Focus on Social Networking Safety
Carnegie Mellon University and Web Wise Kids partnered to create a game for middle school children to teach them the importance of using social networking sites responsibly. BeSeen 
is a free mobile app that simulates a social networking website in a single-player game. The player creates a profile and starts earning "friend" characters and interacting with them. The player learns about others through their posts and helps them through challenges in order to win awards and make new friends.
- Download now from the App Store (Coming in December 2011 for Android)
- Download the BeSeen Guide and Classroom Companion (PDF)
- BeSeen Flyer (PDF)
- BeSeen on Facebook
In addition to using BeSeen in the classroom, educators can refer to the following articles for discussion topics on social networking safety.
- Social Engineering and Scams. Social engineering, in so many words, is the art of hacking into your brain.
- What Facebook Collects and Shares. What Facebook could know about you, and why you should care..
- Making MySpace a Safe Space. Today's teenagers spend a large amount of time online at popular social networking sites.
- Using Location-Based Media. There are exciting uses of location-based media ahead, but beware the privacy and security risks.
Carnegie Cadets: The MySecureCyberspace Game
Designed for upper elementary school children, The MySecureCyberspace Game is available to registered users at the Carnegie Cyber Academy Web site . By joining the Academy, children can battle Cyber Villains and learn how to be good cybercitizens while having fun at the computer.
In addition to the game download, the Carnegie Cyber Academy Web site gives teachers and parents a number of resources to explore with children. Don't miss the Fun Stuff page, where a number of interactive features and games reside.
Find articles, curriculum and other educational resources to bring lessons in cybersecurity into your classroom.
Articles
- Blog Guidelines for the Classroom – Blogs are creative ways to incorporate technology in the classroom.
- Group Cyberbullying – The combined efforts of several cyberbullies against a victim is a frightening situation.
- Safe Blogging – A blog can be a fun, informative classroom tool if the instruction covers some important safety measures.
- StoogeTube – To use the Internet for research, students must be able to determine which Web sites are reliable resources for information and which are not.
- The Case of the "Inadvertent Bully" – Elizabeth thought blogging about others was fun until she was called to the principal's office.
- The Case of the "Mean Girls" – What started as an exciting online relationship for Natasha led cruelly to her humiliation.
- The Case of the "Vengeful Angel" – Trying to get back at her friends online drew Meera into a brutal cycle of revenge.
- The Dos and Don'ts of Using the Internet – What you should and shouldn't do to get the most out of the Internet
- Trends in Social Media: Making a Difference – Organizations are using social media for doing social good.
- Trends in Social Media: Uprisings and Social Change – People are able to disseminate information to attract support for a cause like never before.
- Trends in Social Media: Use in Natural Disasters – Social media makes a surprisingly big impact on rescue efforts.
Recommended educational resources
- Cyber Smart Curriculum
- GetNetWise
- I Keep Safe
- IsteNets, National Educational Technology Standards
- Kids' Pages (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office)
- Net Smartz
- NSA's CryptoKids
- Web Wise Kids
- Wired Kids
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