Can We Keep Our Kids Safe on the Internet? By Kim Hollingsworth - ETEC 562

Risks of Internet Use In Adult Chat Rooms Exposure to adult material In Kid Chat Rooms No guarantee of other person’s identity

In Search Engines Exposure to inappropriate material By entering innocent keyword Negative Legal or Financial Consequences By giving out private information

Causes Ease and excitement of getting online New users with limited knowledge

No one thinks to investigate safety measures for using the Internet until something has already happened to them.

Most of the information about Internet safety is found online. Internet Safety Watch Cyberangels

Educating Our Children Responsibility of Parents: Educate yourselves because your children probably know more than you do. Establish some general rules and guidelines for home computer use.

Tips for Home Implementation: Place computers strategically in a “high traffic” area of the house. Limit the amount of time on Internet. Get involved with Internet exploration. Monitor places children have visited online. Sign and post a “responsible use” contract.

An example of a contract created by Marty Stewart can be found at the Responsible Kids website. Responsible Kids It can be printed, signed and posted near the computer to be used as a reminder of responsible behavior.

Responsibility of Teachers and Administrators Create Acceptable Use Policies “The National Center for Educational Statistics reported in May 2001 that 98% of schools with Internet access had an Acceptable Use policy in place”(CoSN, para. 2).

Information covered by AUP: Prohibition of access to inappropriate material Copyright infringement Unacceptable use of school e- mail systems and websites Misuse of passwords, credit cards Protection of student privacy Monitoring students’ online activities

Districts should be in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Federal Law passed in 2000 requiring schools to have filtering or blocking software if they are receiving e-rate funding Must have shown that they were working toward compliance by October 27, 2001

According to Nancy Willard, districts should follow these general guidelines to support Internet safety. 1. Net not recess 2. “White lists” for the youngest students 3. Safety and responsible-use training 4. Human monitoring is essential 5. The right to access 6. Critical thinking 7. The control issue

Applying the Knowledge Programs such as CyberSmart! can help districts teach students about online safety.CyberSmart Students must apply that knowledge as they begin to search the web being wary of sites that request personal information.

“The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, requires commercial website operators to get parental consent before collecting any personal information from kids under 13. COPPA allows teachers to act on behalf of a parent during school activities online, but does not require them to do so” (FTC, 2000).

Guide for Teachers The Federal Trade Commission created a guide for teachers listing basic provisions according to the law and how they relate directly to students and teachers. “How to Protect Kids’ Privacy Online”

The Ultimate Goal: To educate children so that they are able to protect themselves by making critical decisions while using the Internet.

Online Resources Internet Safety Watch – ResponsibleKids - CyberSmart! – How to Protect Kids Privacy Online –