Three Key Pillars
The NCSA advocates for cyber education programs based on three key pillars:
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity focuses on how children can protect their computers and employ good computer “hygiene.” Much like they are taught to wash their hands to avoid disease, there is malware that can infect a child’s computer if he/she does not follow a handful of computer basics. Children need to learn what types of emails are safe to open and which are not. In addition, they need to learn about programs and protections that protect their data, where it's their music or all of their pictures from a recent family trip.
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Cybersafety
Students need to understand the link between the online world and the “real” world. The Internet is not a game or a seperate universe; it is real life. Cybersafety education focuses on teaching children how to protect themselves against cyber predators, stalkers, and bullies.
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Cyberethics
While ethics is a complex topic for many young children, cyberethics education is really focused on treating others online as you would like to be treated. Much like you teach your students not to slander people with their tongues, cyberethics education shows children that what is posted online can be even more damaging than hallway gossip. Cyberbullying and other inappropriate online behaviors leave a record for all to see and attract a much larger audience than a traditional person-to-person confrontation.
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