Internet Safety

Internet Safety Rules and Challenges

The Internet has become a valuable educational and social resource for children, which in turn, has put pressure on teachers, educators and parents to implement Internet safety and Cyber Ethics into their every day curriculum. Whether we are parents or teachers, it is very important that we teach our children the rules on how to live in a virtual world in much the same way that we teach them the rules to live in the real world.

When integrating technology into our classrooms and homes, we need to give our students continual guidance on how to successfully manage the challenges associated with the responsible use of the technology. These skills could range from learning how to evaluate web sites for validity, protecting their identify, becoming a good cyber citizen by demonstrating responsible on-line behavior (netiquette) to managing difficult situations encountered through dialog in chat rooms and online forums.

Cyberethics and Cybercitizenship

A good way to begin the thought process of implementing safety into our classrooms and homes is to get an understanding of the issues and potential risks facing young people today. We'll begin this topic by reading pages 1 and 2 of DEVELOPING THOUGHTFUL CYBERCITIZENS written by by Michael J. Berson and Ilene R. Berson. This article provides a good overview of what it means to be a good citizen in a digital world and some of the challenges young people, teachers and parents are facing today. Another excellent source of reading on this subject is the Digital Citizenship Website. Please explore any of the excellent articles on this website. Most articles can be opened up and downloaded in .pdf form.

Here is an excellent source of reference put together by the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property on Cyberethics department of the US Department of Justice. This website provides links, guidance and resources for parents, educators and young people on how to develop good cyberethics.

Now that you have a good understanding of the issues and risks the Internet brings into the classroom you need to start thinking of how to implement safety into your own classrooms and homes. To get started read the article on Are you a good cybercitizen?:

Online manners - Netiquette

Having an understanding of online manners (netiquette) will help you in your safety planning. Start by reading the Netiquette Guide by the Boston Online Public Library.