A collaboration of the world’s leading communication providers including Buongiorno, Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, Google, GSM Association, Microsoft, MySpace, Orange FT Group, Telecom Italia, Telefonica and Vodafone have recently updated the website, Teachtoday.eu, now available in English and German. The site is specifically designed to help teachers manage the challenges, both inside and outside the classroom, presented by online technologies such as Facebook, YouTube, mobile internet services and services such as Twitter. The industry collaboration worked closely with UK government and professional agencies including Becta, National Association of Head Teachers, teacher unions, local authorities and independent educational experts. A similar national line-up contributed to the German version of the site.

The website builds on the issues outlined in the recent Byron Report and the work of the DCSF Cyber bullying Task Force. It has a particular focus on problems that affect teachers directly; for example, where they are subject to malicious comments, videos or fake profiles posted on social networking sites by pupils.  These can all be instantly uploaded and shared virally using mobile technologies such as Bluetooth or internet access. It also provides professional guidance for teachers’ use of personal devices from using a mobile in the school environment, to blogging and social networking.
 
Teachtoday.eu successfully complements the information provided by national Insafe Centres to ensure that teachers have at their fingertips the information they need to manage the safe and responsible use of new technologies within the classroom.  It addresses a wide range of issues affecting children including cyber bullying, privacy, health concerns such as self harm and sexual grooming.

Teachtoday.eu is part of a wider industry collaboration which will see further language versions launched across Europe.  It is developed in partnership with European Schoolnet (EUN), a not-for-profit consortium of 28 European Ministries of Education. EUN provides major European education portals for teaching, learning and collaboration.

The website is available at www.teachtoday.eu.