Who Else is Willing to Help?

We need to "promote nationwide education in digital citizenship and media literacy as the cornerstone of internet safety.”

-Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG), created by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration

 

 

 

After reading the above comment from the OSTWG, I had to ask myself, "will this really change anything"?  Ideally, it would be great if it could, but I think the internet is a powerful place and hard to put full control over.  In today's world, the lives of children are overlapping between the real world and the online world.  Honestly, as an adult I spend a good amount of time online between Facebook, Twitter, my email, and many other locations, I can only imagine the amount of time an unmonitored child would spend online. 

Read more about the tactics OSTWG suggest implementing to make the use of internet safer for children.  Click on the link below educators and parents..... this is a good read!  

Online safety report discourages scare tactics

I agree with how the article wraps up saying that all stakeholders need to be involved when preparing internet safety and staying up-to-date with the constant changes occurring in technology.  This will not be an easy task but is something that everyone needs to stay on top of to keep the children in our world safe!

 

Internet Safety Laws.....Do They Even Help?

Who has been on the internet before and typed in a simple word or phrase and come across something completely different or even inappropriate from what they intended to find?  I am sure that is has happened to each and everyone of us; probably even more than once.  You might be thinking, "I am an adult, so what if that happens to me?"  Well, think about if it did indeed happened to you, often, how easy could it happen to children who are searching the internet without being monitored? 

A federal law, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), was developed and put into place to help protect children online. It's designed to keep anyone from obtaining a child's personal information without a parent knowing about it and agreeing to it first. 

COPPA requires websites to explain their privacy policies on the site and get parental consent before collecting or using a child's personal information, such as a name, address, phone number, or Social Security number. The law also prohibits a site from requiring a child to provide more personal information than necessary to play a game or participate in a contest.


In all honesty, the number one thing that is going to prevent a child from encountering danger while using the internet is through preparing children.  This primarily should be the responsibility of the adults within the child's life.  I know many children who are very "internet savvy" and could probably find certain things on the internet faster than I could.  The sites that ask you to enter your date of birth before you can view their material can easily be surpassed by a child that can figure out the year they would need to be born to get through the access blocker.  These children might not be ready for what they will encounter when on the site they are trying to get onto.  They might think it is the "cool" place to go, but have no idea of the danger they may encounter. So, are these laws really helping protect? Who should be held responsible for monitoring children while they are online? Teachers? Parents? Adults in their lives?

    

BrainPop

Always a go to......BrainPOP!

This is a great resource for teachers (or parents) who are trying to share internet safety information with a child.

 

BrainPOP

 

 

 

Internet Safety in the Classroom!

Having trouble coming up with a creative way to teach your students about internet safety?

Not only is it very important for parents to talk with their children about internet safety, it should also be covered by educators within the classrooms.  Preparing and informing students about what is on the internet is the first step to keeping them safe.  The more tools and information they are provided will hopefully keep them from making unsafe choices. 

The internet offers some very engaging and informative resources that teachers can use in their classrooms to teach their students about internet safety.  Students are more likely to remember something they learn by doing an activity to go along with the information.  These awesome scavenger hunts can be incorporated into the classroom for students to quickly learn about the topic!



 

Check out these useful Scavenger Hunts about internet safety for kids in grads 3-8!

 

Teaching Internet Safety

 

 

 

EDUCATORS!! Please share any creative ways that you teach about internet safety!

Great Site to Share With Your Child!

FBI Kid Safety

 

 

What do you think about this resource?

Safety on the Web

"There is nothing more precious to a

parent than a child, and nothing

more important to our

future than the safety of all our

children."

-Bill Clinton

The internet can be a scary place for both adults and children if they are not aware of how to properly navigate the many wonders of the World Wide Web.  An educated/informed adult is of the utmost importance when leading children in their introduction to the Web.  The only way children will learn what to do and what not to do while surfing the Web is by being properly monitored by their parents or guardians.  As adults, we need to hold ourselves responsible for educating our children on safety precautions to take when on the internet.  

A variety of excellent resources are available for adults to share with children in the effort to prepare them for safe internet use.  Not only might they come across inappropriate materials, but the internet is also another avenue of bulling that can very quickly destroy a child’s self image as well as relationships with peers.  It is very important for parents/guardians to be proactive when it comes to safety; don’t wait for something bad to happen.  Teenagers are especially susceptible to bullying by their peers and can withdraw and be reluctant to share with their parents.  An open door policy will ensure that the child, regardless of his age, knows he has a safe harbor to ask questions and discuss what he sees on the internet.

Children are often naive and cannot detect when they are in danger.  As adults, we must be the ones to educate them and prepare them for what they might encounter on the computer.  It is important to provide children with ways to deal with unsafe situations which they may encounter.  Adults need to make it very clear that if something “feels” odd, then it is dangerous.  The child should immediately solicit help from his parents/guardians.  Children must know without any hesitation that they can speak up and their adults will help them! 

The Web is a fantastic learning tool if used correctly and carefully. Adults can help their children to safely use this tool in their growth and educational development.

 

"It is our choices....

that show what we truley are,

far more than our abilities."

- J.K. Rowling

As an educator, how do you inform your students about internet safety? 
Do you provide any form of training for parents on how to help protect their children at home while using the Internet?

Comments and ideas are welcome! 

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Helpful Links that you can use in your classroom.


Child Safety Experts

Safe Kids

Keeping Your Child Safe

This would make an excellent poster to use in the classroom.

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Helpful Videos to Share with Your Children

 

 

 

Videos to Inform Adults About Internet Safety for Children