A group of young internet pioneers from Flintshire have been spreading the message about keeping children safe online.
They took centre stage at Cornist Park Primary School in Flint where the first ever North Wales KidsMeet event was held.
Also taking part were pupils from Ysgol Owen Jones, in Northop; Broughton Primary School; Ysgol Bryn Gwalia, in Mold, and Flint’s Ysgol Gwynedd.
All of the schools have signed up to a ground-breaking project devised by social media experts eTreble9 run by husband and wife Henry and Danielle Platten, from their offices in Hawarden.
Flintshire County Council was the first local authority in the UK to sign up to their innovative eCadet programme which is now being rolled out across Wales with more than 90 schools joining the the scheme.
As a result, every school in Flintshire has at least two pupils who are known as eCadets.
They are trained to help and offer advice their peers on how to stay safe and protect themselves when browsing the internet, playing online games or using social media such as smart phones or tablets.
As well as learning about internet safety KidsMeet was also about sharing knowledge about digital programmes and good practice.
The idea came Kellie Williams, a teacher at Cornist Park, and Mike Elliot, a teacher from Ysgol Alexandra, in Wrexham, who is currently seconded to the Welsh Assembly Government’s Hwb Project looking at digital learning platforms for Welsh schools.
According to Mike, the KidsMeet idea was born out of TeachMeet events where teachers meet up to share digital recourses, ideas and good practice.
He said: “We thought the idea of children teaching digital technology to each other and how that could be used to support the curriculum was a winner and so Kellie and I worked together to organise this first event.
“The pupils gather around a table and one team will give a short presentation on a digital application or computer programme they have found useful to pupils from another school.
“After a set time, 10 minutes, the teams move around and the process starts again. So a team that was presenting then listens to a presentation from another team.
“It’s simple but effective and means children are learning from, and engaging with, each other.”
Kellie Williams, who was named 2103 Primary School Teacher of the Year in the Pearson Teaching Awards, says the KidsMeet concept means teachers are allowing children to take ownership of their learning and collaborate with each other.
She said: “It’s also really good to see children from different schools meeting up, getting to know each other and sharing good practice. I really believe this is a programme that will grow and benefit many children.
And Kellie Williams says the eCadet scheme is proving invaluable when it comes to keeping children safe online.
She said: “The eCadet scheme works because they are constantly been made aware of current issues and they are passing that information on.
“Recently our two eCadets here at Cornist Park came to me, as their teacher, to say some of their class mates were concerned about a website called Talking Angela.
“Using instant messaging we were able to contact eTreble9 to get guidance about the website. The reply quickly came back that that particular programme was a scam and our eCadets were advised how to reach a safe child-friendly version of the website.
“Our eCadets were then able to relay that information to the class and show their peers how to access the safe child-friendly version.”
She added: “And it helped me too. I’d never heard of Talking Angela before it was brought to my attention by our eCadets so when parents came in asking me about it I had the answers.”
Henry Platten revealed the eCadet project had really taken off since it was launched earlier this year.
He said: “We now have schools in Wrexham, Denbighshire and Swansea as well as Flintshire signed up to the eCadet scheme. And from September we expect to see a lot more.
“It’s important to show all children how to stay safe on-line and not to give out personal information. The eCadet scheme links in with school targets such as online safety, health and well-being, literacy and numeracy an personal development.
“Children will often tell their peers things that worry them that they won’t necessarily tell teachers or parents. The idea is that eCadets can give advice and help and if they can’t then they can turn to us for help.
“If we think it’s an issue that needs adult intervention then we ensure that happens through a school safeguarding co-ordinator but if it’s a case of reassuring our eCadet and making sure he or she has the right information to pass on then that’s what we will do.”
He added: “The eCadets and their teachers get lots of training and support with booklets to complete and targets to meet. They can start as young as eight and stay with the scheme past the Sixth Form.”
Caitlin Williams, 10, of Ysgol Gwynedd, an eCadet, says she really enjoyed the KidsMeet event.
She said: “It’s been really good sharing information and learning about apps and programmes I haven’t used before. It’s been good to teach each other rather than listening to a teacher.
“I also like being an eCadet as it means I can help my friends keep safe on the internet and learn about how to avoid unsafe sites.”
Mollie Preredon, nine, of Ysgol Bryn Gwalia, Mold added: “We have got to share what we have learnt about different apps with each other. I have really enjoyed it and it’s been really good meeting and working with children from other schools too.”
Amelia Galera, 10, a Broughton Primary School eCadet says the KidsMeet was a good event and she enjoyed telling other children about apps and computer programmes that she knew about.
She said: “It’s good to know how to stay safe and how to avoid bad sites and apps. It’s better to teach each other rather than just listen to a teacher.”
Jake Taylor, 11, of Northop’s Ysgol Owen Jones added: “I’m not an eCadet but I’d like to be. I have enjoyed the KidsMeet as it means we have learned from each other rather than a teacher.”
