Singtel, in partnership with TOUCH Cyber Wellness, has launched the Singtel Cyber Wellness Toolkit to equip students with intellectual disabilities with the necessary skill set and values to use the Internet, social media and online platforms safely and respectfully.
The toolkit was launched on 12 October 2016 at the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) Chao Yang School. Each toolkit consists of a thumbdrive with the Lesson Plan, Teaching Slides and Lesson Manual. The materials are designed to help special education teachers engage with their students in a fun and interactive manner. There are also workbooks given for three levels of special education students so the teachers can better facilitate teaching based on students’ level of understanding. This is the first time a cyber wellness curriculum is developed for the special education sector.
The curriculum developmental process started by assessing the needs of people with special needs through dialogues with teachers from special education schools. Based on a needs assessment, TOUCH identified four key themes that are of concern to the special needs community. These themes are: Managing Online Relationship, Time Management Online, Handling Inappropriate Content and Online Bullying and Harassment. The curriculum was further refined in consultation with special education schools after piloting the curriculum in classrooms.
Executive Director of TOUCH Community Services, Mr James Tan, said, “Cyber wellness concerns are very real in today’s highly-connected digital environment, and the special needs community is not exempt from its dangers. When designing the content for the toolkit, we focused not only on cyber-related issues but on the importance of inculcating values, practical skills, knowledge and the impartation of social emotional competencies. This person-centric pedagogy facilitates the learning of values by SPED students while teachers can support by role modeling positive behaviour and affirming good online attitudes and behaviour.”