Google has always been passionate about creating some innovative and much needed real time solutions from time to time.
Among all their latest programmes launched in the education space so far, the much anticipated Google Interland is creating a ripple through its innovative online game designed to teach the very fundamentals of digital citizenship and internet safety to kids.
Yes, kids are often the soft target of cybercriminals and so with this programme you can encourage kids on digital safety. Reports by cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab reflect – children across the globe can now access adult content or fall prey to tricks of the scammers via computer less than they did a few years ago, but still they end-up opening websites with information about drugs, alcohol and tobacco more often. However, with the launch of ‘Interland – Be Internet Awesome’ programme by Google, parents and schools will indeed get a great resource to teach kids on digital safety in awe-inspiring ways.
Standalone Characteristics of the Programme
The highlight of the programme- Interland is an interactive, adventure-packed online game for children that are available for free. Knowing it, you can guess it well that it is easier for kids to get hooked on the programme and get started with learning about digital safety and digital citizenship with greater zeal. Kids not only play the game on their own but step down to help their fellow internauts tackle tricky moves of hackers, phishers, oversharers and bullies by practicing the skills they need to be good digital citizens.
The spotlight of the programme- Interland is afour mini-games, each of the game having its own theme of digital safety. To give you a little more insight on the theme of the game, say-
- Mindful Mountain focuses on the relevance of sharing information online only with people one trusts upon.
- Tower of Treasure focuses on how children learn to build strong passwords.
- Reality River teaches users to stay clear of phishers and fake people on the web and
- Kind Kingdom encourages children to be kind to others on the internet and report cyber bullies.
Still more, it’s not just the adventure filled game of ‘Interland’ that’s what sums up the characteristics of the exciting programme. Where Interland strives to teach the five core internet principles around “internet smart, internet alert, internet strong, internet kind and internet brave, on the contrary, the programme also comes along with “the Internet Awesome Curriculum” for the educators to teach kids on digital safety in classrooms.
Google and the partners have created gobs of resources for the teachers and a video series for the parents, named- ‘Be Internet Awesome Challenge.’ According to Google, it is designed keeping in mind that it makes ‘talking about online safety not dry but fun and accessible.’
With this programme, Google which is considered as the internet giant gives back a clear message that, the company not only propagates the advantages of internet usage but it also strives to make and promote the internet as a safe and positive place for every user. That said, you will find, the programme is not just an exciting game for the kids-that teaches them on digital safety in fun ways but a programme that includes a range of specific resources for educators and parents. This makes it a complete product- one that has tools for everyone to learn and participate in the conversation.
Now that you know it all on the tool, it’s time that you start exploring the tool and help children explore the world of internet without falling into any trap.
For more information on the programme, we recommend you, to head to Google’s Blog Section .
