My thoughts about Education Humanities, Technology and Digital Culture. Interested on social media tools in educational contexts and
gamification in education.
World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare.
Since 1990, World Children's Day also marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General Assembly adopted both the Declaration and the Convention on children's rights.
Mothers and fathers, teachers, nurses and doctors, government leaders and civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls and media professionals, as well as young people and children themselves, can play an important part in making World Children's Day relevant for their societies, communities and nations.
World Children's Day offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children's rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.
Since COVID-19, the world has seen record breaking numbers of children out of school - more than 1.3 billion students under 18 were kept from going to school due to global lockdowns.
But education is not just about learning, it's about giving hope, lifting children out of poverty and providing them a chance for life in dignity and a better future. No matter what gender, religion or background, all children deserve the right to go to school and it is our shared responsibility to make it
Create a video that focuses on the positive impact of youth advocacy and share it on your own TikTok account or Instagram Reels using the hashtags #OlderSelfTalk and #WorldChildrensDay, and don't forget to tag @UNICEF in your caption.
You can see an example of the ‘Talking to my 50-year-old self’ format below, and create your own version to celebrate young people taking action and to encourage inter-generational discussions around global challenges like climate change, the access to quality education, vaccine equity or mental health.
Every child and teen have the right to a safe, healthy, peaceful childhood and adolescence to develop to their full potential.
On the 20 November World Children's Day and every day, join UNICEF in speaking up for children's rights!
On World Children Day and every day, we're joining UNICEF in celebrating the universal rights of every child to reach their dreams, raise their voice and showcase their talent to the world.
"Although this violence is not limited to school premises, the education system has an important role to play in teaching students how to navigate safely in the digital sphere.
Formal education should provide children and young people with certain knowledge and skills: how to behave with civility online, to develop coping mechanisms, to identify and report online violence and, most importantly, to protect themselves and others from different forms of cyberbullying, whether perpetrated by peers or adults."
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General
Bullying at school is a serious issue, affecting one in three students worldwide. This animation follows the stories of three young victims of bullying across the world, revealing the negative consequences of bullying on educational outcomes, health and well-being.
This year, the International Day on Thursday 4 November 2021 will be under the theme:
“Tackling cyberbullying and other forms of online violence involving children and young people”.
As countries are responding to COVID-19 at varying stages, the lives and education of children and young people across the world have increasingly moved online. For example, compared to the prior year, children’s screen time had doubled in the USA by May 2020, and while online access presents opportunities for connection and learning, it is also increasingly putting children and young people at the risk of online violence.
Did cyberbullying increase during COVID-19? Sadly...Yes. Almost 50% of surveyed children in 11 European countries who were cyberbullied before lockdown said it had only increased during 2020. Here's what you need know:
"The lockdown affecting most European countries in spring 2020 saw the sudden shift of most children's activities into the digital world. Since then, children's schooling, leisure time, social contacts, home life have mostly been conducted at home via digital media. Embracing new tools and services and spending several hours per day online changed dramatically daily schedules. The online world offers opportunities and new possibilities, substituting face-to-face interactions. However, it opens the door to well-known online risks (inappropriate content, overuse, cyberbullying, cyberhate, disinformation, misuse of personal data, cyber-risks, etc.)"
in "How children (10-18) experienced online risks during the Covid-19 lockdown - Spring 2020", JRC Publications Repository
Behinf the numbers. Ending school violence and bullying
The consequences of violence and bullying at school including cyberbullying are far-reaching. This includes children and youth finding it difficult to concentrate in class, missing classes, avoiding school activities, playing truant or dropping out of school altogether. This has an adverse impact on academic achievement and future education and employment prospects. An atmosphere of anxiety, fear and insecurity is incompatible with learning and unsafe learning environments can undermine the quality of education for all learners.
"Too many people think bullying at school including cyberbullying is an inevitable rite of passage to adulthood and that is relatively harmless and one can do little to stop it. Instead, there is strong evidence that violence and bullying at school including cyberbullying can be prevented, and effectively addressed if it happens."
What's the main reason for cyberbullying? According to a survey conducted in 13 states in USA, 61% of children said they were cyberbullied because of their appearance. We must stand up for each other &#StopBullying.
Is the Internet a safe place for children? Hit like for 'yes', angry for 'no', love for 'not sure'. Interventions on how to navigate safely online can start with very young children since they are online from an early age.
Bullying prevention, however, should be tailored to specific age groups because of the differences in bullying and cyberbullying behaviors.
All states have laws requiring schools to respond to bullying. as cyberbullying has become more prevalent with the use of technology, many states now include cyberbullying, or mention cyberbullying offenses, under these laws. schools may take action either as required by law, or with local or school policies that allow them to discipline or take other action. some states also have provisions to address bullying if it affects school performance.
"This Day calls on global awareness of the problem of online violence and cyberbullying, its consequences and the need to put an end to it. It calls on the attention of students, parents, members of the educational community, education authorities and a range of sectors and partners, including the tech industry, to encourage everyone to take a part in preventing online violence for the safety and wellbeing of children and youth."
Have you ever said to your children or to a younger sibling "Don't talk to strangers"?
Countless children are not aware of the risks they are taking when exchanging with someone online. A frightening figure even shows that 60% of children and young people in the US have actually considered meeting up with someone they have spoken to online.
Teachers:
Since the first lessons including technology and later social media, I thought my students to stay safe online.
Teachers and parents know how important is e-safety for kids and teens.
We have an entire 'wired' generation. Children and young people are all day connected on their cellphones or tablets. At school, at home, in a bus or just walking, even between friends.
credits: unknown
During Covid-19the lives and education of children and young people across the world have increasingly moved online. Spring 2020 saw the sudden shift of most children's schools activities into the digital world.
Children's schooling, leisure time, social contacts, home life have mostly been conducted at home via digital media. Embracing new tools and services and spending several hours per day online changed dramatically daily schedules.
Through teaching students and training educators, I’ve learned a lot about how to effectively create and implement digital instruction and self-paced learning.
The first step you should teach is to customize the privacy settings of your students to control who sees what information about them. They must learn to configure their settings so that they have approval over who is viewing their posts or chatting and limit what comes up in search results, so only specific groups can see their photos, posts, likes or conversations.
Don't forget to talk about the new dangerous games on social media as TikTok or Instagram. Parents must be aware as 'parents' at home.
We also need to understand that the internet is not simply a place. Somewhere your kids go to hang out. And if they were doing that physically, you would want to know where they were going and who they were going with. Even they love to be alone in their own room listening some music or chatting or texting with friends. Be active near your kids and teens.
Parents need to start asking the same kind of questions, when their teenagers are online, ignoring the one word 'nowhere' or 'no-one answers'.
Because just as when they head out the door, every time they go onto an online space, there are potential risks. And while you can't be there with them, you should at least attempt to satisfy yourself you know what they are doing in their own room.
Don't forget! Parents have new tools to follow their kids online. Use them!
Safe signs
Some important messages for kids, parents and teachers:
Parents, wake up! If your teenager spends hours glued to his phone or buried in his room on a laptop, this movie shows you just how at risk he or she really is.
Kids and young adolescents do need to be reminded that not everyone they meet in school or online is who they say they are. As parents, you might wonder whether what they are doing is safe or not.
Parents need to understand that it's important to stay in close touch with their kids' online use. Dialogue is very important, but it is not enough.
Perfect sunset admiring the Douro river. So cozy! It's October now! Enjoying every bit. The day is beautiful.
Despite my best efforts to slow down, I could have my summer break in September and a week-end in October. I could go out for a little dinner on the terrasse of a restaurant just in front of the river and the sea. This Autumn time is beautiful. Serenety.
Cozy Autumn. It seems first days in September. We feel so good: the sunset, the temperature, the nature. Well, it's a good time, good vibes.
Wherever you are I hope that you're having a good time despite back to school and some Covid-9 measures. But you feel happy to have your in-person lessons as well your students.
I'll be back posting the normal roundup next week.
On this day, 16 October, we celebrate the World Food Day. Commemorated annually on 16 October,Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that currently, almost 40 per cent of humanity, some three billion people, can’t afford to eat healthily.
And as hunger, undernourishment, and obesity are on the rise, the economic impacts ofCOVID-19“have made a bad situation even worse”, he said, noting that the pandemic has left an additional 140 million people “unable to access the food they need”.
Sustainable agri-food system is one in which a variety of sufficient, nutritious and safe foods is available at an affordable price to everyone. Nobody goes hungry or suffers from any form of malnutrition.
Nowadays, almost 40% of the world’s population cannot afford a healthy diet and 2 billion people are overweight or obese due to a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle.
We need to be part of the change. This World Food Day,take action, and share the message!
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the global volume of food wastage is estimated at 1.6 billion tons of “primary product equivalents.” Total food wastage for the edible part of this amounts to 1.3 billion tons. This has an impact on the environment:
Environmental impact in eco-points (EPs) per kilogram of avoidable food waste in households and the catering industry. The higher up the chart the category is, the greater the environmental impact per kilogram.
Reusing food waste may mean that less animal feed, compost, etc. has to be produced. The environmental benefits of these savings have been taken into account in the calculation and in the chart. Image from the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN).
Reducing food losses and waste is critical to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Specifically, SDG 12 aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, which contains a wide range of targets related to food waste.
Education:
Reference this year’s theme that the power to change is in our hands, he spelled out that “our actions are our future”.
No matter our age, we can all be #FoodHeroes! Make change happen & become a food hero too!
Invite them to follow the journey of food from the farm to their table and the great efforts food heroes make to get it there, no matter the circumstances.
And help students to find out how their choices and actions can make a difference. No matter their age, they can be a food hero!
On a windowsill, balcony or in a garden, tell your students to take some time to grow their own food!
It's a great form of exercise and a fun activity to do alone or with family and friends.
Taking care of our planet is important to Peter Rabbit and his friends, and now, he’s supporting the United Nations and FAO by being a food hero.
Find out about some actions you can take to become a food hero too, from eating more fruits and vegetables to reducing food waste, buying locally grown food or even growing your own at home.
Share these cards with your friends on social media to encourage people to take action and find more on our Trello Board.
Calling all children and teens around the world! If you’re between the ages 5 to 19, we want you to use your imagination and create a poster showing a food journey!
There are many different kinds of journeys that food can take, some that guarantee a healthier future for people and the planet. Choose your favourite and be creative!
Take a photo or scan your poster and submit your entry by filling out the formon our website.
Deadline:5 November 2021.
Three winners in each age category will be selected by a jury and announced on the website in December.
Winners will be promoted by FAO offices around the world and receive a surprise gift bag and Certificate of Recognition.
Don't forget!
To participate, you must be age 5 - 19. The deadline for entries is 5 November 2021.
The world is full of food heroes – from farmers to drivers, shop assistants, food bank or government representatives – who despite various challenges, work hard to make sure that food makes its way from farms to our table. Let’s celebrate their great efforts this World Food Day. And remember, you can become a food hero too!
