The School of Social Networks

The School of Social Networks is a free digital citizenship and online safety program that features an interactive experience, blending an interactive chatbot and a card collecting game. There are also downloadable lessons and activities for teachers and families to support the interactive experience. The different components of The School of Social Networks work best in tandem. To begin with, select from the lessons to build students' knowledge and understanding of how their online actions can affect them and those around them, both in the present and in the future. Next, supplement the lessons with some of the activities and AI-supported chats on the site. It might even be fun to place students in pairs or groups and have them discuss the card topics or see how their chats differ based on their responses. Note that this experience can be a bit confusing and distracting, and it also lacks solid onboarding, so teachers will want to work through it first themselves, and then walk students through it as a class and be available to help when students are let loose. Be aware that the interactive chat (which unfortunately doesn't have content filters) ends after a half-hour or so of play, at which point students are free to explore the site. You'll want to warn students that while they can collect cards, the card game is broken and should be avoided. After students work through the lessons and chats, teachers can share lessons with families that they can do at home with their children to supplement and reinforce what they're learning in school.

Disclosure: Common Sense Education has a curriculum that addresses topics similar to those addressed in The School of Social Networks. However, Common Sense's reviews strive to be independent and unbiased. Reviewers and editorial staff have independent oversight over the content of the reviews and their ratings.