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eSafety - Conference
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ITASS eSafety Conference
Friday 23rd November 2007
Castle Suite, West Ham Football Club |
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Click here to download presentations and resources from the conference.
In April 2007 the ITASS ICT Curriculum Advisors attended an eSafety conference organised
by the London Grid for Learning. That conference highlighted just how important
it is for those of us who work with young people and families in Newham to raise
awareness of the issues around eSafety. As a result, ITASS organised an eSafety
Conference at West Ham Football Club on 23rd November 2007.
The ITASS eSafety Conference was the first eSafety event to have
had an audience that encompassed such a wide range of services providing for children,
young people and families in Newham. There were representatives from Primary &
Secondary Schools, Child Protection Services, Newham’s Safeguarding Children’s Board,
and the Metropolitan Police. Our service providers RM, Synetrix, Atomwide and the
London Grid for Learning, plus consultants and advisors from Newham’s Professional
Development teams were also represented.
Our young people attend school for approximately 6-7hrs a day and during that time
we have a duty of care to ensure that we keep them safe. The aim of the ITASS
eSafety Conference was about raising awareness of the different ways
in which young people use new and developing technologies to communicate. Some of
the negative aspects of using these methods of communication were acknowledged.
But it was equally important to identify what we as professionals needed to do to
ensure that the technologies our young people use now and in the future have a positive
impact on their lives.
Presentations were provided by Allison Allen (Becta), Helen Whittle (CEOP), Sean
Kelly (NCH), Penny Patterson (LGfL) and Ken Maslin (ITASS). The presenters highlighted
that e-safety is a whole school & community issue. All agencies should work
together to ensure that we provide our young people and their families with the
support they need. We should empower our young people so that they can make informed
decisions, develop media literacy and take advantage of the learning opportunities
that using the internet and new technologies can bring.
The ITASS team hope that the information gained from the conference will be used
as a starting point, an opportunity for delegates to go back to their schools &
organisations and begin discussions about what needs to put in place.
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