Valerie Coskrey's Classroom Tools and Ideas

                           Internet Safety for Children

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Get this e-book Internet Safety for Kids

For ages 9-12

Using the 3 words "safety internet kids" in a Google search produces dozens of sites. Scanning these sites suggests the protection involves 2 processes:

1. training kids, teachers and parents go
2. using filtering or monitoring software go

An appropriately informed child is a safer child is the philosophy behind some sites. Others offer parental monitoring that spy on kids; others suggest filtering that limits a child’s access to the Web. Many sites blend the education with the sale of products.

In terms of education, basically the message involves these points in a basic set of rules for kids, written for kids.

1. Don’t give out your personal information like home, school, or e-mail addresses and phone numbers to anyone you meet on-line.
2. Use a nicknames rather than your real name.
3. Don’t arrange to meet anyone in person that you have met on-line unless you take your parents with you.
4. Ask your parents before you download anything.
5. Always talk to your parents about your on-line activities.
6. Discuss all concerns with your parents or other trusted adult.
7. If anything makes you the least bit uncomfortable, log off that site.
8. Finally, learn age-appropriate information about the internet and the threats such as viruses, spyware, spam, scams, pornography, hate, violence, obscenities, bullying and predators.

Some of the sites seem more oriented towards towards parents and teachers go; others have kid-friendly graphics and seem oriented towards children as the primary users go. Some sites offer internet etiquette alongside the safety training go. Then there are the sites concerned with using software to manage internet use by children go.

Parents know their kids, and what would work in one household might not work in another. The solution to this is to educate parents, teachers, grandparents, and kids alike. This is the approach of many of the non-profit organizations that offer educational materials and on-line pages for kids. Visiting the sites listed below with children and being available to talk about the information with them will empower them to portect themselves from internet abuse. Using monitoring and filtering software gives parents more control over what their kids do. It is possible to use a blend of all 3 methods, depending on the family dynamics.

Sample Sites Concerned with Internet Safety for Children

kid-oriented, older	Policeman's Notebook		Interesting graphics. List is part of other safety education information.
	World Kids		Written by and for kids. Interesting graphics. List is offered along with links to ettiquette pages, called Netiquette.
	Safe Kids Rules		This link is to a page that no longer exists but does have a search box and a long list of other pages that are important to kid safety. I suspect that the original safety rules have been refined into several rules. Also graphics have been added. (This is what I had said originally and no longer applies: list of rules in format suitable for printing and pinning to the bulletin board or taping to the computer desk. Locate this site in internet archives. )
	Online Safety Rules for Kids		From lawyers concerned with consumer injury, this site was recommended by a friend. Links to additional kid safety sites.
younger	www.iKeepSafe.org		Uses cartoon cat, Faux Paws, as mascot. Watch a video cartoon on-line geared towards teaching elementary school kids about internet safety.
	Protect Kids		Cute maze and mouse cursor to encourage kids to explore the site for educational material. Coloring pages and games.
adult-oriented: geared towards parents and teachers	www.iKeepSafe.org		Info in different formats for all ages and roles. Offers teaching kits, booklet, cartoon video for kids, and coloring pages and games for kids.
	www.safekids.com		Boring to no graphics on home page, except for the logo. This has blog-type posting that include several articles below the huge white space on the home page that educates parents and teachers about the dangers kids face on the internet. Also has lots of links to informative pages and sites. Has a list for printing and giving to kids, and a book for sale on internet safety. Highly informational site.
	Protect Kids		Information for all ages. Articles and links.
	netsmartz.org		Friendly site for all ages. Offers to locate speakers on internet safety for PTA and other meetings. Lots of info for everyone.
	isafe		adult-oriented home page. Offers an on-line safety course, articles, separate pages for kids, teachers, and parents, a forum, a mentoring program and more.
	Surf the Net with Kids		Links to lots of sites, offers lots of articles and rules. Has pages of activities for kids, too.
	American Library Association		Educational materials and articles
	AOL report to FTC		Several years old, but is a government document within the papers that define the issue for the government.
	The FBI pages for kids and parents and this page		Law Enforcement educational material for kids and parents
	Dmoz		A wiki-like list of sites with internet safety information. Also includes links to lists of suitable monitoring programs and of filtering programs.
software and info on safety	www.BeNetSafe.com		A monitoring software, Be my Big Brother, that will record all things done on the web and informs parents of activities that kids do, such as send email, address, phone number and photos. Advises on MySpace activities.
Remote control software	Net Support		I offer this suggestion of an extended use of a made -for-schools computer-lab management program. The NetSupport Schools v8 will network computers, and monitor networked computer use and filter internet sites, among other functions. The NetSupport Manager will do the same, but interface is not as user-friendly.
Filtering software	Norton Software		Filtering software with some monitoring capabilities. Norton Internet Security (with parental controls)
	Kid Shield		Filtering software; offers a chart comparing software packages.
	Consumer Reports		Compares filtering software packages.
Advertisements for a product: Clicking on these links will take you to the merchant's sites.	Get Total PC Protection with McAfee Total Protection for $79.99!		Security Software, firewalls, virus protection: read the ad below Go. For articles and information about the latest virus, and spyware threats, visit the McAfee or TrendMicro sites. See a map of the current virus threats provided by TrendMicro. You can also have your computer scanned online for viruses.
		Key Network Magic Features: * Easy home network setup * Automatic printer sharing * One-click file sharing across Windows Operating Systems * Wireless Network Protection * Home Network Health & Security * Remote File Access and Photo Sharing via a personal website with Net2Go
software4parents		Monitor children's computer use with a software package from this company. They have screened and selected several programs that seem useful in "spying" on what your children do on the internet. They include a disclaimer that each program is to be used only by parents on their own children less than 18 years old. Will the "en local parentis" rule apply to teachers, schools, and babysitters?

Education Resources

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About Tyler

The background image used in the left column is called Tyler Ponders and is a photo taken by a 6 year-old of himself. It is intentionally blurred and cropped to reduce the chance of recognition.

This background is part of a Template Design Set that is available on request. Our Template Design Sets are Powerpoint 2003 files that contain from 5-10 slide masters and associated title masters sold with instructions for use included in the presentation.

Other photography by Tyler was processed into the Template Design Set Metallic Grass. There is a short story about Tyler's photography here.

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