แจ็คกี้ หวาง
Country Director, Google Thailand
Over 3.4 million teachers and students in Thailand trained in Be Internet Awesome
From left to right
Jackie Wang, Country Director, Google Thailand Amporn Pinasa, Secretary-General, Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) Saranee Boonritthongchai, Country Marketing Manager, Google Thailand |
Nowadays, everyone is spending more time online. In Thailand, we saw that “cyberbullying” was one of the top trending cyber security topics searched on Google in 2022, with search interest increasing by 60% compared to 2021. So, it’s important to continue to invest and protect the people who will one day lead Thailand's future.
Three years ago, we launched the Be Internet Awesome program at Phyathai School in Bangkok to teach students the fundamentals of digital citizenship and provide digital safety resources for teachers. Since then, we have been able to train over 3.4 million teachers and students in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Department of Local Administration, Ministry of Interior. Today, in conjunction with Safer Internet Month, we were back at the school to share remarkable results of the program.
The Be Internet Awesome program was voted by teachers as a highly effective tool in teaching online safety in Thailand, according to research done by Kantar. The research revealed interesting insights from teachers who were trained in the program. 93% of teachers said that Be Internet Awesome helped them a lot in teaching online safety to kids. All teachers agree that Be Internet Awesome helped students become more vigilant online, while 99% of teachers agree that since teaching Be Internet Awesome, they have seen their students having more positive interactions online. Most teachers said they are likely to recommend Be Internet Awesome to other educators as they find the program effective in teaching online safety, compared to the others.
.jpg)
We have also heard inspiring stories of the impact Be Internet Awesome has had on the lives of teachers, students, and families. Take a student from Yala, who had her social media account hacked because she had a password that was too simple. After studying Be Internet Awesome in the 10th grade, she understood how to build a strong password in Be Internet Strong. Her story then became a case study for her classmates. She went on to create a project that used Be Internet Awesome to promote digital literacy among the younger generations. Or another 6th grade student in Roi Et who was contacted by a stranger online asking for personal information, but because he was reminded of the Be Internet Brave lesson that he was taught from class, he blocked the stranger and talked to his teacher.
In addition to the Be Internet Awesome program, this year, we plan to roll out ChromeOS Flex to under-resourced schools. ChromeOS Flex is a software that is designed to modernize existing devices, bringing the benefits to both PCs and Macs and at no cost to download. It transforms a school's older devices by giving them enhanced speed and security, providing everyone with a unified, modern teaching and learning experience. We have already piloted our ChromeOS Flex rollout in Buriram Primary Education Service Area district #2 this quarter. We are currently helping over 100 schools convert their existing devices into devices that are cloud-first, fast, and easy-to manage. We plan to reach 500 schools this year.
The internet is meant to be a place for learning, education, and opportunity. As a part of our mission to Leave No Thai Behind, we want people to experience all of the opportunities the internet has to offer, while being equipped, alert and informed about how to do so in a smart and thoughtful way.
Jackie Wang
Country Director, Google Thailand
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
