Lower School Connected Culture Conference 2024

Equipping Students to Navigate Our Connected Culture

Understanding the Realities of Online Information

Written by Anaya, Melody and Eliza

"In February, we had our annual Connected Culture Conference in the Lower School Hall, focusing on online safety and the responsible use of technology. All of Lower School participated in three engaging workshops centered around AI, privacy, wellbeing, and addiction.

We brought our devices to explore how long we spend on screens and the importance of not sharing personal information. In our first activity, we learned about addiction and its effects on our mental and physical health. It was eye-opening to discover that spending over four hours a day on our phones can indicate a potential addiction.

In another workshop, Mr. Walker led us through an interactive game where we had to guess which images were real and which were AI-generated. We ran to different sides of the room based on our guesses, which made it clear just how many fake things we encounter daily. I found this particularly enlightening, especially when Mr. Walker showed us a video of a woman speaking about deepfakes, only to reveal afterward that she was a deepfake herself. This really helped me understand how common misinformation is online. Additionally, Mr. Roach educated us about artificial intelligence and its applications in our everyday lives, like Siri and Alexa.

Overall, we had a fantastic experience at the conference and are grateful to everyone who contributed to our understanding of how to stay safe online."

P6 Comments on the conference

Alba: I liked it when we had to guess if a picture was real or fake.

Tessa: I found it fun when Mr. Walker asked us questions and we had to go to a side of a room to say yes or no.

Selma: I liked when we had to tell if the object had AI in it with Mr. Roach.

Imogen: It was exciting, and I learnt a lot. I also liked when we had to tell if an object uses AI in it.

Teria: It was remarkably interesting when we learned about addiction.

Background to the conference

As internet usage and access to devices accelerate for young people, our school is staying ahead of the curve in equipping students with the tools they need to safely navigate online spaces. On February 5th, we held our annual Connected Culture Conference for Lower School students, centring around the theme of “Inspiring Change, Making a Difference, Managing Influence and Navigating Online Change.”

Aligned with the Children's Mental Health Week and National Safer Internet Day awareness campaigns, our interactive workshops empower students to be responsible digital citizens and critical thinkers online. Sessions covered topics like protecting personal information, evaluating real vs fake content, maintaining healthy device habits, understanding AI systems and more.

Our goal is to install the knowledge and skills that our students need to use technology for good, make positive impacts online, and avoid potential harms like misinformation and unhealthy relationships.

While devices and the internet provide boundless opportunities, they also pose new challenges for young people to navigate. That’s why guidance must start early. With risks like social pressure, inappropriate content and screen addiction becoming more prevalent, our conference takes a proactive approach to getting ahead of emerging issues. This builds on related lessons students receive across the Lower School curriculum.

We also recognise no single discussion can fully achieve our aims alone. The conference offers a meaningful jumping point to drive year-round awareness across our community. Parents play an invaluable role in extending this learning beyond school walls. To foster continued collaboration, we will share post-conference resources to transfer key learnings home.

By working together, we can ensure all students develop the digital intelligence to interact wisely with technology today and tomorrow.

Our Connected Culture Conference brings us one step closer to that goal of preparing self-assured, empowered girls ready to make their positive mark online.