Minister Frances Fitzgerald launches ‘The Web We Want’ UPC web safety handbook written by children for children

Wednesday, 12th February 2014 - The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald TD, UPC Ireland CEO Magnus Ternsjö and pupils from Adamstown Community College today launched ‘The Web We Want - an educational handbook written by children for children aged 13-16. The Web We Want helps children to learn about safe and
responsible Internet usage. Developed by UPC, the launch marks Safer Internet Day initiatives.

Speaking at the launch Minister Fitzgerald said; “Most children today are engaging in online activities. The internet is being used for everything from staying in touch with friends through social network sites to browsing through internet searches to help with homework. They’re surrounded by internet-enabled technologies such as computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones meaning that they can be connected almost anywhere at any time. So it makes sense to get children to think about their actions and to increase their awareness of safety and how their online activities affect themselves and others.”

The Web We Want handbook is an EU initiative produced in co-operation with the European Schoolnet. It was written by young people for young people and is aimed for use by 13-16 year olds. Through a series of lessons and exercises, it allows children to test their skills and learn more about their rights in the online world. It also helps them to develop their own tips
and tools that they can then share with other young people across the world.

Magnus Ternsjö, CEO of UPC said; “It’s often the case today that children are more educated to the features of the internet than their parents or teachers. However, while the Internet has brought everyone immense benefits, what they often don’t consider are the potential dangers and effects of their actions. From unknowingly sharing sensitive account
information to unwittingly downloading inappropriate content that maybe a friend recommended or shared, we need to be vigilant for the wellbeing of our children online.” “They have grown up in this digital era and it’s important that the adults also keep up. The Web We Want handbook will be an important resource for teachers and adults to help our
young people in the online world.”

Teachers and parents can find supporting materials on the issues and activities in this book on http://www.upc.ie/pdf/safer_internet/Handbook_WWW_EN_IR.pdf

Note to Editors.

Adamstown Community College is enabled with 100 Mbps fibre power broadband by UPC under the National Schools Broadband Scheme - in partnership with HEAnet, Ireland’s national education and research network.

Information technology facilities at the school are state-of-the-art including computer tablets, broadband wireless internet access throughout, an advanced design and communication graphics classroom, ePortals for course content delivery, electronic radio frequency student I.D. and transaction cards, and all of the latest advanced educational systems to ensure the best possible learning experience for pupils.

Patroned by Dublin & Dun Laoghaire Education Training Board (DDLETB), Adamstown Community College is one of the most modern and best equipped schools in Ireland. The 1000 pupil Adamstown Community College was built and opened in 2012 with a total investment of €14 million from the Department of Education and Skills.