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Why iSafe?  In an eloquent letter to educators, Teri Schroeder, the president of I- Safe America describes why Los Angeles Unified School District has entered into a partnership with i-Safe America, a company that provided materials and education for students, parents, teachers, law enforcement and the community on internet safety. eloquent lettereloquent letter  The following module is part of every course both in online and face to face professional development because it is felt that the most important contribution you, as an educator, can make to the technological education of your students is their safety. *  Watch Videos about the components of the i-Safe program  Read the 'virtual" book : This is i-Safe  Sign up to take i-Safe training at i-Learn Online  Respond to the forum prompt I Can Use i-Safe in My Classroom.  *** If you have taken another course through UPDATE and watched the videos and read the materials, all you have to do is a short forum response about how you have incorporated i-Safe into your curriculum to protect your students. 

The Internet Landscape  View a video that will explain i-Safe. Go to  Recently released statistics from the U.S. Department of Education (June2005) revealed that more and more students are using computers and are online at a younger age.  The importance of including Internet safety at every grade level cannot be over-emphasized. Computers and the Internet are a fixed presence in our lives, for all age groups bringing a new set of issues and concerns.  In this module we will discuss the:  Internet Landscape  i-SAFE Solution  Education Initiative  Effective Outreach  All roads lead to  All roads lead to  Throughout the presentation, you will be referred to the i-SAFE Web site for current i-SAFE procedures. Here, you will find not only i-SAFE’s latest programs, but also immediate access to processes and troubleshooting tips.

Computer and Internet Use  United States Department of Education, June 2005  Nursery School : 67% use computers; 23% use the Internet.  Kindergarten : 80% use computers; 32% use the Internet. High School : 97% use computers; 80% use the Internet. Overall, 91% of students use computers; 59% use the Internet. 1   1 DeBell, Matthew. “Rates of Computer and Internet Use by Children in Nursery School and Students in Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade: 2003.” National Center for Education Statistics. 6/20/2005

The Need for Internet Safety  The i-SAFE curriculum has touched more than a half-million students as of More than 100,000 participated in i-Safe surveys. The satistics show:  12% of students were asked to meet someone face to face.  14% of students received mean or threatening messages while on the Internet.  31% of students visited an inappropriate place on the Internet.  31% of students saw nothing wrong with chatting with a stranger on the Internet, and 50% trusted those with whom they chatted.  11% of students met someone from the Internet face to face.  52% of students said hurtful or angry things to another person online.  38% of students illegally copied music from the Internet.

The iSafe Solution  Founded in 1998, i-SAFE Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and empowering youth to make their Internet experiences safe and responsible. It is i- Safe's belief that by Educating students about the Internet they can best avoid dangerous, inappropriate, or unlawful behavior.  This goal is accomplished through dynamic K through 12 curriculum and community-outreach programs for kids, parents, law enforcement, and community leaders  The i-SAFE solution encompasses a child,s main support areas: their school, their home, their friends, and their community

Safe Schools Education Initiative  The education components of the i-SAFE Safe Schools Education Initiative include:  Professional development for educators and law enforcement  Curriculum for students in grades K through 12  Assessments  Professional Development is available four ways.  1) Premier Professional Development Program (PDP) delivered via DVD 2) Facilitator-led Professional Development Program utilizing PowerPoint presentation 3) i-LEARN Online presented in online modular format 4) Virtual training Academy is live, interactive online training for those who prefer attending sessions without leaving their comfort zones Premier Professional Development Programi-LEARN OnlineVirtual training AcademyPremier Professional Development Programi-LEARN OnlineVirtual training Academy  Curriculum includes age-appropriate, integrated teaching and learning activities for kindergarten through 8 th grade, and webcasts for high-school students. Scope and Sequence Scope and SequenceScope and Sequence  Each lesson in the curriculum is designed to foster active participation between students and instructors through classroom discussions, and group and individual student activities. Each lesson is designed to extend those activities beyond the classroom—to mobilize students to take action. All lessons and webcasts are reviewed and approved by the Department of Justice.  Assessment statistics, documented by the i-Safe National Assessment Center, or NAC. are invaluable to measure program success and guide i-Safe in new directions as we listen to what students have to say. Here is a sample of a parent assessment. parent assessment.parent assessment.

Curriculum: Core & Component Lessons  i-Safe begins with internet safety curriculum in Kindergarten because middle school is much too late. These social and ethical issues must be in addressed at a young age.  The materials are comprehensive and detailed. Worksheets and other materials to help deliver these lessons are available to teachers at once they have completed the i-Safe training.  i-Safe curriculum scope and sequence is outlined below, but also in a comprehensive document that you may download. download.  Grade Level Introduction of TopicsGrade level topic is introduced: K-12 Cyber Community Citizenship Cyber Security Personal Safety 3-12 Intellectual Property Cyber Bullying Predator Identification Safe Web Site Design National Student 7-12 Homeland Security

Socialization on the Internet  Additionally, the virtual playground is creating some serious socialization issues.  i-SAFE Inc. discovered through student surveys that:  Students feel safer on the Internet and freer to do what they want in Cyberspace than they do in the real world.  The solitary nature of Internet interaction poses important concerns: Students like to surf alone because they associate Internet anonymity with freedom. Many students have computers located in their bedrooms where they can be alone.  Students find it easier to talk to people online than in person and see nothing wrong with chatting with strangers on the Internet.