Hector’s World: a new digital citizenship resource for tamariki

Hector’s World is a new animated series from non-profit NetSafe for Years 1 to 6 which aims to teach online safety and digital citizenship skills to ākonga.

Available in both Te Reo Māori and English, each eight-minute episode is designed to guide tamariki through issues of online safety and digital citizenship using engaging storylines. Children can follow Hector and his friends Felix, Jazz and Milly through seven episodes as they navigate issues like respect, privacy, safety, kindness and consent.  

Read the Term 1 edition of School News HERE 

The videos are supported by teacher resources such as year-group specific lesson plans, flashcards, song sheets, games, puzzles, worksheets, research projects, group and individual activities, slide decks, digital storybooks, e-learning modules and take-home activities.

Hector’s World has been supported by the Ministry of Education and reviewed by Te Poutāhū (the Curriculum Centre) for alignment to the curriculum and key competencies, so kaiako can be confident that integrating Hector’s World in their classroom will support objectives across Health and Physical Education and Technology learning areas. 

The resource also aligns with the Ministry of Education’s digital technology guidelines for schools. The guide states that schools should “create a learning environment involving the safe and responsible use of digital technology… by fostering a positive culture of digital technology use where challenges are understood to exist.” One way of doing so would be to guide learning in the digital world, such as teaching tamariki about safely navigating online spaces.  

Soon, kaiako will be able to access a Planning Pack to help outline any lessons using the Hector’s World before it goes live in Term Two. The pack includes access to the videos and resources and teacher’s notes to help plan age- and context-appropriate, engaging lessons. The lesson plans for Hector’s World have been developed using feedback from educators across the motu to ensure the resources are relevant and teacher-friendly. The lessons come with suggested structures and plenty of resources to allow teachers to customise lesson plans for their ākonga.  

All episodes include subtitles in both English and Te Reo Māori to facilitate language learning and access for hard of hearing students and educators. Descriptive transcriptions will also be available. 

To request a copy of the Planning Pack email education@netsafe.org.nz.