|
|
| HOME | FREE NEWS SUBMISSION | PR DISTRIBUTION | PR COPYWRITING | GIFT CERTIFICATES | RSS FEEDS | TESTIMONIALS | CONTACT | ||
 |
Sections:
Band |
Business |
Career |
Events |
Label |
Music Releases |
Radio |
Tech |
Video |
Web Events
|  |
| Advertise | Artist Development | Submit Video | MusicDish e-Journal | MusicDish Network | Urban Music News Network | ||
|
| ||
New E-Tools Available For Parents, Educators To Teach Children About Online Copyrights
Washington, DC—(October 14, 2003)—The Business Software Alliance (BSA), the foremost organization dedicated to promoting a safe and legal digital world, today introduced two new online tools to help parents and educators teach youth respect for copyright law and intellectual property rights. Added to BSA's www.PlayItCyberSafe.com site for kids are a Code of Cyber-Ethics and a Certificate of Recognition for children to sign and post near their computers once they agree to follow the code. In celebration of October being Computer Learning Month, BSA Vice President Bob Kruger, introduced the new code and certificate in a discussion about "Ethics in the Digital Age" before 260 fifth and sixth grade students in assemblies at Deer ParkElementary School in Fairfax County, VA. The student talk was part of BSA's Cyber Ethics Champion campaign. "As children returned to school this month and began working in their school's computer labs again, a Code of Ethics designed for computer and Internet behavior was needed," said Diane Smiroldo, vice president of BSA about BSA's educational campaign. "It makes sense for today's computer-savvy children to learn computer ethics early so they may make the right choices about appropriate Internet and computer behavior." The Code of Cyber-Ethics will help kids identify the copyright symbol on software programs and will explain why illegally copying software is not appropriate behavior. A special Certificate of Recognition is available to reward children who voluntarily agree to be "cyber ethics champions" and follow the code. Nearly a third of kids in America say they spend more time accessing the Internet than watching TV, according to a UCLA Internet use study released in January 2003. "Increased time spent on the computer begs the question, 'What are these kids learning?'," said Smiroldo. "The Internet can seem like a free-for-all for children – a place without rules and this can lead to trouble and to sites not recommended for children as well as illegal behavior like downloading copyrighted works, including software, music and games." Talking points, exercises, activities and other tools on www.PlayItCyberSafe.com are intended to guide parents and educators in speaking with children, primarily ages eight to 14, about respect for creative works online. For kids, the site features educational games and activities for that supplement discussions about the importance of safe and responsible computing. "Play It Safe in Cyber Space," BSA's educational curriculum for elementary and middle school-age kids, is also located on the Web site and is widely used by parents and teachers to assist in conversations about responsible cyber behavior. Co-produced by children's publisher Weekly Reader, the kit was first distributed last year to schools nationwide and is anticipated to reach more than seven million kids, parents and teachers by the end of the year. More than 35,000 educators have received the BSA curriculum to date. According to an analysis of behavioral development factors conducted by Dr. Marvin Berkowitz of St. LouisUniversity, the 9-to-12 age-range is a 'very reasonable' age to target for a first time strategy of cyber ethics instruction. Experts note that this age range is also the point in development where children begin to understand abstract values such as privacy rights and can begin to evaluate the consequences of their actions. BSA is the executor of the Cyber-Crime and Intellectual Property Theft Prevention and Education Project, a United States Department of Justice-funded initiative to educate the public on cyber-crime and intellectual property theft. A key initiative of this project is to develop educational tools designed to reach school-age children. For more information, please visit www.playitcybersafe.com or www.bsa.org.
|
|
Follow/Friend Mi2N:
Order an Mi2N Music PR package for an opportunity to submit a song for FREE to one of the hundreds of industry opportunities available through Music Xray
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||
| HOME | FREE NEWS SUBMISSION | PR DISTRIBUTION | PR COPYWRITING | GIFT CERTIFICATES | RSS FEEDS | TESTIMONIALS | CONTACT | ||||
|
|
Sections:
Band |
Business |
Career |
Events |
Label |
Music Releases |
Radio |
Tech |
Video |
Web Events
| |
||
| Advertise | Artist Development | Submit Video | MusicDish e-Journal | MusicDish Network | Urban Music News Network | ||||
| ||||