Ohio Schools Gain Free Access To Online Safety Curriculum

The Ohio Board of Regents and the Ohio Department of Education (DOE) have partnered with Learning.com to provide all Ohio public and chartered non-public districts with free access to EasyTech Online Safety curriculum during the 2013-14 school year. Now in its second year, this ongoing initiative helps educate students about appropriate online behavior and meets the national E-Rate requirements for student Internet safety training.

To qualify for E-Rate funding, the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires districts and schools to have an Internet safety program in place for all students. EasyTech Online Safety curriculum provides a comprehensive, grade-appropriate curriculum that satisfies E-Rate requirements for grades K-12.

“As the Internet becomes more integrated into the classroom, it is crucial for students to learn how to stay safe online,” said Lorrie Germann, state E-Rate coordinator at Ohio DOE. “The feedback we received last year from schools using Learning.com was overwhelmingly positive, and we’re proud to once again offer this resource to Ohio teachers and students at no cost.”

The EasyTech Online Safety curriculum teaches students how to be ethical digital citizens and stay safe as they use the Internet and other digital communication tools. It also includes topics on cyber-bullying, social networking, cell phone safety, online research ethics, online scams and identity theft. Included resources for teachers and parents provide strategies to discuss challenging online safety topics, both at school and at home.