A nice companion story for the children teaching adults the non-lethal use of PowerPoint that has recently been doing the rounds (thanks Albert! Thanks Stephen!): 7th of February is Safer Internet Day in the Netherlands, where:
"...an initiative for schools has been launched called "Ik zal je leren!" ("I will teach you!"). Various studies have pointed out that many parents and teachers are hardly aware of their children's activities on the internet, while the time children spend on the internet is growing rapidly. Many adults feel insecure about using the internet, and an interesting phenomenon arises: children often know more about the internet than the people who care for them.
For this reason, the Dutch awareness campaign Surf op Safe is going to turn the classical pedagogical patterns upside down: on 7 February 2006, children are going to teach their parents and teachers about their activities on the internet. The idea behind this switching of roles is to stimulate communication between children and adults about their internet use. By becoming more involved in the internet activities of their children, adults will be better able to discuss possible risks the internet may bring about.
Throughout the country children will teach adults. Schools are also invited to receive media, celebrities and public figures such as politicians to follow the lesson.
At this moment instructions are being developed for children as well as teachers, and for two levels: one for primary schools, and another one for secondary schools. All schools receive a mailing with information on the Safer internet Day.
Let's hope these kind of initiatives soon become common practice.
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