Stepping Up to Cyber Bullying and Web Safety (DVD)

The problem-solving format sparks student discussion in guided brain-storming sessions with Michael bringing his trademark insight and caring humor to the researched-based solutions.

This program includes four lessons, each with two video segments plus a problem-solving leaders guide which provides detailed questions for a scripted discussion, as well as follow-up activities. It will provide solutions to school bullying and instill key social and emotional skills for elementary, middle school, and the teen years.

When our lovable puppet characters decide to explore the Web with abandon, they learn how quickly they can stumble onto sites that are inappropriate and disturbing. After visiting a chat room where Zazi is bullied by older students, our pre-teen duo learns important lessons about Web safety and good ways to protect themselves while surfing the Web.

The harsh world of social-networking ranking polls and the culture of anonymity are also explored.

When Zazi is repeatedly sent a disturbing picture by an anonymous cyber-bully, her friend Dieter insists she stop living in fear and get help. Through the counsel of Michael Pritchard, they learn positive ways they can enhance their online privacy and protect themselves from Web-based bullying.

The complexities of cyber bullying are demonstrated as our puppet pair learns that the school, parents and even the police may need to become involved.

The power of the Internet and the prevalence of mobile devices greatly speed and broaden the transmission of this rancorous chatter. When Dieter gets an A on a test and the rumor spreads that he cheated, he learns how quickly malicious gossip can take hold and ruin ones reputation.

He and Zazi discover effective methods to block rumors, even when they travel at the speed of light in the 24/7 world of texts, twitter, and chat.

Just as Deiter has planned to play first-person shooter games for the entire winter break, Zazi asks him to use his highly developed computer skills to help organize an important community service project.

The power of caring and compassion is demonstrated as Dieter transcends the limited world of gaming and discovers the deep satisfactions of doing good and helping others. The cruel world syndrome of violent video games and other barriers to empathy are identified and examined.