons. If you do not intervene as a school, you lose control. It is therefore also in your interest as a teacher to make these issues discussable. Moreover, when something affects social safety within the school, you are legally obliged to take care of it. Pupils must feel safe at school. And teachers do too.”

Teaching children media literacy

Media literacy is a relatively new health theme within Gezonde School, Freek also notes. Among other things, he advocates greater awareness among education professionals and parents. “The social world in which we live consists of both a physical and a digital world. Many education professionals and parents have not sufficiently activated their awareness of this parallel world. In addition, we adults often fail to teach children good media literacy because we quickly overestimate their skills. The reasoning is often: ‘I am not very well informed myself, so what can I teach them?’ That is a common error in thinking. Take awareness of privacy, for example; that understanding only develops over the years. A ten-year-old child does not yet have an overview of that. The same applies to empathizing with others on social media or recognizing fake content. As an adult, you do have an advantage in these areas.”

Discuss online behavior at set times

Freek emphasizes that you do not have to be a social media expert to make the topic discussable in the classroom as an education professional. “The most important thing is that it becomes discussable. Let your basic human values guide you, because that is also what online etiquette is about. Discuss it openly. It is very human to treat one another with respect, so do that online too.” In addition, schools can choose a few fixed times each year to highlight the topic. “For example, at the start of the school year and during Media Literacy Week.” Freek offers this tip: “Put up posters clearly explaining the online rules, so that the whole school is aware of them. That includes you as an education professional, so enforcement is consistent and you feel supported by that policy. It is important that the school’s vision is communicated clearly to the surrounding community and that it is repeated. That is the only way it will stick.”

Identifying online misconduct in practice

The Gezonde School approach focuses on different types of education. Each brings its own challenges. “In primary education, you can identify online misconduct by discussing the topic offline on a regular basis. In secondary vocational education, it is less obvious for the school to get involved in social media use. There, it works better if you point out to students that you know what is happening online and are available for consultation.”

For secondary education, using the school’s Instagram account can be a powerful tool for identifying online misconduct. Freek: “Such an account is followed by almost all pupils and can therefore have a positive effect if you share tips there. For example: How do you deal with being bullied online? Or what do you do if a photo of you is shared? When the school communicates about these issues, pupils will also send messages through such an online platform if something goes wrong in that online world. In terms of identification, this is a major addition to identifying problems offline in the classroom. Amadeus Lyceum in Vleuten is very advanced in this area. The method is also well suited to enforcement. If a tip comes in about an anonymous account, you can send it a message: ‘What you are doing is against our rules. I would delete this account.’”

Policy remains essential

In addition to attention in lessons, identifying wanted and unwanted online behavior, and interaction with the school community, developing policy is essential. How do you do that? “When it comes to policy, it is important first of all to make room for it in the curriculum. A vision must be formulated, both regarding the digital world and how you view it in general. Then you specify: What do you do with mobile phones during lessons and breaks? And what are ‘our’ social media rules? How do we integrate the topic into lessons? You can also combine citizenship and media literacy very well.”

The role of parents

The more forces are joined, the more strongly the message (#hierniet) is spread. That is why it is useful to actively involve parents and caregivers in the topic. Freek: “If you take the lead as a school regarding ‘online etiquette’, you can play a pioneering role. In this way, you can help parents sharpen their thinking. The topic should be part of general parenting. That is why it is useful to organize an annual themed evening and provide parents with practical guidance. This allows you to show that you are addressing the issue proactively. And make it clear that they can turn to you if problems arise and that you will work together on a solution. You can also communicate your message through the school newsletter and website.”

Tips from Freek

  • For parents: Integrate the digital aspect into parenting. It is normal to make agreements at home about screen time. You can do the same when it comes to wanted and unwanted online behavior.
  • For education professionals: Always show an open attitude and interest in the pupils’ online world; this can make identifying online problems much faster.

Sexuality and relationships

What if a pupil becomes the victim of online boundary-crossing behavior related to relationships and sexuality? Think of grooming (online child luring) and (shame) sexting. Elsbeth Reitzema of Rutgers says: “It is important that children know where they can find reliable information and help.” Elsbeth offers the following tips: “Point pupils toward reliable websites about sexuality, such as pubergids.nl(10+) and sense.info(13+). And tell them where they can get help if something unpleasant happens. This could be through Helpwanted and the Children’s Helpline. And, of course, from you as a teacher. It is also good for schools to have a clear vision and policy regarding relationship and sexuality education. The website sexuality education, for example, contains a vision and policy document for primary education. You can find more information about online resilience, tips and tools for primary education at Spring Fever Week at the end of the year, as part of the theme of Spring Fever Week, ‘Resilient online’.”

Gezonde School offers various recognized methods and interventions to make pupils more aware of online sexual boundary-crossing behavior. One example is Long live love. You and the media, developed by Rutgers. View them for primary education, special education, secondary education or secondary vocational education.

Source: www.gezondeschool.nl