Technology plays a huge part in our daily lives. It allows us to communicate, share, learn, innovate, and grow in meaningful and efficient ways. However, there are potential risks when these tools are used for purposes other than their intended use. One example of a risk these digital tools come with is Cyber Attacks. Cyber attacks happen to individuals and organizations around the world daily in order to steal your sensitive and private information for their personal gain.
Exploring four key cyber security themes within our schools
In honour of Cyber Security Awareness Month, the Ottawa Catholic School Board will be sharing cyber security resources with our students, staff and parent community. From October to December, our OCSB community will explore four key themes established by the Educational Computing Network of Ontario (ECNO). These themes are aimed at strengthening our cyber security, online safety, and online privacy.
The key themes we will be exploring are:
- Social Media, Gaming and the Metaverse: How to safely engage in the online world
- Cyber Scams and Phishing: How to protect yourself from cyber scams and phishing
- Cyber Hygiene: How to develop healthy cyber hygiene habits
- Digital Wellness: How to moderate the use of digital technology
Samaritans on the Digital Road Program
The Learning Technologies department at the OCSB has curated age-appropriate resources such as live events, videos, interactive games, and activities for each of the themes. They have also included reflective prompts to further class discussion. These resources and prompts are designed to compliment and build on the Samaritans on the Digital Road program.
Share your learning on social media to win prizes!
We encourage our OCSB classes to share their learning on Twitter with the hashtag #ocsbDigital4Good. You can also share your Twitter posts directly with the Learning Technologies department. Teachers and classes who participate on social media will be entered in regular draws to win prizes!
Students and classes can also participate in our Cyber Security challenge by using a digital tool of their choosing to share what they’ve learned. You may choose to share your learning as a whole class, in small groups or as individuals. OCSB educators should send us their student’s entries by December 19, 2022 by sharing them on Twitter with the hashtag #ocsbDigital4Good, or by submitting them directly to our Learning Technologies department. Prizes include Chromebooks, books, and Xbox controllers for Minecraft EDU for the class.
Winners will be announced on December 21, 2022
Continue the cyber security discussions at home
Families are encouraged to continue the discussion at home using the supporting content linked in this resource. Our one-page resource includes hyperlinks to helpful articles, guides, tools and much more!
Here are some resources we highlight: