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Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk announced the launch of MyWorld at Ottewell School, in Edmonton. The new online resource is an interactive site designed to help students in Grades 9–12 navigate safely and knowledgeably through websites, chat rooms and social media.
Good and bad exist in the world of cyberspace. But in MyWorld, it is all good.
MyWorld, a new online resource launched this month by Alberta Education, is an interactive site designed to help students in Grades 9–12 navigate safely and knowledgeably through websites, chat rooms and social media. Students at Ottewell School, in Edmonton, explored the resource and had the chance to talk with Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk about how they use technology to communicate. And they didn’t have to Tweet, Skype or “friend” the minister—he was there in person.
Between samples of video clips from MyWorld, Lukaszuk talked easily but seriously with students about cyberbullying and privacy protection. One clip featured a young male student talking about “SpaceFace,” a fictional MyWorld social media site. Framed in a Skype-style shot, the student disclosed how he knew he needed to learn more about privacy settings after he was “friended” by his dad. The Ottewell students laughed at the clip. Lukaszuk laughed with them before talking about the downside of sharing personal information online. “If there are certain things you don’t want dad to find out, there are probably many things you don’t want a perfect stranger to know about you either,” he advised students.
In addition to cyberbullying and privacy protection, MyWorld features information on authenticating online information, safeguarding your reputation and privacy, recognizing hate speech, recognizing online marketing ploys and using the Internet ethically. The government hopes that providing the resource directly to students and teachers will contribute to safe, caring and respectful learning environments and communities.
Teachers and students can access MyWorld using login credentials that have been sent to all school authorities and schools with Grades 9–12 students.
