Teacher spotlight: Lisa Nielson

Clicking with Caution is a series of educational videos, created by kids for kids, to raise awareness of internet risks and teach preventive measures. The series was made in collaboration with the NYC Dept of Education’s Office of Instructional (now Educational) Technology and the Mayor’s office in partnership with Reel Works Teen Filmmaking and Microsoft. Students will enjoy these videos even more when they discover they were produced by twenty young ReelWorks filmmakers who drew from their own experiences online and worked with professional directors to create these powerful messages. The series features introductions by “Gossip Girl” star Jessica Szohr and contains two narrative pieces and two documentaries, covering the following topics:
Online Sexual Predators:
Young people must be cautious when using chat rooms or social networking sites. This video shows children how to protect themselves from people they meet on these Web sites who may be dangerous.
Cyber Bullying:
Students often do not realize that the Internet—through Web sites, blogs, social networking, e-mail, and instant messaging—can escalate bullying behavior. This video shows students the consequences of cyber bullying and how they should handle these situations.
Maintaining Anonymity:
Teenagers tend to reveal personal information online without realizing it. Watching this video will help children avoid accidentally sharing personal information with strangers that could put them at risk.
Online Gaming:
Internet gaming has become a popular hobby for students, but it is important to remind kids that excessive gaming can be harmful.
“In today’s digital world, one online mistake can have a dramatic impact on your future,” said Fred Humphries, Microsoft’s Managing Director, U.S. Government Affairs. “These videos help teens understand the real-world consequences of the choices they make while using social networking sites, visiting chat rooms or gaming online.”
While it’s certainly important to ensure students are safe online, it is equally important that we teach the benefits of being online and establishing a purposeful digital footprint.

You can view the video by clicking on the “Clicking with Caution” image on this post.
——————————–