EDEN Project

E-navigation in cyber-space and mobile technology keeps us all informed in this age of information; as kids steam ahead e-navigating, often leaving parents and teachers far behind, their safety skills must be greatly strengthened so as to allow them to make responsible decisions for themselves. EDEN (Educazione Didattica per la E - Navigation) aims to develop children's safer-surfing skills by appealing to their curiosity. New media will be exploited giving the project a novelty value and initial momentum. Constant feedback shall keep EDEN in touch with kids. Together with children, EDEN will keep abreast of potential problems in the unexplored seas of cyber-space.

EDEN’s tasks start in the classroom; selected schools will act as hubs to an Italy-wide network of safe-surf schools. Schools are the childrens’ natural learning environment where skills are routinely acquired. In addition, by reaching out to schools, a multitude of parents, teachers and especially children are encompassed.

Furthermore, EDEN won't simply talk about the internet. Instead, to teach about the internet, the internet will form an integral part of EDEN’s awareness tools, and will be the principle medium through which communication shall take place. In this way, geographic barriers to participation simply will not exist, and integration with other European actions in this initiative is assured. Giving children a sense of belonging to Europe will be kindled by web-based discussion groups in dedicated areas of EDEN’s web-portal, and reinforced by constant reference to present and past Safer Internet projects driving the message home that "Europe is here for you”.

A Wikiwiki platform is choosen as it promotes a structured type of presentation; the ease with which it is possible to create new hyperlinked wiki pages, induces one to decompose an argument into its basic structure over smaller, more concise pages. An excellent example of this type of decomposition is to be found in the WIKIPEDIA, to which any user can contribute.

Fig.1 An example of editing a wiki page in tiki-wiki.

Stimulating children's interest and listening to them through the exploitation of new, exciting technologies, EDEN's web-portal will entice kids to learn more and video-streaming seminars provide a powerful means of "getting the message through”. EDEN’s objectives are to act as a node in Italy’s awareness network, co-ordinated by EASY, to disseminate information throughout Italy about safety tools such as the STOP-IT hotline, European filtering software (e.g. POESIA), and additionally about safety skills available and developed through previous projects.

Aside from EDEN's project development site two other web sites have been set up:

1. www.saferinternet.it (about the european project SAFERINTERNET)
2. http://eden.saferinternet.it (EDEN's user community site).

EDEN's management uses a MANAGEMENT WEB PORTAL (http://project.eden.saferinternet.it).

See our webcast presentation

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