"Digital Tatoos"

I heard it described awhile ago that when we go on line we create a "digital tattoo".  That is, we create a history of our activity that is forever.  When we send an email or text message or a post to a social network site, we have no idea what could happen with that information and to whom it may be passed.  When we surf the web we leave a trail that creates a profile of the sites we like to visit and therefore, what advertisers might target us.  Like a tattoo on our body we can cover it up or have it removed, but it is never really gone.

These are only a few of the things that we need to be aware of in order to maintain our privacy and safety as we stay connected via the internet.  Therefore, thanks to our PAC, we will be hosting a cyber safety session for our grade five and six students.  The grade fives will be involved in a session that provides them with some safety tips and ideas about things that they can do to protect their privacy.  Our grade sixes, many of whom are actively involved in social networking (e.g. Facebook), will have a more detailed session that will explore possible concerns including on line predators.

Technology is an amazing tool that can do a lot of great things, but like anything, we need to make sure that we use it in a morally responsible way and we need to make sure that we take precautions to maintain our safety.  These sessions will occur on Tuesday, April 26th.  We encourage parents to talk with their children about the ideas and concepts that they have learned during these sessions.  Open communication and interest in what your child is doing will go a long way to support them in learning to be safe and protect their privacy on line.