The
pedagogical approach at the heart of this workshop is called “peer tutoring”
and it is a relatively new thing, at least in Romania. In my experience, peer
tutoring never fails. The impact on pupils’ motivation and on the development
of their social skills is great. I must say it has been the most rewarding teaching
method I have tried in my career so I am happy to spread the word: younger kids
love to be taught by older ones!
Your project “Better Safe Than
Sorry” is extremely comprehensive. Which facet of it are you most proud of?
I am glad
to hear that you find it comprehensive! I think I’m most proud of the various
eSafety lesson plans and learning tools around the creation of secure
passwords, stopping spam and cyberbullying that I created last year. I believe
that they are good resources that can help the wider teaching community.
Why did
you choose to target the project both at students and at parents?
Well, I
am convinced that eSafety and digital citizenship need be a joint effort
between schools and parents. We need to work hand in hand to educate our
children to become good digital citizens. I have noticed though that many
parents have no idea as to how they can help their kids be safe online. This is
where I thought I could be of assistance.
Your
target group is pupils aged 13-14. Don’t you find that’s a little late to start
raising awareness of eSafety issues?
In fact,
I embed eSafety in all my classes from 4th to 8th grade
but these issues seem to resonate most with the older students aged 13-14,
probably because they can better grasp the consequences of what they do online.
Also, don’t forget that the prerequisites for taking part in “Better Safe Than
Sorry” are a good command of English and good digital skills. These
requirements would make it difficult for younger children to take part.
How does
your eSafety project “Better Safe Than Sorry” fit in with your
understanding of your role as a teacher?
The truth
is, I have been interested in new technologies since the very beginning of my
career. The Internet is in my eyes a fantastic opportunity to maximize my
students’ learning experience. Technology being part and parcel of my teaching,
I feel responsible for my students’ safety and security online. It’s my duty,
it’s as simple as that.