Internet Safety Net

For our recent assignment on creating a presentation on Internet Safety for Children, I decided to take a look at what resources are available for this important topic. I am absolutely thrilled at what is out there on this topic. Even though I know many of the common sense recommendations, trying to present those ideas to a group of parents isn't as easy as it would seem. First of all, just in my experience at my small, catholic school, it's amazing how many parents don't understand all the technologies that their kids have access to. Many of them don't know what chat rooms are and even though they might email regularly, they've never heard of "sexting." In addition, some assume that sites geared toward children automatically have filters in place to protect them but don't know the extent of that protection. And though they all have heard of the dangers of My Space, they don't know of the many other social networking sites that are available to their kids.

One of the best sites I discovered was NetSmartz.com, a site created by the Center for Exploited and Missing Children. The site is amazing - full of downloadable presentaions for both children and parents. There are also terrific videos and interactive activities for various age groups, from the very young to the teens. What I like in particular were the animated videos on topics like privacy and gamers as well as many others.

I can't wait to use this site with my students. I've always known that the teaching of Internet Safety was important, but until I actually read the Children's Internet Protection Act, I didn't realize what expectations the government had placed on our school and libraries. It has made me think twice about how I teach this topic and what plan my school has in place. Even though I teach at a private school and so do not necessarily have to abide by the same rules as public schools, I still want to do everything I can as an educator to instill important skills in my students' minds. When I return in the fall, I will be taking a look at my "plan" and making significant changes to meet the criteria of the Children's Internet Protection Act.