Internet Safety, Part I

There are a lot of videos out there about internet safety. I found this video to be especially compelling. Its visual rhetoric is spot-on:



This one's just funny:



These are some of the articles that I read, and found especially insightful:

Just a Game? by Charles Knutson
Things as They Really Are by David Bednar
Parenting in the Internet Age by a panel of experts

1. What were the most important things I learned from the readings?

The most important thing I learned, in my opinion, is that parents must be vigilant and responsible when it comes to their children and the internet. It's about keeping them safe, healthy, and happy. Children need to be protected and guided.

2. How will what I have read influence my actions as a parent and/or teacher of children and youth?

I feel that being a teacher is similar to being a parent. The warning was going out to parents, and true, teachers have less control over and less responsibility for a child, but the influence and responsibility is still there. There is a lot of good that a teacher can do for a child in their classroom. I will take that responsibility seriously.

3. How can I use what I have learned from the reading to have a positive influence on family and friends?

Being safe is a positive thing. If I am not paranoid, nor overbearing, my influence to make everyone a little safer will be a good thing.

4. Am I aware of the benefits and dangers children face when online with cyber bullying and online predators? Do I know how to prevent cyberbullying?

There is a lot to be learned online. Children have resources available to them that I didn't even have just a few years ago. There also are dangers - more dangers, perhaps, than I even faced - which must be avoided. Using simple precautions, such as not putting pictures, addresses, phone numbers, or gender specific user names, are a good way to start being internet safe.

5. Where can I go for information and resources that can be used to teach internet safety?

There are tons of resources online! The FBI has guidlines, but there also are other great resources online, such as simply youtube videos, or Ensign articles. The church has published safety guidelines, even.

6. What internet safety issues am I likely to face as a teacher and how will I address them?

Using a class website or class blog presents some safety issues. Luckily, I can privatize these things so that only certain users can view them. I can also be sure to caution my students about the hazards of cyber citizenship.

7. How can I leverage the power of the Internet so students can learn, but in a safe way?

Students are smart. They want to be safe. By telling them specific guidelines for internet safety, I have already made them safer. I can show them good resources for using the internet - where to go, how to research, stuff like that.