DHiE seminar empowers principals to create safer online spaces

Bengaluru: The annual principal seminar, titled "Creating Safe Online Spaces: A Call to Action for Educators", was held in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Organised by Deccan Herald in Education (DHiE), the event witnessed an overwhelming response. It featured insightful talks on cybersecurity, mental health, and digital well-being.

K N Yashavantha Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime Division, CID Karnataka, highlighted the dangers of cybercrimes and Artificial Intelligence.

"If you will not say it to someone publicly, do not say it online,” he advised, stressing on the importance of online etiquette.

He also warned about AI threats like deep fake videos, privacy breaches, and misinformation. “Nothing is free; your data is being collected and sold all the time. Please be careful about where you share your information as it can easily be misused,” he added.

Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, Professor of Clinical Psychology at SHUT Clinic (Service for Healthy Use of Technology Clinic), Nimhans, Bengaluru, addressed the psychological impact of excessive screen time in his talk titled ‘Journey from FOMO (fear of missing out) to JOMO (joy of missing out).’ He discussed the reasons behind digital addiction and encouraged the practice of digital hygiene to counter unhealthy online behaviours.

Principals from various educational institutions across Karnataka participated in the seminar.

Sunitha Panchanathan, Principal of Army Public School, ASC, called the session intellectually stimulating. “It was an eye-opener. We were unfamiliar with many issues discussed today. After the sessions, I feel confident about formulating a digital literacy course for the school. The CPR session was also very informative, and every Indian needs to know how to perform CPR,” she said.

Vidya Guruprasad, Principal of Ryan International School, echoed similar sentiments. “The agenda of the session was very apt. More sessions like this are the need of the hour so that teachers can be trained to handle complex issues of mental health and cybercrimes,” she noted.

The seminar featured a demonstration of Cardiac and Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) by Manipal Hospitals the event’s associate sponsor.

The seminar also featured a life-saving demonstration of Cardiac and Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) by Manipal Hospitals, the event’s associate sponsor.

Dr Mabel Vasnaik and her team guided participants through the CPR procedure, with attendees practicing on mannequins.

The event culminated with the launch of the Deccan Herald in Education (DHIE) website, a comprehensive digital learning platform offering students engaging news articles, out-of-syllabus content, and activities to enhance learning beyond classrooms.

To explore the platform, visit https://www.deccanherald.com/ dhie/.