Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act: What Schools Must and Should Do

I would like to encourage school counselors to attend a webinar that Embracing Digital Youth will be presenting tomorrow. The webinar addresses the requirements of a new statute Protecting Children in the 21st Century. This requirement to teach "Internet safety" is coming into schools in association with the E-rate - a program that provides funds for technology services in schools.

The concern about this program is that schools will use one-shot assemblies that use scare tactics and present simplistic rules and think they have accomplished what they need to do.

This 90- minute highly interactive webinar will involve a researcher, educational technology professional, school librarian, and state safe schools coordinator. The webinar will be encouraging a multidisciplinary approach. The safe schools coordinator will be specifically addressing the issues related to integrating this new requirement into curriculum and instruction that addresses aspects of youth risk - including aggression and dating violence. I have had the opportunity to view some of the materials in preparation and know that this will be a valuable learning opportunity.

It will be exceptionally helpful to have school counselors fully engaged in these discussions in their districts and schools.

The webinar is tomorrow at 7 p.m. Eastern time. It is necessary to register at least 2 hours before. The webinar will also be available in an archive. More information on the webinar is here: http://www.embracingdigitalyouth.org/webinars/

The next webinar will be on April 26  Positive Peer-based Approaches to Address Cyberbullying