Internet Safety

Internet Safety

The internet is a very useful learning tool in the education system. Literacy and art  is expanding in today’s  classrooms. It is no longer just restricted to reading books, but has expanded to several different outlets including reading books electronically online, playing interactive games, writing blogs and using webcams as well as various art and drawing programs. The list is endless and the possibilities are opening up to students in a more effective, more informational way. Using the resources that are available to them, teachers are finding more ways to use technology to enhance their lesson plans and to get the students to be more engaged in their learning activities. Technology assists teachers to improve learning, productivity, and performance with their students. The students gain computer skills and the ability to use computers and other technology to be able to reach more resources and gain more knowledge on their lesson.

The internet and new technology are very resourceful and useful in gaining information and knowledge, but if not used properly can be dangerous to the students using these new resources. If a student accidentally types in a wrong word or spelling of a word, certain other violet, offense, graphic or pornographic material may come on the screen.  There are many inappropriate websites that are created everyday that no safety computer software can completely block. As a teacher and parent we need to be aware of this and inform our students and children of these risks and issues. Monitoring and being aware of what the students are involved with (seeing, hearing, meeting, etc) on the computer is necessary for their safety. 

Keeping a eye on your child's activities online and talking to your children about internet safety is very important to protect them from the many inappropriate material that is on the web. Technology can be used as an excellent resource tool for many activities involving your child's education, we just have to make sure that they are protect and safe while doing so. 

Some websites and articles to help guide you find more information on keeping your child safe online are:

1. Woogi World

When kids even just start playing the CyberHero game at WoogiWorld, the first thing they can do is play four important missions to learn about the most important online rules when using the Internet. These missions teach kids about the four most critical areas that kids need to be very aware and alert about potential dangers. WoogiWorld is a unique online community for young children in that the website serves as both a training ground for kids about how to be careful with online chatting, how to be safe when using computer technology, and even how to use technology in a healthy way that promotes balance in that child's life. Each mission includes fun games with arcade-game style tests kids need to successfully complete before that feature of the online kids community - like chat - gets enabled for their account. These tests are set up like games, but they actually do an excellent job to instill a strong understanding of how to be safe while using those features.

2. Cyber Cafe

Safe Email Use
Completely Missions to Unlock Features

The interactive lessons that kids can work through include email use, chat rooms, web browsing, text messaging and personal online space. The graphics are high quality enough to keep any child's interests, and the lessons are clear and easy to understand. There's nothing subtle about the lessons you'll find at ThinkUKnow. It's all about protecting yourself within your Internet communications, as well as protecting your computer from things like viruses or malware, which kids often seem the most vulnerable to.

3. NetSmartzKids

Playing Online Games that Teach Safety

NetSmartKidz has videos, games and even a "Club UYN" where kids can feel like they're part of a fun and exciting community where they'll find updated videos and content every month, and relevant to every season or holiday. There's even an online "adventure" kids can play called "Router's Birthday Surprise!" The adventure includes a series of tasks the child must complete, and each task of the game teaches something very important about online safety. The National Center for Missing and Exploited children volunteered an entire free website for children to learn all about safely using the Internet. The wonderful thing about NetSmartKids is that children will have so much fun that they won't even realize they're learning important lessons about their online safety.\

4. Webonauts

Making the Right Choice

While many other websites that teach Internet safety for kids tend to come right out and spell out the rules or lessons the child needs to understand about safety on the Internet, Webonauts Internet Academy veils this behind the missions. Each mission offers the child gentle clues about making the right decisions about things like only going to sites where you're supposed to go, and never giving anyone your passwords.PBSKids.org created Webonauts as a way to educate kids about important skills they need to know when they spend time online. The lessons taught at Webonauts Internet Academy are more subtle than at other websites. The child world through the adventure, from first joining the academy and picking their suit and helmet, to exploring different places and making choices that reflect, in some way, upon the choices they will face while surfing the Internet in real life. 

5. Wired Kids

Schools or Parents Can Sign Up

WiredKids offers a lot of valuable information and a great program for children aged from very young up to teens to learn all about really important issues when it comes to their computer and Internet use. However, unlike most other sites like this, kids can't just sign up online. Anyone interested in joining has to fill out an application form and mail it in through the mail. Children can sign up, but they'll need their parent's consent letter.Wired Kids is a website that offers a lot more than just activities for kids to learn about safe Internet use. It's actually a website built to educate entire communities about online dangers and to create awareness for not only children, but also parents, educators and even law enforcement. One great program that you'll find for kids at this site is a segment called "Internet Super Heroes" that focuses on recognizing and preventing cyberbullying.