Safer Internet Day - February, 11

Today we celebrate the "Safer Internet Day"!

http://www.saferinternetday.org/web/guest/home 

Safer Internet Day (SID) was born as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and is now celebrated in more than 100 countries across all continents.

Each year SID chooses a topic concerning online issues, from cyberbullying to social networking, to reflect on online safety,  rights and responsibilities, to encourage users to 'connect with respect'.  

In particular, for  2014 the topic is "Let's create a better internet together".

I'm a blogger, I use my blog with my students at school, I encourege them to use it at home because they are "digital natives". Moreover the Internet can be a wonderful resource for kids.

But the access on the Net can also pose hazards and adults have to protect kids from the potential dangers. 

One of the most dangerous problem concerning our "digita kids" is cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass  another person. It can include:

• sending threatening or offensive text messages
• creating or sharing embarrassing images or videos
• excluding children from online activities or groups
• creating hate sites or groups about a particular person
• stealing online identities to embarrass or trouble a child

But what are the main problems cyberbullying can cause in a teenager? 

Cyberbullying can provoke physical and emotional problems:

• depression
• anxiety
• sadness and loneliness
• changes in sleep and eating patterns
• loss of interest in school, hobbies, friends
• self-harm

What to do

First of all parents, teachers and adults in general should:

1. Step into kids cyberworld 

Adults have to get involved to keep their eyes open. It's important to be aware of what our kids see and hear on the Internet, who they meet, and what they share about themselves online.

2. Set house or school rules
Decide how much time children can be online and which sites they may go to. For example, as a teacher, I usually use "webquests" if I want my students to do some research. With a webquest you decide in advance which sites your students can surf to find the required information.

3. Teach kids to protect their privacy 

you should say your children/students:
* never to give their name, phone number, e-mail address, password, postal address, school, or picture without permission
* not to open e-mail from people they don't know
* not to respond to hurtful or disturbing messages
* not to get together with anyone they "meet" online.

Kids should: 
1. Tell  an adult they trust
2. Walk away (ignoring bullies is the best way to take away their power)
3. Resist the urge to respond
4. Save evidence of the bullying (it can help to prove the offence if needed)
5. Report bullying to the service provider
6. Block the bully (most devices have settings that allow to electronically block the bully  from sending notes)
7. Be safe online (use password and  think twice before sharing personal information or photos/videos because, once posted, they are very difficult to delete).

Universal Children's Day

November 20th is the Universal Cildren's Day!

At the following site you can find the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

http://www.un.org/en/events/childrenday/

"There is no trust more sacred than the one the world holds with children. There is no duty more important than ensuring that their rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and want and that they can grow up in peace."
Kofi Annan

"The ultimate test of a moral society

is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer  

  " If we are ever to have real peace in this world we shall have to begin with the children."
Mohandas K. Gandhi

  "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
Nelson Mandela

What do you think about children's (or teens') rights? Are they respected? 
What about your family, your teachers, your friends? Do you feel safe, respected and loved?

Travelling inside ourselves - Adolescence

“The only journey is the journey within.”

Rainer Maria Rilke 

“All wonders you seek are within yourself.”

Sir Thomas Browne

“The greatest explorer on this earth never takes voyages as long as those of the man who descends to the depth of his heart.” 

Julien Green

“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” 

Aldous Huxley 

WHO ARE TEENAGERS?

Young people in the period of adolescence are referred to as adolescents or teenagers or simply as teens.

The period of adolescence is filled with physical, intellectual, social and emotional changes. Teens discover themselves and try new relationships to the world around them. They try to establish their autonomy, they want to spend more time with their friends than with their family, they keep a diary, lock up their rooms and become more argumentative.

Most common teens problems:

Labile Emotions 

Adolescents can shift moods rapidly, vacillating between happiness and sadness, self-confidence and worry. Some of these mood changes are caused by biological sources. Moreover, complex social interactions such as conflicts with friends, school pressures and experimentation with romantic relationships can exacerbate the labile emotional state of adolescents.

Personal Identity

Adolescence is a time when teenagers begin to explore and assert their personal identities. It is common for adolescents to have an unstable sense of self and try out new personal labels and associate with various peer groups.

Peer Relationships

During adolescence, relationships with peers begin to be more important than relationships with the family. Teenagers often place a stronger emphasis on their friends’ perceptions and values. So, during the adolescence, teens might be strongly influenced by their peers’ beliefs and behaviours.

Self-centered Attitudes

It is often difficult for adolescents to look at circumstances from other people’s perspectives. This is due, in part, to their still-developing brain structures. So, adolescents can appear as self-centered and focused on their own needs without considering how those needs affect others. 

BULLYING

This is a big problem among adolescents. Bullying is the act of intentionally causing harm to others, through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation.

Studies show that people who are abused by their peers are at risk for mental health problems, such as low self-esteem, stress, depression, or anxiety. Bullies are at risk for problems, too. Bullying is violence, and it often leads to more violent behaviour as the bully grows up.

SCHOOL PROBLEMS

The School constitutes a large part of an adolescent’s existence. School problems during the adolescent years may be the result of rebellion and a need for independence. Teenagers can manifest tensions of attending the classes, examinations and tests, fear about failure in examinations, fear about low marks, fear and concern about a future career and fear to disappoint their parents.

PROBLEMS WITH THEIR PARENTS
Teens are always rebel and argumentative with their parents because they need to find their identity. Moreover, they need more privacy, so when they are at home they tend to stay in their own rooms by themselves...

... or at the phone with their friends for hours!

Now, watch this video and give your opinion.

What do you think going through adolescence means?

What do you think will be the best thing about growing up?     

What are you not looking forward to about adolescence?

Are there any teenagers that you admire?

Are you facing any problems?

This is the link of teacher Chiara's video (see the comment below). That's great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXVAgr8riRU

Another teacher joined us! She's a teacher of French (see her comment below) and she sent me an interesting text by a French neurologist. Here it is!

A students' drawing