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SALT LAKE CITY -- Schools across Utah have a new tool to help children stay safe with technology.
Utah's former first lady Jacalyn Leavitt launched a cyber safety program Thursday aimed help educators and parents navigate the rapidly expanding digital world of their children.
The statewide program, called Generation Safe, offers books, CDs and online training for parents and children about responsible online use. It trains educators how to handle incidents and how to reduce the risk of them in the first place.
"We need to step up as parents and as schools to help them use these powerful tools in safe and ethical ways," Leavitt said.
As technology has advanced, many educators have found themselves grappling with increased instances of cheating and cyber-bullying.
"10 or 20 years ago, we weren't dealing with this," said Rhonda Bromley, an Alpine School District official. "Because of the new exciting things going on in technology, it's something we do need to deal with and we do need to look at."
The problem has become more pervasive as smartphones have become popular.
We need to step up as parents and as schools to help them use these powerful tools in safe and ethical ways.
–Jacalyn Leavitt
In Alpine School District, 3,500 new mobile devices accessed the district's Internet during the 2011-2012 school year. Many more accessed the Internet via their mobile devices, which bypass firewalls and filters put in place by the district.
The problem prompted the district to revise its Acceptable Use Policy, which students are required to sign at the start of each school year. Now, Alpine students must agree not to access vulgar or inappropriate material, Facebook or YouTube. Additionally, mobile devices of any kind are not allowed in class.
"We're kind of testing the waters a little bit," said Mike Larson, assistant principal at Orem High School. "We're in a time where we don't really know what direction it's going to take. Of course, there are instances that we're missing...but I think we do the best we can."
The new policy is essentially an honor system, though, as educators cannot control what students access on their mobile phones. Some educators think the problem is not a major concern, though.
"I think that there are concerns there," Larson said. "Is it a major problem in schools? I don't think so."
Email: dwimmer@ksl.com
