This STAR Toolkit is an extension of an original project launched in 2014 and has been developed in partnership with SEN educators and supported by the European Commission. The guidance aims to equip, enable and empower educators with the relevant knowledge they need to support young people who have special educational needs when they are online.
At Childnet we speak to thousands of young people, parents and educators annually, and we recognise that technology and the internet offer fantastic opportunities for young people, equipping them with the tools to learn, communicate and play. However, alongside these benefits there are many risks that young people with special educational needs may be more vulnerable to, including conduct towards others, cyberbullying, contact by strangers, trustworthiness of information and people online and exposure to inappropriate content.
How to use the toolkit
The STAR toolkit is made up of 4 key sections, which reflect current online safety risks and experiences of young people. All sections feature the concept of friendship and have an onus on making sensible choices online and offline.
Under each of the 4 sections there are starting point discussions to explore key language and concepts, along with teaching point activities. Each teaching point will offer 3 ways of approaching the topic in order to give educators maximum flexibility with the resource and allowing for a more tailored lesson delivery.
This resource is being developed and launched in stages in order to obtain and build upon feedback whilst working with educators and specialist organisations.
