The Cyberspace age has arrived at lightning speed. Children and young
people are among the most active citizens of this new era, and are often
the first in their family to use the Internet.
It seems that almost overnight there is a whole new world for kids.
The good news is that the online world offers children experiences that
are educational and rewarding. In addition, understanding how to use the
Internet may increase a child's school performance and future job potential.
However, the Internet can also present unsafe situations. Just as you would not allow a child to wander alone into unknown territory, you also would not want him or her to use the Internet without adult guidance and supervision.
Teachers must be especially aware of the risks and using the internet. There are many precautions they can take to insure safe internet use by students.
Here is a list of things that teachers can do for child safety:
Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) - These are basically "contracts" that outline how students can use the technology, what they cannot do with it and the consequences for violating the policy. These should include school web pages and the content that is allowed on them. AUP's should be signed by an authorized representative of the school, students and parents so that all concerned parties are aware of the policy.
No Student Names - it is recommended that when referring to students on a web page that either their names not be used or only their first names be posted. Some schools have found the use of "nicknames" to be an effective way of dealing with this issue.
Student Pictures - Although the posting of student work that may include student pictures is encouraged, we strongly encourage teachers to get written permission to post student pictures and work before placing it onto the web. Most schools already have such permission slips for use when student pictures are placed in newspapers. These can often be re-worded to cover the issue of posting to the web.
School or Classroom Web Pages - It is important that teachers and students recognize that a web site that refers to their school or district represents them in cyberspace just as a school newsletter or yearbook represents the school in their community. Because of this they need to respect the interests of the schools system and post only appropriate materials to the web site. What is "appropriate" regarding content should be clearly defined in the schools AUP.
Filtering Internet programs-
These are programs that can be used in the schools that will filter out
any inappropriate content that a student may come across while browsing
the web.
Supporting School Use of Technology
It is very important for parents to have an understanding of the AUP that will be followed in the school and allow their child to have access to the internet in the classroom. Computers are becoming the wave of the future and the internet has more valuable information that can be very resourceful for students.
Here are some steps a parent can take to feel more comfortable:
Encourage your children's online activities at home and at school. Talk with your children, school staff, and other parents about what online experiences are already part of classroom activities and what is being planned. Get involved by:
Helping your school and community participate in NetDay, a grassroots volunteer effort to wire schools so their computers are networked and have Internet access http://www.netday.org/.
Sharing your expertise by volunteering in the classroom or organizing training for teachers and other parents.
Asking your local PTA to set up a "family night" on computers, technology, and the Internet.
Helping schools develop "rules of the road" that are discussed with students before they go online.
Joining the school's technology planning group.