Download Digital Leaders Pack here!

With so much to teach children surrounding the digital world, setting up a Digital Leaders programme in school can feel daunting. But the benefits of empowering children to share media literacy knowledge and experience with their peers is invaluable, which is why we’ve put together a simple framework for you to follow in your school.

Digital Leaders tend to rotate on a termly basis, with 1 or 2 children from each class or year group, depending on the size of your school. We’ve put together 10 activities to cover a range of online safety and media literacy topics which have been designed to use across an entire term. This may be a weekly event, or used over a shorter period of time. They can be used from Years 1-6, and include independent, group and paired learning opportunities.

We suggest that you set up a Natterhub Hub specifically for your Digital Leaders so that they can carry out their learning in the same space. This is also a great opportunity for the children to interact with a variety of age groups online in a safe space. To set up your Digital Leaders Hub, you’ll need to first sign up for a free trial. Then, use our handy ‘Setting Up A Hub’ tutorial video to get started.

With every weekly activity, it is important that you decide as a school how to get your digital leaders to disseminate their learning to the rest of the pupils. It’s key that this stream of information becomes a regular slot so that it becomes embedded into your timetable and forges regular discussions at school. We have popped a few ideas below.

There are accompanying slides to go with this list of activities to use with your Digital Leaders, as well as a pack of printable activities and a certificate. Download here!

Activities

Using emojis

KS1: I know that emojis can be used to express feelings and emotions online.

KS2: I can recognise when it is appropriate to use emojis and when it isn’t

Activity: Choose a sentence/phrase/song lyric to post on the Natterhub news feed. Post it twice, but each time with a different emoji. How do the different emojis change the feeling of the post? Comment underneath each other’s posts to share your ideas.

Replying kindly to others

KS1: I can use kind and respectful language online.

KS2: I can use kind and respectful language online, and know to reflect on a post before I post it.

Activity: Find 3 posts in your Natterhub news feed and leave a kind, respectful comment. With a partner, look at your comments to identify what they have in common. What words did you use? What emojis did you use?

Creating a secure password

KS1: I can create a powerful password

KS2: I understand why we need different passwords for different devices and services.

Activity: Complete the KS1/KS2 Natterhub Worksheets and discuss your responses with a Digital Leader partner.
KS1: Code Breaker
KS2: Password Creation

Using a camera

KS1: I know never to take pictures of anything between my armpits and my knees.

KS2: I know never to take pictures of anything between my armpits and my knees, and can deal with inappropriate online requests.

Activity: 3 things you must always remember to do before you take a photo and post/share it. How might these differ between KS1 and KS2?

Posting positive content

KS1: I can post kind and positive content online.

KS2: I know the reasons I am choosing to share a post online.

Activity: An anagram is something we use to help us remember instructions or ideas. Recreate THINK posters to put up around school. Or come up with your own anagram to remind your friends what to do before they post online.

Reporting

KS1: I know when I should seek help from my trusted adult.

KS2: I can explain where I would get help, support and advice in a range of difficult online situations.

Activity: Complete a Natterled lesson and post on your Digital Leaders news feed to share what you have learnt.
5-7: Year 2 Seeking Support
7-9: Year 4 Report for Support
9-11: Year 5 Clever Choices

Digital footprint

KS1:  I understand that digital footprints last forever.

KS2: I can explain how our digital footprint impacts us.

Activity: Complete Natterhub ‘My Digital Footprint’ activity sheet. As an additional activity, add anything to the outside of your footprint which you wouldn’t want to add to your digital footprint.

Balancing on and offline activities

KS1: I know the benefits of spending time away from a screen.

KS2: I can explain why screen time can be good and bad, and suggest ways to improve my habits.

Activity: Use the Natterhub template to keep a diary of what you do on a weekend when you’re not using screens. What would you usually have done with your screen time and what did you choose to replace it with? How did it make you feel? Compare with your peers to share ideas.

Communicating with people you don’t know online

KS1: I can explain why I must be careful when choosing who to speak to online.

KS2: I know why it’s important to protect myself online.

Activity: Complete a Natterled lesson and post on your Digital Leaders news feed to share what you have learnt.
5-7: Year 2 Others Online
7-9: Year 4 Internet Interactions
9-11: Year 6 Unwanted Contact

Summary activity

Share what you have learnt with your teacher and peers. You could do this by…

Have a regular slot in assemblies to feedback what has been learnt

• During a KS1 assembly
• During a KS2 assembly
• During a form time or a five minute slot in the week where the digital leaders feedback to every class
• Create a ‘special certificate’ during your regular awards assembly for digital citizenship

Creating a display in your classroom

• Get your friends involved by asking them to help create posters/statements/images
• Use the Natterhub posters 
• Talk about your display with your class/year group
• Set goals for your class/year group for the next term based on what you have learnt

Create a Powerpoint to share what you’ve learnt with your peers

• Use the Digital Leader ‘I have learnt…’ statements to help
• Ask your peers to set some goals after the presentation

Work with the other Digital Leaders to create…

• Leaflet to send home to parents with some top tips
• Create a display in the ICT room to help other children use the internet safely

Oh, and finally, send your feedback to Natterhub to let us know what you’ve learnt and how it’s impacted your time online! Send to info@natterhub.com