TORONTO – The website textED.ca promises to teach teens about the risks associated with texting, and how to deal with the various situations new technologies present. And, it offers teachers a way to incorporate these lessons in to their curriculum.
Developed by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, textED.ca consists of an interactive new website and a series of associated lesson plans for teachers to use with their Grade 7 students. All of the lessons are tied to provincial curriculum outcomes, making them ideal for use in classrooms across the country.
“Considering the main form of communication for much of today’s generation is through text-messaging, the need for safe-texting education is imperative,” said Lianna McDonald, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, in a statement. “Texting is having an impact at home and in the classroom, and so there is a shared responsibility to teach our kids how to use this technology safely. Like parents, many teachers are struggling with the issues that arise from this technology. It’s a completely new area they didn’t have to deal with before. TextEd.ca will help them address texting in a fun, interactive way.”
In partnership with the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), the Canadian Centre first launched textED.ca as a pilot project in January 2010.
“Cell phones – and especially text messaging – have become one of the most important tools for Canadian families to stay connected and keep safe,” said CWTA president and CEO Bernard Lord. “But while wireless communications provide convenient and immediate contact, it is essential that young people be educated about the appropriate and responsible use of the technology.”
Based on feedback to the pilot from teachers, students and other educational professionals, the Canadian Centre made numerous improvements and enhancements to textED.ca, including the creation of a text-based Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) game that also provides users with a safe texting tip following the completion of each game. Any potential text message fees associated with playing this game have been waived by Canadian wireless service providers, making the game is free to all Canadian users.
