How do you get teenagers to care about what data they share online? How do you teach them how to make a safe password? How do you keep them engaged and maybe even teach them some python along the way?
These were the questions I was asking myself when I created the latest cyber security project for our high-school level workshops and it turns out, after a decade of running python workshops, I might know the answers!
Come along to see how I took a concept that I wanted students to care about, and broke that down into hands-on activities, all designed to get that “aha” moment in the classroom. Not only teaching python but using python to facilitate teaching deeper computer and cyber literacy, by peeking behind the curtain at what bad actors are actually doing, and how you can apply this technique to other topics.
Getting kids to think critically about their security online is pretty tricky. They get told what they should or shouldn’t be doing on social media all the time, but is it really sinking in?
I’ll tell you how you can get students to really care about cyber security, and other topics, through a combination of hands-on coding and unplugged activities. By putting the students in the shoes of a “hacker” we can show them how easy it is to crack simple or common passwords, helping them intuitively understand what makes a safe password, instead of just memorising a set of rules or a minimum number of characters.
The process I went through to create this content for students, can be reused for different topics, whether you’re trying to get students to think more critically about AI generated content, how social media algorithms are shaping our world views, or even non-cyber topics, using this technique of putting students in the position of the “other side” can be an engaging and effective tool in the classroom.
Hello, I am Alex Penna, a Senior Software Engineer, the COO of Tech Inclusion, a NFP that runs the Girls’ Programming Network, and a proud cat mum! I love working with people to make the Tech Industry a better place.
