Oh how times have changed! Now, we as teachers, must add “internet safety and dangers” to our repertoire of knowledge and information. I remember when I was a senior in high school I created an email account for the first time. I was told to use a combination of my first/middle/last name (but not it as it really is) and a number. “Be sure it is appropriate and not vulgar,” Ms. Hussey said, “as colleges and your future employer will not find it amusing.” How right she was. Who could guess that Ms. Hussey, who retired a couple years after she taught us, who believed in the card-catalog system and non-online resources, would hold such insight to the Internet and Web 2.0?
Nowadays, not only do students have to worry about their physical lives at home and at school but they also have an entirely different life – their social and online lives to worry about. It is important as educators that we help students understand the dangers of online browsing and interaction. Richardson (2010) states, “ … like just about everything else in life, using the Web carries with it some risks.” And, “… those risks can be greatly reduced by having the appropriate information in hand and by planning” (Richardson 2010). It is important that we discuss Internet safety and use with parents and then also address this topic with our students. Below are two videos that I find useful in showing students the dangers of online activity and also regarding what we share digitally.
Nowadays, not only do students have to worry about their physical lives at home and at school but they also have an entirely different life – their social and online lives to worry about. It is important as educators that we help students understand the dangers of online browsing and interaction. Richardson (2010) states, “ … like just about everything else in life, using the Web carries with it some risks.” And, “… those risks can be greatly reduced by having the appropriate information in hand and by planning” (Richardson 2010). It is important that we discuss Internet safety and use with parents and then also address this topic with our students. Below are two videos that I find useful in showing students the dangers of online activity and also regarding what we share digitally.
"Professor Garfield - Internet Safety." www.infinitelearninglab.org
"Exposed." by CEOP thinkuknow.co.uk
Common Sense Media is also a great resource for parents, teachers and students to use to better understand Internet safety. It has videos, information, and useful Q&A topics categorized by age and by topic. I have used the quiz option on Common Sense Media as well to test students’ knowledge on Internet Safety.
It is important that students know what is expected from them when using the Internet. While online filters help (sometimes too much); they also do not block everything that our students should not see or explore. There is simply too much out there for these filters to work perfectly all of the time. Our school system also has an Online Use and Guidelines Policy for students that outlines expected uses and practices while online. We also offer an Internet Safety unit in the computer technology class that all students have to take as freshmen. I think that these proactive measures help bring awareness to students and to parents in relation to what is allowed at school and what is safe for students when using the Internet.
I also think that an overall awareness of the Internet is necessary to protect students. Our School Resource Officer speaks to our classes about safe online practices – this includes topics such as sexting, online bullying, and sharing/posting via social media. The SRO also peaks to students regarding “catfishing” and meeting people online. Although we might not think about addressing these issues because they seem like things that are not school related, I think that it is important to be proactive in informing students about these dangers.
While doing a little research regarding safe Internet use, I also discovered Safekids and National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC). Both of these website are amazing and provide a plethora of information for all ages regarding Internet use and technology. Some internet safety tips from NCAC include: “Never post your personal information, such as a cell phone number, home number, home address, or your location on any social networking site or through mobile apps like Snapchat or Instagram; Never respond to mean or rude texts, messages, and e-mails. Delete any unwanted messages. You may need to delete friends who continuously bother you or post things that are not appropriate; and if you wouldn’t say something to another person’s face, don’t text it or post it online.” These are just a few tips; for a complete list of Internet safety tips, click here. These three tips I find very useful when teaching adolescents because most of the time, teenagers just “do” and do not think about what they have done until it is too late.
When I give an assignment to my students, I give a little reminder about proper and acceptable Internet use. Then, before I allow students to do anything, I test-drive the websites at school and at home (where there are no filters). I also give specific rubrics so students know what to look for and ideally this allows for little to no time to get distracted and go to site that are not related to the assignment. I also monitor the students while they are online. I walk around the room and ask them questions to check progress. Our school also has a system that monitors Internet use and what each student is accessing. If there is a problem with what they are looking at, we are notified immediately. While no plan is completely fail-proof, I think that all of these strategies help keep students safe and also on task.
It is important that we as educators realize that as useful as the Internet and Web 2.0 can be, there are always bad things that students can access without ever intending to. It is our job to educate parents and students on dangers on the Internet and also how to use safely and monitor use effectively. By educating our students we are effectively preparing them for the possible dangers in all ways in which they interact – both in person and online.
References:
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oak, California: Corwin.
It is important that students know what is expected from them when using the Internet. While online filters help (sometimes too much); they also do not block everything that our students should not see or explore. There is simply too much out there for these filters to work perfectly all of the time. Our school system also has an Online Use and Guidelines Policy for students that outlines expected uses and practices while online. We also offer an Internet Safety unit in the computer technology class that all students have to take as freshmen. I think that these proactive measures help bring awareness to students and to parents in relation to what is allowed at school and what is safe for students when using the Internet.
I also think that an overall awareness of the Internet is necessary to protect students. Our School Resource Officer speaks to our classes about safe online practices – this includes topics such as sexting, online bullying, and sharing/posting via social media. The SRO also peaks to students regarding “catfishing” and meeting people online. Although we might not think about addressing these issues because they seem like things that are not school related, I think that it is important to be proactive in informing students about these dangers.
While doing a little research regarding safe Internet use, I also discovered Safekids and National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC). Both of these website are amazing and provide a plethora of information for all ages regarding Internet use and technology. Some internet safety tips from NCAC include: “Never post your personal information, such as a cell phone number, home number, home address, or your location on any social networking site or through mobile apps like Snapchat or Instagram; Never respond to mean or rude texts, messages, and e-mails. Delete any unwanted messages. You may need to delete friends who continuously bother you or post things that are not appropriate; and if you wouldn’t say something to another person’s face, don’t text it or post it online.” These are just a few tips; for a complete list of Internet safety tips, click here. These three tips I find very useful when teaching adolescents because most of the time, teenagers just “do” and do not think about what they have done until it is too late.
When I give an assignment to my students, I give a little reminder about proper and acceptable Internet use. Then, before I allow students to do anything, I test-drive the websites at school and at home (where there are no filters). I also give specific rubrics so students know what to look for and ideally this allows for little to no time to get distracted and go to site that are not related to the assignment. I also monitor the students while they are online. I walk around the room and ask them questions to check progress. Our school also has a system that monitors Internet use and what each student is accessing. If there is a problem with what they are looking at, we are notified immediately. While no plan is completely fail-proof, I think that all of these strategies help keep students safe and also on task.
It is important that we as educators realize that as useful as the Internet and Web 2.0 can be, there are always bad things that students can access without ever intending to. It is our job to educate parents and students on dangers on the Internet and also how to use safely and monitor use effectively. By educating our students we are effectively preparing them for the possible dangers in all ways in which they interact – both in person and online.
References:
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. (3rd ed.). Thousand Oak, California: Corwin.