Emily Maniak's Portfolio Page
Navigation link to mini-course: Cyber Security for Students
About Me
I have been teaching first and second grade for the past 5 years. I really love helping students learn to read and teaching them how to garden. I am in the process of getting my masters in CDIT at the University at Albany where I am a currently a research assistant.
My Topic and Purpose
Cyber Security for Students: Introducing Primary students to what Cyber Security is through hands on learning and labs. This course is for educators and caregivers of lower elementary students who are interested in teaching their students about what cybersecurity is and why it is important. As a teacher with a background in first and second grade I have developed this course with younger learners in mind in order to start developing their cyber knowledge. Cyber Security is a rapidly growing and important field and I want to expose students of all genders and backgrounds to this topic early in order to encourage their interest in it as they move throughout their education.
Scope of Learning Outcomes and Content
Students will develop knowledge on what cyber security is and why it is important. Students will develop basic coding skills which form the foundation of cyber defense. Students will develop an inquisitive and inclusive attitude towards the field of cyber security.
Needs Assessment
The Educational Problem
As educators seek to integrate more digital devices and platforms into their classrooms the threat from cyber security also increases. According to the State of Ransomware 2021 reported that the education industry had significant security weaknesses which led to them suffering from the most ransomware attacks. (Arcserve, 2022) So the systems and devices that students are using everyday have a high likelihood that they will be compromised. Students can also face cybersecurity threats from cyber predators and malware. Additionally with so many students playing online games they are exposed to phishing scams, viruses and harassment. These cyber threats are the reality of students' lives and will continue to become more sophisticated. This is why it is so important to introduce even young students to the concept of cyber security. (Berkeley Extension) Not only will they be able to protect themselves they will also be able to potentially protect their community and future employers.
Learners Involved
This course will focus on concrete lessons and examples for educators to share with lower primary children on what cyber security is and how to protect themselves. This course could be of use to the following groups with no prior knowledge necessary.
- Educators
- Parents
- Librarians
Analysis of Gaps The intended learner is an educator of lower primary children K-2 whose students use devices that have internet access. NYSED has released guidelines and standards around device knowledge and usage. The lessons that I will be offering will be aligned with their K-12 Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards for Cybersecurity. Teachers are constantly being asked to teach more and changing standards in a limited time period. By having these lessons already prepared I am giving teachers the ability to teach to a content area where they may not be comfortable or think is a priority. Existing Efforts Existing efforts are piecemeal and of low priority. The NYS Digital Fluency Standards are still in draft form. (New York State Education Department) Especially with the onset of the COVID pandemic teachers are struggling to help students fill significant gaps in reading and mathematical skills. However the threat of cyber security is real and can be ignored to the detriment of districts and their students. Phishing is one of the top malware types and continues to be used against millions of people each day. Cyber security protects people from all kinds of potential harm and safety should start with young students just as they are taught to be safe in public places.
Intent Statement
This course will instruct users about the importance of cyber security and will offer specific lessons and examples of ways that it can be taught to K-2 students.
Analysis of the Learner and Context
This course is designed for participants who are interested in introducing the topic of cybersecurity to younger learners. The participants of the course will not need any prior cyber security knowledge. Participants could include:
- Teachers
- After school counselors
- Parents
- Librarians
The course will be approach from the perspective of a participant who has very little background knowledge about cybersecurity. Any technical language that needs to be used will thoroughly defined at the time of use but the majority of the course will be developed with the knowledge that these are brand new concepts to the participants.
Performance-Based Objectives
Participants will be able to define what cybersecurity is.
Participants will identify why it is important for students to learn about cybersecurity.
Participants will develop safeguarding skills for school or home computers and devices.
Participants will construct a cybersecurity mini lesson after analyzing various examples.
Task and Content Analysis
Unit 1: What is Cybersecurity?
Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:
- Define cybersecurity
- Understand common words and phrases related to cybersecurity
- Be able to explain why cybersecurity is important
Learners will match definitions and words through an interactive platform
Unit 2: Why is it Important to Teach K-5 students about Cybersecurity?
Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:
- Identify cybersecurity risks that pertain to students
- Be able to recognize these risks from given examples
- Plan and implement risk reduction strategies
Learners will chose a risk reduction strategy and explain how they would implement it in their teaching environment
Unit 3: Incorporating Resources in the Classroom
Upon completion of this unit, learners will be able to:
- Discover places to find resources
- View an example lesson
- Create their own mini lesson
Learners will create a mini lesson that includes an interactive student component
Curriculum Map
| Unit 1
What is Cybersecurity? |
Unit 2
Why is it Important to Teach K-5 Students about Cybersecurity? |
Unit 3
Incorporating Resources in the Classroom |
| Objectives | Objectives | Objectives |
|
|
|
| Lessons | Lessons | Lessons |
| Lesson 1: What is cybersecurity
Lesson 2: Understanding important vocabulary |
Lesson 1: Why students need to be taught cybersecurity
Lesson 2: Recognizing student cybersecurity risks Lesson 3: Ways to mitigate risk |
Lesson 1: Finding teaching resources
Lesson 2: How to create a cybersecurity lesson |
| Activity | Activity | Activity |
| Learners will match definitions and words through an interactive platform | Learners will choose a risk reduction strategy and explain how they would implement it in their teaching environment | Learners will create a mini lesson that includes an interactive student component |
References and Resources
Larson, M. B. and Lockee, B. B. (2020). Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional Design (2nd edition). New York, NY: Routledge.
DRAFT NEW YORK STATE COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DIGITAL FLUENCY LEARNING STANDARDS. (2020, January). New York State Education Department. Retrieved Febuary 16, 2023, from http://www.nysed.gov/common/nysed/files/programs/curriculum-instruction/draft-nys-k-12-computer-science-digital-fluency-standards.pdf
Arcserve. (2022, March 8). Why teaching cyber security in schools is imperative. https://www.arcserve.com/blog/why-teaching-cybersecurity-schools-imperative
Berkeley Extension. (n.d.) Cyber security in education : What teachers, parent, and student should know. https://bootcamp.berkeley.edu/blog/cybersecurity-in-education-what-teachers-parents-and-students-should-know/
