Year 6 students at Holy Cross Catholic School Kincumber were the first Primary students in New South Wales to receive training about building an online presence.
The school engaged a PR expert, Nicole Reaney, to teach the children to engage with technology in positive ways and manage the risks of the online world.
Ms Reaney taught the children about crafting a personal brand online, digital footprints, and navigating risks on the internet. She suggested the kids employ the ‘grandma test’ and only post images and text they would be happy sharing with their grandma online.
Mr Craig McNee, the Principal at Holy Cross, said that primary-age children were more connected online than ever before due to increased mobile phone usage.
“95% of children between eight and eleven access the internet,” he said. “While there are risks, we believe technology can be a positive tool.”
“We would like to empower our students to understand and manage the risks so that they can realise the value that technology brings.”
The innovation was featured on national news programs including Channel Nine’s The Today Show, where Mr McNee said, “As educators and adults, it’s important that we get our children ready for life and part of that is helping them make the right moral choices, especially in a global and digital world.”