Be Internet Awesome

For so long, we have relied on Common Sense Media’s digital citizenship curriculum and Digital Passport activities in Lower School, but now we have a new (to us) option — Be Internet Awesome by Google.

For those unfamiliar, here’s a quick description of Be Internet Awesome:

To make the most of the Internet, kids need to be prepared to make smart decisions. Be Internet Awesome teaches kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence.

If you’re teaching in a Google environment, students can easily navigate to Google’s Interland, where they can play games in the Kind Kingdom, Tower of Treasure, Reality River, or Mindful Mountain. While a ton of fun (I spent 20 minutes in the Kind Kingdom without even realizing any time had passed!), the games teach and reinforce key concepts about being kind online, securing your identity, sharing information responsibly, and navigating the web with a critical eye.

There are also tons of resources for educators and parents, including a curriculum guide. I also really like the look and simplicity of their internet pledge:

So, am I late to the game here? Are any of you using this with your students? What grades? What do you think?

9 thoughts on “Be Internet Awesome

  1. I learned about this program with Google at ALA Annual this summer. I use this curriculum with my 6th graders. It is wonderful and appropriate! Some great conversations about sharing information have come up, including using a family safety passcode for sharing important information just as they use the passcode to determine if someone should be picking them up from school. A struggle I have at this age appears when students ask about accounts they have but actually shouldn’t be accessing- like Instagram which requires users to be 13. Being prepared to say, you shouldn’t have that question since you shouldn’t be on that site is something I’m learning.

  2. Thank you so much for sharing this resource! I hadn’t heard about this and it is very timely that you’re sharing it today.

    Thanks so much,
    Traci Cope in Santa Barbara, CA

  3. If you’re late to the game, I’m still outside the parking lot! ๐Ÿ™‚
    I have been encouraging a specific online-awareness curriculum for years, but so far we haven’t used a specific program. I am eager to explore this option and try again with a recommendation!

  4. Hello there ,

    I saw that you mentioned Be Internet Awesome here aislnews.org/?p=6348 and I wanted to share my gratitude concerning your work on promoting online child safety.

    I want to suggest you share an important guide which came out last week. I found it was very thorough on child safety online:
    https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/the-ultimate-parent-guide-for-child-internet/

    I liked the way they summarized each section with actionable items for the parent/teacher.

    Once again, thanks for helping protect our kids,
    Jane

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