New project from NetSafe to help educators teach online privacy

A joint project by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and NetSafe is helping educators as they teach the concepts of privacy online to students in primary and intermediate schools.

OWLS is a resource to support teachers as they teach the concepts of privacy online to primary and intermediate school students.

OWLS is an online resource that consists of a series of 24 modules on different aspects of managing personal information online. There are four main themes to the modules:

• Own your information – take control
• Wait before you upload
• Lock your information
• Safety first

Under each theme, educators can select the module they need to fit with their existing classroom programme, or they can work through the entire resource as a complete programme.

The project aims to help students manage their personal information and provide ways for students and teachers to involve families and wider communities in a conversation about online safety, NetSafe explains.

Along with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and NetSafe, the project is supported by the NZ National Commission for UNESCO.