Educators in schools and out have taken up\u00a0the challenge\u00a0of supporting\u00a0youth to develop\u00a0the digital citizenship skills they need to navigate online spaces safely so that young people\u00a0can then make best use of the collaborative nature of the web and its myriad, always-available resources.<\/p>\n
Online safety for the purpose of greater learning opportunities\u00a0is the focus of a recently released report by the Aspen Institute<\/span>\u00a0Task Force on Learning and the Internet<\/a>. The report, titled\u00a0Learner<\/a>\u00a0at the Center of a Networked World<\/a><\/i><\/span>, details a set of r<\/span>ecommendations for ensuring that today’s young people are at the center of, and have access to, safe learning inside and outside of the classroom. The cross-sector, cross-partisan report addresses the serious issues of digital literacy, accessibility, trust, safety, and privacy,\u00a0especially for underserved students. In their recommendations, the task force outlines\u00a0actions to help all students connect safely in order to maximize learning experiences online.<\/p>\n The report calls for a shift from the traditional focus on one learning institution, the school, to a focus on the learner and all the places where there are opportunities to learn, like museums, libraries, after-school programs and the home. To be successful, students must have access to learning networks that are interoperable \u2013 or have the ability to share information \u2013 and that allow them to earn credit for what they have learned regardless of where they learned it. These credits should also be recognized by schools and institutions of higher education. Most importantly, schools, technology leaders, and policymakers need to ensure sensitive student information is secure and protected and there are trusted environments in which that data can be shared and used to improve instruction.<\/p>\n