Our higher education 'Prevent Cyber Bullying' education website

Due to the rapid online expansion of digital learnscapes, resulting in university students engaged in online learning communities, cyberbullying has the potential of being a serious issue for higher education institutions. The effectiveness of educating students and staff in higher education on the impact of cyber bullying has received limited attention in university policy documentation and in the literature on adult cyberbullying. It is this scarceness of policy direction and innovative literature that has driven this study, the development of an educational website to inform students and staff in higher education contexts about cyber safety and the very real consequences of cyber bullying for people's lives. The content on the site is educational, promoting an awareness of staying safe online, digital footprints, digital reputations, and the hazards of remaining exposed online. In describing the development of the site, this study highlights the need for such resources to support students and staff working in higher education places and spaces to understand what constitutes this complex social phenomena, implications of cyber bullying on persons present and future lives, users roles and responsibilities in curbing cyber bullying, help seeking avenues and digital wellness. Findings indicate numerous benefits for the sites' continuation including the range and depth of information for users in higher education spaces and places about socially responsible online behaviour and the potential impact of cyberbullying events on people’s lives. Suggested improvements specific to design and the customization of the content for the target audiences has been instrumental in the redesign and continued development of the site. Recommendations are made in relation to the dissemination of the site across the Australian and offshore Singapore campus

Emotional Fitness for Kids

The author offers broad information in the area of children's emotional fitness. The author does not dispense medical advice nor prescribe the use of technique as treatment for emotional or mental problems without the recommendation of a recognised health professional

Social rules according to young children

This paper reports the viewpoint of 10 children (aged five-six years) on social rules in their Catholic (Singapore) preschool classrooms. Rather than doing research on children and construing a judgement on their behalf, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with the children. This study provides valuable insights into children's meaning-making about social practices, examples and non-examples of social rules, and how children view themselves as rule learners and followers. Themes recognised through the analysis process identified that children were united in their views about conventional social norms, including their understanding of and necessity for the rules (Thornberg, 2008b). The children acknowledged specific social standards as essential practices for an orderly and harmonious preschool environment

Our higher education 'Prevent Cyber Bullying' education website

Due to the rapid online expansion of digital learnscapes, resulting in university students engaged in online learning communities, cyberbullying has the potential of being a serious issue for higher education institutions. The effectiveness of educating students and staff in higher education on the impact of cyber bullying has received limited attention in university policy documentation and in the literature on adult cyberbullying. It is this scarceness of policy direction and innovative literature that has driven this study, the development of an educational website to inform students and staff in higher education contexts about cyber safety and the very real consequences of cyber bullying for people's lives. The content on the site is educational, promoting an awareness of staying safe online, digital footprints, digital reputations, and the hazards of remaining exposed online. In describing the development of the site, this study highlights the need for such resources to support students and staff working in higher education places and spaces to understand what constitutes this complex social phenomena, implications of cyber bullying on persons present and future lives, users roles and responsibilities in curbing cyber bullying, help seeking avenues and digital wellness. Findings indicate numerous benefits for the sites' continuation including the range and depth of information for users in higher education spaces and places about socially responsible online behaviour and the potential impact of cyberbullying events on people’s lives. Suggested improvements specific to design and the customization of the content for the target audiences has been instrumental in the redesign and continued development of the site. Recommendations are made in relation to the dissemination of the site across the Australian and offshore Singapore campus

Challenging myths: what is the difference between teaching children social behaviours and telling children the social behaviours? How are the differences translated in child outcomes?

Early years educators across six Catholic early years schools in Singapore embarked on a journey of discovery, examining two questions: What is the difference between teaching children social behaviours and telling children social behaviour? How are the differences translated in child outcomes? Educators were introduced to four socialization styles and the child outcomes associated with these styles: authoritarian, permissive, training, and authoritative. The authoritarian paradigm, based on external control, sees the child as an empty vessel, promoting unquestioned compliance, and stimulus-response thinking. Whilst authoritarian styles are teacher centered, the opposite is extreme leniency associated with an overly child centered permissive approach. Rarely are there social rules or behaviour expectations, with children making their own decisions and acting on them in any way they please. Training combines reasoning with punishment. Expecting immediate compliance, this style prioritizes obedience, respecting elders, honouring the family, emotional self-control, humility, and achievement. The fourth socialization style is the authoritative model of socialization. Social behaviours are clearly defined, respectfully and intentionally taught. Mistakes in behaviour are regarded as a necessary part of lifelong teaching and learning. Environment processes and instructional factors associated with the authoritative style of teaching were translated into everyday social practices. Through this process, educators continued building their capacity for teaching and guiding young children's social behaviors. It is this paradigm and these tactics that are presented in this workshop

Pirates: an early-years group program for developing social understanding and social competence for children with autism spectrum disorders and related challenges

Using a pirate theme popular among young children, this social understanding program is designed for children, ages preschool to third grade, who have social cognitive challenges, including autism spectrum disorders. Through fun and engaging activities, the program helps children learn constructive social interaction skills related to friendship making, social problem solving and emotional expression. This eight-adventure pirate voyage includes the following focus areas: social understanding, friendship making, emotional literacy and emotional expression, relaxing, social problem solving and responding to bullying incidents

Teacher professional development: learning a new way of teaching social behaviour and values education with young children in Singapore

In 2013, 31 preschool teachers in three Catholic schools across Singapore embarked on a two year action research project involving the intentional teaching of social behaviour and values education with the children in their school programs. Throughout the duration of this project, staffs participated in ongoing professional development, including attachments to other schools, full day professional workshops, and reflective journaling. Project leaders worked with school staffs, guiding and supporting them as they translated and contextualized different phases of the social teaching values education program into their communities of practice. Parents and children were consulted throughout the project with input gathered from artefacts, observations, interviews, surveys and video stories. At the commencement of the project, staffs were surveyed to ascertain their perceptions of how young children learn social behaviour. Staff and parents in one of the pilot schools were involved in focus group conversations and information gathered in these sessions was used to inform the program framework. Six months into the project, kindergarten aged children in one of the pilot schools engaged in semi structured interviews with the project leaders. The authoritative paradigm of teaching and learning underpins the social teaching and values education program. This approach focuses on self-regulation and self-discipline, and is based on values including respect, care, harmony and resilience. Educators have an egalitarian relationship with children and work with them as they develop their knowledge, attitudes and competencies in social behaviour and values education. The action research journey resulting in cultural change within these school communities is described at both the theoretical and practical level in this workshop. The phases and stages of action research will be discussed, as will the outcomes, challenges and next moves

Creative ways to promote cognitive thinking

Children with ASD often experience negative self-talk. The starting point of stopping such negative dialogues inside your head is to be aware of it, challenge it, and replace it with helpful thinking. The objective of this session is to portray Cool Comics as a vehicle that assists children in recognising negative self talk. By working through the comic scenarios, children develop an awareness of negative self-talk and practice replacing it with more positive self-talk

Digital health and wellness in higher education

The rapid online expansion of the Internet means students and teaching academics in higher education are increasingly engaging with synchronous and asynchronous digital learning environments. Correlating with this increase in engagement is the rise of ethical challenges and mental wellbeing difficulties associated with digital safety, digital reputation and digital citizenship. Engaging students and staff in higher education with creating and leading safe spaces online has received minimal attention in the literature, in university policies and student engagement documents. It is this dearth of literature and policy direction that has driven the development of our innovative research project, a student informed website promoting positive digital presence, digital health and wellness. http.//www.preventcyberbullyingjcu.com.a

Friendly Facts: program to help children explore the complexities of friendship

For children with ASD, making and keeping friends is often not a simple process. These children need to be intentionally taught in developmentally appropriate, respectful and supportive environments how to be a friend and how to make and keep friends. This presentation focuses on children ages 7-11, a period when friendships become increasingly complex and a lack of peer acceptance is all the more obvious and challenging. Through a variety of educational activities that appeal to different learning styles, children are scaffolded in their learning about making and keeping friends