Google India has collaborated with National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to introduce and include a course on Digital Citizenship and Safety in the existing ICT curriculum. February 6 is globally celebrated as the ‘Safer Internet Day’ and Google India chose this day to integrate a course that aims to bring awareness amongst the young generation of India to make Internet a Safe space.
Speaking about the collaboration with NCERT, Sunita Mohanty, Director, Trust and Safety, Google India said, “While the internet has made life easier for everyone and offers so many opportunities, online users need to be aware of the possible negative experiences that they may incur on the web. Through our course integration with NCERT, we aim to catch children young and teach them the essentials of staying safe, while exploring the online world.”
The Digital Citizenship and Safety modules by Google India bring to fore the Social, Ethical and Legal aspects of internet safety and usage via structured in-class lessons. The complete course is divided into four categories viz:
1. Being Smart
2. Being Safe
3. Being a Digital Citizen
4. Being Future Ready
The course aims to grow gradually with the internet usage of the children from elementary classes to senior secondary. The modules are made to engage the kids and match pace with their intellectual and inquisitive nature.
While the basic modules aim to make the children aware of Internet Safety, advanced topics like Privacy, Device Management, Intellectual Property and Reputation Management are added included as the children grow, gradually moving towards Online Financial Literacy and Cyber Crime to shape them as Digital Citizens.
"In an increasingly connected world, the internet is fast emerging as a learning space for our students and it's our responsibility to provide them with a safe learning environment. We hope this initiative will prepare our students to identify the threats and ensure a safe web experience online” stated Dr. Amarendra Behera, Joint Director, CIET – NCERT.
"Just like in the physical world where we are careful about the information we share with strangers, safeguard our house by keeping doors locked, and think twice before accepting things from unknown people, users in India should take precautions while engaging with the online world. While security is built into all of Google services, keeping the web safe for everyone is a shared responsibility. We want everyone to become good Digital Citizens, which essentially means being a responsible and respectful user of the Internet," explained Mohanty.
Comments
0 comment