Module 5 Lesson 2

Lesson 2. Digital Safety Rules, Cyberbullying, Digital Sites and Portals Netiquette/
Social Conventions Online

Lesson Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the students must have:
a. identified digital safety rules and cyberbullying
b. displayed awareness of some digital sites and portals

ACTIVATE
What do you think happened to this teenager? Can you relate with her?

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sad-female-student-victim-cyber-bullying-1669198060

Acquire

What is Cyberbullying?
It is defined as the sending or posting of damaging or cruel text or images using the
internet or other digital communication devices.

Types of Cyberbullying
1. Flaming
2. Harassment
3. Exclusion
4. Outing
5. Masquerading

Cyberbullying Tactics

Gossip: posting or sending cruel gossip to damage a person’s reputation and

relationships with others.
Exclusion: deliberately excluding someone from an online group impersonation,
breaking into someone’s online account and sending messages or making post that will
cause embarrassment or damage to the person’s reputation and affect his or her
relationships with others.
Harassment: repeatedly posting or sending offensive, rude, and insulting messages or
posts.
Cyberstalking: posting or sending unwanted or intimidating messages, which may
include threats.
Flaming: online fights where scornful and offensive messages are posted on websites,
forums, or blogs.
Outing and Trickery: tricking someone into revealing secrets or embarrassing
information, this is then shared online.
Cyber threats: remarks on the internet threatening or implying violent behavior,
displaying suicidal tendencies.

How to help prevent cyberbullying?

Encourage your students to…
• block all communication with cyberbullies
• do not forward any messages, comments, etc. that involve cyberbulling
• always report any cyberbully taking place to an adult
• educate your students about the damages of cyberbullying.

Encourage parents to…

• get involved in their child’s cyberspace
• open an account wherever your child has an account
• know all your child’s passwords in order to have access to all your child’s
accounts
check weekly on your child’s Facebook page or other social media pages.

Digital Safety Rules

1. Keep Personal Information Professional and Limited

You should not give personal information out to strangers or hand it out to
millions of people online.
2. Keep Your Privacy Settings On
Take charge of your own information. Marketers love to know all about you, and
so do hackers. Both can learn a lot from your browsing and social media usage. Major
websites like Facebook also have privacy-enhancing settings available. Make sure you
have enabled these privacy safeguards, and keep them enabled.
3. Practice Safe Browsing
You wouldn't choose to walk through a dangerous neighborhood—don't visit
dangerous neighborhoods online. Cybercriminals use lurid content as bait.
4. Make Sure Your Internet Connection is Secure
When you go online in a public place, for example by using a public Wi-Fi
connection, PCMag notes you have no direct control over its security. Make sure your
device is secured, and when in doubt, wait for a better time (i.e., until you're able to
connect to a secure Wi-Fi network) before providing information such as your bank
account number.
5. Be Careful What You Download
The top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware programs
or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as
an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.
As PCWorld advises, don't download apps that look suspicious or come from a site you
don't trust.
6. Choose Strong Passwords
Select strong passwords that are harder for cybercriminals to demystify.
Password manager software can help you to manage multiple passwords so that you
don't forget them. A strong password is one that is unique and complex at least 15
characters long, mixing letters, numbers and special characters.
7. Make Online Purchases From Secure Sites
Supply information to sites that provide secure, encrypted connections. As
Boston University notes, you can identify secure sites by looking for an address that
starts with https: (the S stands for secure) rather than simply http: They may also be
marked by a padlock icon next to the address bar.
8. Be Careful Of What You Post
There is no way for you to "take back" a remark you wish you hadn't made, or
get rid of that embarrassing selfie you took at a party. Don't put anything online that you
wouldn't want your mom or a prospective employer to see.
9. Be Careful Of Who You Meet Online
People you meet online are not always who they claim to be.. Be as cautious
and sensible in your online social life as you are in your in-person social life.
10. Keep Your Antivirus Program Up To Date
Internet security software cannot protect against every threat, but it will detect and
remove most malware though you should make sure it's to date. Be sure to stay current
with your operating system's updates and updates to applications you use. They provide
a vital layer of security.

Netiquette/ Social Conventions Onlines

Netiquette
Netiquette is a set of unofficial rules for good behavior and politeness followed by
users of online and digital technologies such as the Internet, email, and chat rooms. It is
derived from the word "etiquette," which refers to the general rules or conventions of
correct and polite behavior in social settings and situations. It is thus the practice of
exercising polite and considerate behavior in online contexts, such as internet
discussion boards and personal email.

Email is an important form of communication that is used in multiple contexts,

from professional to personal.
Netiquette Tips for Online Discussion
1. Use proper language.
Correct spelling and grammatical construction are a must, so keep in mind to
read through your posts before you submit them.
2. Be precise.
Being misunderstood is quite common in online interactions; escape the
miscommunication trap by double checking that what appears perfectly clear to you is
not confusing your readers.
3. Avoid emoticons and “texting” writing.
Online discussions require professional writing; smiley faces or linguistic
shortcuts are more appropriate for chatting with your friends or instant messaging.

4. Recognize and respect diversity.

You can meet people from all parts of the world, as internet is a global
medium.While participating in an online discussion you and your virtual classmates may
use the same language to communicate with each other, but the truth is that cultural
backgrounds, linguistic terminology, and abilities to express oneself in written language
may vary significantly in an online learning environment.

5. Take your posts seriously.

Participating is the number one rule for online discussions, but posting for the
sake of posting wastes other people’s time.

Educational Sites and Portals

Top ten websites providing free education to students:

Source: https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/understanding-online-learners-media-
literacy-for-effective-training-of-online-instructors/12242.

1. EdX: edx.org
EdX is an online learning destination and
MOOC provider, offering high-quality courses
from the world's best universities and institutions
to learners everywhere. Out of the 90
universities, it includes top global rankers.

2. Academic Earth: academicearth.org

Provides online degree courses from
accounting and economics to engineering and also
carry material on niche subjects like behavioral
psychology. Moreover, it has collaboration with a
bunch of reputable colleges such as University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Stanford University and many others. Keeping in mind the interest level of
the students, the portal has videos and podcasts in all the subjects.
3. Internet Archive: archive.org
From anything to everything, internet
archive is an authentic website storing the
originals from various big websites. For
example, American libraries include the
collection of free book directly attached with
the college libraries' websites. This is one of
the best websites imparting free and
accessible knowledge. However, it does not
give admission or certificates for learning.

4. Big Think: bigthink.com

Big Think has over 2,000 fellows who have
received great fame in their forte. These experts write
articles and record tutorials for the students, later the
content is further refined by the editorial team of the
website, giving authentic material to the students.
Students can make great use of this website by
creating their own distinct ideology, as it provides
various opinions on one subject. Moreover, students
can get views from experts as well.

5. Coursera: courser.org

Students can find big universities and a

sharable electronic Course Certificate.
"Courses include recorded video lectures, auto-
graded and peer-reviewed assignments, and
community discussion forums. When you
complete a course, you will receive a sharable
electronic Course Certificate.
6. Brightstorm: brightstorm.com
They provide help in all subjects from mathematics to
science, history and other subjects. Entrance exams are
generally quite gruelling for students, and this website can
solve the problem. They have arranged the topics
symmetrically, clearing the air and structure of the
competitive exams.

7. CosmoLearning: cosmolearning.com

This portal provides academic as well as skill-

based learning to the students. Students can
either refer to the material being provided or
enrol themselves in any of the 58 courses. The
website is ynthesized with three main options,
including educational material, courses and
documentaries. The subjects have been divided
into two sections, namely extra-curricular and
academic subjects.

8. Futures Channel: thefutureschannel.com

This is not just an online portal, but an
educational channel for the learners. Unlike other
websites, it only represents the significant data
catering the problems faced by students. For
example, students generally face problem in algebra,
so they have created special section for the same.

9. Howcast: howcast.com
It's a one-stop website for all the subjects; none of the
above portals have these many arenas. Keeping the
essence of inquisitiveness alive, the portal functions on
the common key words including the word 'how'.
10. Khan Academy: khanacademy.org

Khan Academy is an online coaching website. Students who cannot afford a

coaching can refer to this website. It gives a win-win situation to the students by giving
them the liberty to learn on their pace, as it has a
personalized dashboard to gauge the progress report.

APPLY

As cyber citizen, what are the digital safety rules that you should know to avoid
cyberbullying?

Assess

1. Explore on some educational sites and portals. Make a list of the most utilized sites
by cyber citizens.