This week you will be talking about keeping your students safe when using the Internet. You might even share an experience that already has you thinking about safety when using the Internet!
Internet safety is not something I remember learning a lot about in school but I think should have been taught. As more and more schools transition into online learning and assignments the importance of teaching internet safety is becoming more important. I remember as a high school student there were certain websites that were blocked to students such as Facebook. I think a big safety problem is Google. Using Google as your primary search engine for children would not be the best option. If certain keywords are missing or one words something just right inappropriate websites and pictures can come up. Butler (2010) discusses how schools need to "start on web education as soon as computers are introduced to the children" (p. 2). Some things I think that are important for children to learn about internet safety are safe search engines, reliable website domains, and how to use keywords. As children get older it's important to teach them about chatting online, personal information on the web, and cyber bullying. Unfortunately, now a days children are bullying each other via technology and I think it's important for children to know how to handle a this type of situation and what they should do if they find themselves in this type of situation.
When it comes to educating children about internet safety I think there should be a separate computer class that starts when children get into first grade. Teaching the children early on about their role in internet safety will help them be successful in school. Along with a class, schools need teachers who are educated and able to teach about internet safety. Butler (2010) discusses how "teachers feel insufficiently prepared" to teach children about internet safety due to their lack of knowledge on how to go about teaching it (p. 2). This leads into why isn't internet safety required by schools to teach? This type of knowledge will follow a child into high school and then college. With this knowledge schools and teachers will be setting the children up for success in all of their future endeavors. There is so much on the Web that is accessible to anybody and everybody and as educators and administrators we should be taking more responsibility on how internet safety is being taught to the children as it is our job to keep them safe and always have their best interest in mind. Butler (2010) goes on to discuss how "even though schools think that because they have certain sites blocked such as social media sites they don't have to worry about teaching internet safety but schools should still be preparing children to use internet safety while they are not in school" (p. 4).
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=sWuT0BBCePTjax4kPQOlgWgXw
Cierra, Thank you for your thoughts on this week's blog post. I found this week to be extremely informative and enlighting. I agree with several facts you made when it comes to internet safety and how to protect our students. I think the internet can be such a dangerous place for students and we need to be more aware to the actions it creates for students. How do you think teachers can act on situations where the internet is toxic? Can situation be stopped before they are created? Thanks so much a great work!
I also don't recall being taught any internet safety in school, but think it is really important as well. I think you brought up a really good point about Google and how it is so easy to being searching innocently and end up on a site that is inappropriate. We talked about using keywords and how to better use search engines, internet safety is yet another reason that this knowledge is so important. I like how you brought up issues with cyberbullying. It really is quite a big issue and I think it needs to be taught about early on. Children should learn about bullying of all forms at a younger age so that they are less likely to participate in any kind of bullying. I also agree that it is important to teach children how to deal with cyberbullying when it is happening to them.
I think you also brought up some good points of how to introduce internet safety to children. I can see how a lot of teachers don't know how to teach internet safety and how it is important for teachers to know and understand how to teach it as well. They should have some background knowledge in it so that they can help students when they need the help.
You mentioned that entering keywords into a Google search engine may bring up results that are inappropriate and harmful if those words are just right. Well, when I was in University the first time around, I took a class and was asked to enter certain keywords and see what results we would get. I will not share those keywords (and yes, I remember a few of them for good reason) but the results were of the sort that I would never want any child to accidentally stumble upon them. As a full-grown woman I keep the Safe Search button on my personal laptop, especially since my niece lives with me and could possible have to use my laptop. She uses her parent's laptop and tablets for school work every day and those devices each have some sort of security to prevent her from going places she should not online.
As educators, we are responsible for teaching our students how to safely use the web and available digital devices in a way that is ethical and responsible. I agree with you that we need to start as early as possible. Preschool students are limited to 30 minutes of screen time per week, 10 minutes at one time per day. It is a shame that we don't have such limits on K-12 students during the school day since we use the Internet so heavily in our instruction. But this is in keeping with the time we live in and it is only going to progress toward digital proliferation. We really just need to prepare for and prepare our children for all of it.
Cierra, You mentioned that you don’t recall learning about internet safety at school. I can agree with you on that. I think that could have been because technology wasn’t used as much. Students didn’t have access to tablets and they weren’t as exposed to technology. Now there is so much more technology being used, that internet safety is needed. By this I mean that students should be taught about this at school. Not only that but I think parents need some type of workshop as well. There are so many times where I just see parents hand over their phones to their kids. It seems as though they don’t pay attention to what the children are doing. They just give them the phones so the children stat involved in something. They need to be aware of how to keep their children safe while using the internet. Discussing internet safety at school is an important part for children to know how to safely use it. Like you mentioned, it can then lead them to being successful. Knowing about internet safety needs to start at an early age. The younger the children are the better. The more they know about it the better. This will help them throughout their school years. Thank you for sharing. Lili
I can definitely agree with you. I also do not remember being taught internet safety as a student. I remember taking multiple computer courses, but they were mainly typing courses and basic computer functions. I feel that the internet use was not as advanced for many of us back then and this is why it was not taught to us. I can only remember of doing a handful of assignments for a class on a computer. I feel this is something I did more in high school than in grammar school. Since we are using the internet more frequently in classrooms today, this is why it has become so important for us as educators to be able to teach our students about internet safety.
Hello Cierra, I enjoyed reading your blog this week, with your summarize thought on internet safety for children. I believe that you organized ideas with precise details to understand your point views on internet safety. I can relate to your experience of the lack of information on internet safety in school and specific websites being a block in high school. I agree with you that it is vital to teaching children how to use safer search engines to locate appropriate information on the internet. I think that you shared an interesting fact about some teacher's concerns to be prepared to teach internet safety to children. For example, "Butler (2010) discusses how "teachers feel insufficiently prepared" to teach children about internet safety due to their lack of knowledge on how to go about teaching it (p. 2) I also feel teachers should be prepared with necessary training and materials to teach about the valuable lesson and essential skills on internet safety to children in the classroom. I believe that it is also the responsibility of educators and caregivers to teach and reinforces the skills and rules to search the internet safely with their knowledge to be safe. Great blog, thank you for sharing. Felisha,
Growing up, I did not learn about internet safety. In fact, it wasn't until I was almost in highschool that my local library even got computers. I grew up in an extremely small town and funding was always an issue. I don't quite remember having much of a computer in my house, but we did have every video game system that came out! With that, my mom did become very into computers as they became available and was quick to learn and teach everything she knew to me and my sister. I was very fortunate to grow up in a household that supported this up and coming system.
When it comes to children it is critical to teach them computer skills. There are many people who have not survived long in my work environment because they couldn't grasp basic computer concepts. Even more importantly, children need to understand the risks of sharing private information online as well as how to behave in an online setting. It should be every school districts job as a whole to teach internet safety (Butler, 2010).
Many resources are out there for students, teachers, and parents to use when it comes to teaching internet safety. One idea is using the 3C's from the National Cyber Security Alliance. The 3C's are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security (Frederick, 2010).
Most importantly, I think it is everyone's responsibility to teach internet safety, not just the librarians. Teachers should integrate it into the lesson plans and parents should practice it at home. The more it is practiced the better understanding and more naturally it will come to students, especially if we start as soon as we introduce a computer into the classroom and life of a child. Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=sWuT0BBCePTjax4kPQOlgWgXw
Frederik, K.(2010,April) Teaching the Rules of theRoad Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=68WUZfgSTmlbft1Sjn7yjdKM1
Kassandra, Thank you for your thoughts on this weeks discussion board post. My mother was the same way when it came to the internet. We weren't allowed to have myspace, facebook, etc until we graduated and left for college. In a way I am truly happy she did this because it is such a dark place. I agree with your statement that it is everyone responsibility to teach children about the internet and the safety which should be around it's everyday use. Do you believe there is a way to monitor children on the internet? How do you believe educating students would look like?
Kassandra- In elementary school I did not learn anything about Internet safety. It wasn't until middle school/junior high that we were taught the absolute bare basics. I too think that it is critical, especially this day in age, to teach children as young as Kindergarten or 1st grade about Internet safety. At least the basics. Most children have been using the tablet since they were 1 or 2 years old to watch YouTube videos. As they get older and will be having more internet freedom they need to know what to look for that could be a potential threat to themself or other kids. I agree that it is Everyone's responsiblility to teach children about Internet safety. It should start at home with the parents/guardians and then continue and grow/expand at school, but the librarian should not be the first or only person teaching the child about Internet safety. Good information.
I loved your post from the start. I did because of the first thing that you said. I was never taught cyber safety in my schooling as well. When I was in school, it was not a subject that was taught. I wish it was because of how much the internet as grown. Unfortunately, internet safety was not top on the school’s list. I am glad that you had your mother to teach you. In my lifetime, I have always had technology. I just wish that someone would have taught a little more about it. I learned most of what I did from myself. I agree that it is critical to teach the children computer skills. What happens if they are not taught? What happens if they learn things on their own? I like that you shared your personal story. Internet has taken over everything and one does not know how to use it then they fall behind. I also agree that children need to know the risk of sharing their information. Who should be teaching the children? Does it lie sorely on the teacher? I also agree that there are many resources out there. How can the word be spread around? How can the teachers be helped when teaching internet safety? How can they keep up?
Hello Kassandra, I have to agree with you on your post this week. Internet safety wasn't big like it is today. We were able to go on and our parents never worried. Now it is a scary thought because we can't protect them from everything. But I do think we can educate them till we are blue in the face. This is a subject that should never go away or be taken lightly. This does fall on every person in a school and at home. It is the only way the children will learn that information is never to be shared and certain pictures doesn't have to get posted. Not every friend request has to be accepted. We can't keep them away from the internet but we can educated them.
I was not taught internet safety as a child either and am just now learning about the in depth information when it comes to internet safety from this class. How would you go about implementing internet safety classes into school districts? Would have a separate class with a designated teacher or would you just have the classroom teachers take on the responsibility of teaching internet safety? How young do you think children should start learning about internet safety? Great post. Thank you for sharing.
Hello Kassandra, It is crucial to teach children how to operate and appropriately use a computer. I personally as a parent must admit I became a lacky with physically teaching safety issues on the internet when my youngest son had to complete online assignments. With believing that he was on appropriate sites pertaining to his lesson, I later discovered he was multitasking with music, anime and/or online gaming. By not completing the assignment on time, then left the parents to assist and monitor in a crunch to get the job done. And yes, most parents would not do that, however that let me know to be mindful to set time limits, assuring he was on task and accounting for progress. With giving authorization to schools to allow computer usage, we as parents do lack with believing that our kids are being taught correct use from their teachers / schools. However, just saying, there should be an assignment created to involve parent / student internet safety learning. Good Luck with implementing it into your future classwork. Tammicea
I too did not learn about internet safety and my parents didn't care too much back then when it came to using the internet. They felt as though the computer was to be used to do homework assignments but my parents weren't aware of dangerous it was for children visiting different websites. It is great that your mother was able to gain the resources and kept updated on using the internet and teaching it to you and your sister. Now that I am older with my own children, I make sure to teach them about internet safety and I am always watching and making sure that my children aren't visiting websites that aren't safe. Using the 3 C's form National Cyber is a great way to teach students about internet safety. Thanks for sharing.
You are very fortunate to have a mother who was able to teach you about computers. I didn’t have a computer at home and learned everything that I knew about computers from school. It wasn’t until about high school that one of my older siblings did purchase a desktop for us to use at home. I think my parents didn’t realize the importance of computers at home since they had no use for them.
I agree that computer skills are critical even for children. With the evolving world, computer skills have become a part of everyday life. Most of our students will one day have a job that will require a certain amount of computer experience in order to do their jobs. This is why it’s so important that it be taught in our schools.
Hello Kassandra, I enjoyed reading your blog this week with your summary of your thought on internet safety for children. I believe that you organized ideas with precise details to understand your point views on internet safety. I agree with you that it is also the responsibility of educators and caregivers to teach and reinforces the skills and rules needed to search the internet safely too. I think that it is vital to teaching children the 3C's from the National Cyber Security Alliance. 3C's are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cybersecurity (Frederick, 2010). Furthermore, I feel that children need to learn how to use safer search engines to locate appropriate information on the internet. I also think teachers should be prepared with the necessary training and materials to teach about the valuable lesson and essential skills on internet safety to children in the classroom. I Great blog, thank you for sharing. Felisha,
As I reflect on this readings this week, I can personally admit I do not remember learning much about internet safety. Although, it was not a topic introduced to me growing up, I believe it serves much significance and should be addressed. As some would question, why should a course address internet safety? Since technology is ever changing and not going to leave the school setting anytime soon, we must change with the times. As we are all aware of, technology has it’s pros and cons. One huge con is the fact that you truly never know how “safe” a site can be. The internet is a trap, which can lead to a very unhealthy place. Although, we learn a lot of information from behind the screen-- we have to protect our students. On the other hand, I believe we have to educate them on the sites which could be unsuccessful for their learning abilities. It is very simple for students to research something innocent, only to find the complete opposite side of the content. Therefore, there needs to be some sort of privacy setting for students to be blocked from sites which could contain harmful information. Web education should be incorporated into the daily academics a child receives. Before computer time--discuss the rules, review questions, and quiz them on their ability to remain safe when searching the internet. Students should be questioned on their understanding towards specific domains, positive search engines, and how to properly use keywords. If they understand the importance of these key terms, they will be more aware of what exactly to find when searching for specific materials. The internet can be a very dark, toxic, and unhealthy place. As children get older, they fall into the trend of social media. This is about the most toxic place, espicially for young teenagers. Children gaze through internet sources and begin to feel like they aren’t as good as “blank” on their recent feed. Children begin to question their self worth, creativity, and ability to be an individual. Another aspect of the internet which can be so painful for students is cyber bullying. It is hard for teachers, parents, and administors to be on top of internet connections 24/7. Although, it is hard to know what is always happening behind the screen, there are ways to go about informing children how to properly be on the internet. I believe there should be a class purely placing information about the internet and how dangerous it can be. There needs to be set rules for the students to follow so they can manage the realtionship they have with the internet, social media, and blog posts. I strongly believe students are not the only individuals within a school setting that need to listen in on internet safety. Many educators admit with technology changing they do not understand how to use it all in a proper manner. Therefore, how can they teach children how to protect their searches from the internet if they themselves are a bit lost. It wouldn’t make sense for them to educate students on a topic they have little knowledge on. I think teachers would benefit from learning the same material, just in a more in depth light. Therefore, education is truly key in the relationship to all individuals and the internet. In our reading, one specific topic stood out to be the most, "even though schools think that because they have certain sites blocked such as social media sites they don't have to worry about teaching internet safety but schools should still be preparing children to use internet safety while they are not in school" Bulter 2010 p. 4). Overall, I believe all schools should incorporate internet courses to learn the most information. If teachers would educate their students on technolgy more--the numbers of bullying, self worth, anxiety, and depression would I believe decrease in our overall statistics today. A lot of issues come straight from the source of the internet, which can easily be handled. Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom
I think you bring up a really good point when you said that teachers not understanding how to use technology properly causes issues with expecting them to understand, protect, and teach their students. We have to take time to focus on educating our teachers before we can expect them to protect our studnets.
It is definitely true that there are a lot of sites out there that are unsafe. Not only that, but some people are unaware of how much information they should or shouldn't share. Although the internet is an amazing tool, there are a lot of things about the internet that are unsafe. This is why it is so important to educate people about these facts. Starting at a younger age, is better, because schools do use the internet for assignments. I agree with you that there should be blocks for certain kinds of searches for children. However, it is definitely more than just blocking things that is important for young children. We need to teach them how to safely search and what keywords and search engines to use. We also need to teach about other potential dangers on the internet like information being stolen or cyberbullying. I agree with you that the internet can be toxic, especially as children get older. You brought up some great points about social media. Although it can be used for good by linking old friends and making it easier to stay in touch, there are a lot of toxic things about it too, such as cyberbullying. I also agree with you that schools should have courses or time set aside for children to learn internet safety information. Teachers should be educated on these facts as well, so they are able to pass on the information and help their students as well.
The internet has grown and expanded so much. I remember being in elementary and we didn’t learn about using the internet we were learning about how to type. I also remember learning to do research papers and having to surf the internet but learning all about internet safety and things we need to be aware of as such as illegal, inappropriate and unsafe behavior that is being exposed was not taught to students. There are many different social networks that kids have access to. There are many students who have access to the internet outside of school where teachers aren’t present. The internet provides students with many educational tools, however, as teachers we are to teach students all about using the internet. It is vital for students to know all about internet safety. According to Kevin, “Although the internet revolutionized communication and provided powerful new educational tools for student learning, it has also created risks and raised ethical issues for students of all grades, as it has created many opportunities for illegal, inappropriate and unsafe behavior among all participants” (Butler, 2010).
It is very important that students learn all about internet safety in the classroom and outside of the classroom. As teachers we hope that these skills will last a lifetime as well as using those skills outside of the classroom. I believe teachers should educate families as well for those who don’t have the skills of using the internet or the knowledge of internet safety. I personally think the internet is really unsafe, however, there are many different sites for children that are safe to visit. There are so many predators and people who try and steal your identity and personal information such as your personal bank account. I myself had an experience of purchasing things off the internet and not being aware of safe sites to shop on. Money was stolen from my account and things were purchased.
Now teachers are prepared to teach students about internet safety. Their school districts provides workshops and learning seminars for teachers who aren’t knowledgeable of internet safety as well as keeping teachers on path has the internet continues to grow. The National Cyber Alliance provides a paradigm: the 3 C’s (cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security. Teachers are positioned to help students in these areas. Kathy mentions how librarians can work with colleagues to determine what works best for their school. Every teacher in every grade level can come together and create a plan that would teach students about going online and the importance of not giving your information to strangers.
Practicing internet safety will prepare students for the future. They will be able to take those skills and use them outside of the classroom. Those skills will teach students to understand the importance of internet safety and knowing how to make the right decisions while using the internet.
Betty- I agree, and also find it to be a little scary that the Internet has grown and changed so much since say you or I were in elementary school or even middle school. I do remember playing computer games at home when I was in elementary school but that was about the extent of using a computer. And as for the computer, it definately wasn't a laptop like they are now days. Things are always changing. The Internet is one of them and with how many young children are using the Internet these days Internet safety is something that needs to be taught now more than ever. I however think Internet safety should be taught starting at home and then continued and expanded on at school. It should not be the sole responibility of the school.
Betty, I agree with you that internet safety should be taught in the classroom and in the home. The internet is being introduced earlier and earlier to children and they need to be able to understand how to use it safely. You would be teaching responsibility by teaching about privacy and security. Schools should incorporate cyber safety in to their curriculum and also have parents understand and learn the information too. Cyber safety is just as important in the home as it is in school. Victoria
Hi Betty, I am so sorry that you went through that scare of someone taken that safe guard away from you. The internet is a scary place that we aren't able to control even for ourself. I don't have personal information up and using personal things even for school makes me feel uncomfortable because you never know. But students need to be educated on this subject because they live on the internet and they do need to be aware of all the scary people out there. I am glad that schools and teacher take this subject very seriously. It doesn't have its benefit but there are bad things as well. Staying up to date on this will benefit everyone as well.
Betty, There are so many more social networking sites today then there were when I was growing up. With there being so much going on socially, it calls for children to be taught the rules of the road online. Technology can bring a love/hate relationship. I feel a big issue with social networking involves cyberbullying. This makes it crucial for students to know how to behave on the online world by learning cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security.
The internet is a great tool for so many reasons. However, there are a lot of dangerous things that children can run into when using the internet and it is important for educators to teach children how to be safe on the internet. Frederick (2010) discusses how most schools usually have some sort of filter to block the “bad stuff” on the internet. Frederick (2010) states, “School librarians have a unique opportunity to take a leadership role in this area. Students learn to use the Internet with guidance by going to proscribed Web sites and by learning smart searching strategies as they use subscription databases and the Web” (p. 35). Although this is a great start, it doesn’t help children using the internet outside of school or on computers that do not have these filters. Educators need to find a way to teach young children about internet safety. Frederick suggests that librarians work with teachers to train them on internet safety and how to teach internet safety. Frederick (2010) states, “The focus for information literacy is all about the ethics of research, the effective use of resources, and the guidance of students’ online work” (p. 35). With these concepts in mind, teachers can find a way to help students be safe on the internet.
I can’t say that I recall being taught specific internet safety strategies when I was in school. There were sites we were allowed to use and sites we weren’t. We weren’t taught about cyberbullying or issues with sharing too much information. However, it might have been not as much of an issue at the time. Now, it is an issue, along with many other issues that can arise on the internet. Butler (2010) talks about how a lot of internet safety isn’t taught until the teen years, but should be taught earlier. It is important for children to learn at an early age about internet safety so that it will lessen the risk of cyberbullying, help keep information safe, and much more. The earlier we get this information to students, the better educated people will be with the internet. I thought it was interesting how both articles mentioned adding internet safety into the curriculum. I think this would be a great idea, especially if computers are used in the classroom. It is more common that computers are used in the classroom, so children should be taught internet safety on top of how to use the computers in general. I can see having a librarian come in about once a week or so to teach a new lesson on internet safety. I think this would help the teachers as well. However, Butler (2010) states, “the responsibility should be shared among all the teachers, not just library media specialists, who have traditionally taken a lead on the matter” (p. 54). Butler discusses splitting it up among the teachers and how it makes sense to have an English teacher do a lesson about plagiarism and proper citations and other teachers teach lessons on internet safety that go along with the subject they teach. I think this makes a lot of sense as well. Librarians should still help out as well and I can still see it very useful bringing the librarians into the classrooms.
References
Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety in the classroom. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
Frederick, K. (2010). Teaching the rules of the road online. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
The internet has grown rapidly and is being used more and more excessively everyday especially by children. I agree there are many dangerous things that students can run into on the internet. I feel that it is also parents respnsibility as well to teach their child about internet safety. I also feel as though educators should really teach students about internet safety because students are using the internet at school, even though some websites may be restricted when using the school computer, it is important they they not only teach the students but have reminders and rules every time they log on before using the internet. I think students should be reminded daily on how to use the internet. I myself wasn't taught anything about how to use the internet safely. I think because back then the internet wasn't as popular as it is today. Thanks for sharing.
Kaylee, I think that the sooner children are aware of internet safety, the better. Children need to be aware that there are sites that not good. Also, one of the biggest things for them to know, is that they should never give out personal information. I think that many times that is stressed out enough. Like you mentioned, most schools have some type of blockage on sites. They also talk about how to safely use the internet. I also think that it’s important for parents to do this at home. I don’t have any kids, but if I did, I would want to make sure my kids are using the internet safely. Parents need to keep their children safe and talk to them about internet safety as well. When I was in school, I don’t remember talking about internet safety as much. I remember we would have computer class twice a week and that was pretty much the only time we would have access to the internet. It was until middle school that we had more access to it since we started writing papers and doing research. But even then there wasn’t a lot of talk about internet safety. I think that now there is probably a lot more involvement and talking about internet safety. Lili
Internet safety was not a topic that I remember learning about in school. The little bit that was talked about was in junior high and high school and really the only things they mentioned was not to share passwords with others. I don’t even remember having a computer lab until I was in middle school/junior high and then about the only time I would use the computer at school was when I went with my class anytime the teacher would take us.
Now days with students using computers more often, “K12 educators are seeing the need to not only utilize the Internet in instruction, but also to teach students the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to be safe and responsible digital citizens both inside and outside of school.” (Butler, 2010, p.53) I think teaching children Internet safety should be a 50/50 partnership between parents and the school. The parents should be teaching their child the basics by the time the child is old enough to use a computer, but then schools should always reinforce Internet safety. Students usually work with the librarian and/or their classroom teacher when in the computer lab. “What is being taught to students that will help them when they are in the unfiltered world outside of school networks? School librarians have a unique opportunity to take a leadership role in this area. Safely using the Internet should start with the youngest students. Many topics will be repeated at each grade level. What should be covered and when? For early elementary students (K-4) Basic internet use, Having an adult present when online, Not giving information to unknown persons, Cyberbullying/harassment, and Understanding acceptable use of technology.” (Fedrick, 2010, p.35)
“A poll released by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), Microsoft, and Educational Technology Policy, Research and Outreach (ETPRO) shows that only 56% of the 1,003 teachers surveyed in December 2009 and January 2010 felt that their district does an adequate job of preparing them to discuss topics with students such as online ethics, safety, and security. Only about one third say their district requires those topics to be taught in the classroom setting.” Butler, 2010, p.54)
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Q5bKzlceaz65FWc9A5HuYWQfP
Fredrick, K. (2010, April). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Q5bKzlceaz65FWc9A5HuYWQfP
The internet is something that is ever growing and it is something that will never go away. It is also something that can be very dangerous. It can be very dangerous for children that are attached to it. They can find something that they should not find and they can see images that they should not have seen. One of the articles mentioned that schools have filters and firewalls to help protect the children, but those go away once they walk out those school doors (Fredrick, 2010). The biggest thing is that when children are using internet that is not filtered, they can find the predators and all the bad stuff (Fredrick, 2010). This is why internet safety should be taught in schools. The three things that should be taught are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security (Fredrick, 2010). Another thing I found is that there are certain things that should be taught at certain ages. The children should be taught to use icons, click links, having an adult present when online, not giving information to unknown people, cyberbullying, harassment, and understanding acceptable use of technology should be taught in grades k-4 (Fredrick, 2010). The children should be taught how to protect personal information, understand plagiarism, understand copyrighting, use social networking, understand identity heft, and cybercrimes in middle school and up (Fredrick, 2010). All of these things can be taught and they can be integrated into a teachers everyday lesson plan (Fredrick, 2010). A study had showed that many teachers do not feel like they can teach internet safety and they do not how to put it into their lesson plans (butler, 2010). However, there are free resources for them that can help with that (Butler, 2010). Teaching internet safety can involve the families of the children as well (Butler, 2010). There can be nights where the school invited the families to talk about internet safety and how to protect them (Butler, 2010). They can talk about ways to protect their children and how to teach them how to be safe at home (Butler, 2010). Parents have questions too because they have the same worries that teachers. I always worry about children finding something that they should not. Internet safety is something that is not always taken seriously So many people post things online that will never go away and they do not realize the dangers. Internet safety is something that will hopefully be taught more in school. I was never taught it and I wish I would have been.
References
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Q5bKzlceaz65FWc9A5HuYWQfP
Fredrick, K. (2010, April). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Q5bKzlceaz65FWc9A5HuYWQfP
I too hadn't thought about the different 'stages', so to speak, of teaching internet safety to different ages until this week. I think starting with students learning to click icons and so forth is a great way to get started in an early learning classroom such as the one I have.
You made a lot of great points in your post. I remember my school having filters and firewalls but once we got into high school students were hacking those walls and getting into things they shouldn’t have been getting in to. Like you said, students have protection in school but once they leave school they no longer have that protection so how is that helping the students? Great post thank you for sharing.
Kourtney, I agree with you, it is very true that the Internet is ever changing and is something that is not going away. I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about technology. Two main reasons for this is because of a concern with screen time and the dangers that the Internet can present. This is why I think it is so important to have cyber safety implemented into the classroom curriculum. If we know that the Internet is not going anywhere, as teachers it is in our best interest to teach cyber safety, cyber ethics, and cyber security to our students. The topic should be presented in a positive, interactive, and engaging way.
Cyber Safety Rules… Since early 2000’s with the introduction of Web 2.0 (the World Wide Web) to the world, most school districts had been slowly integrating the use of the Internet Literacy into their curriculum. Mainly, they have focused upon how to create firewalls and block inappropriate sites from students who access the internet for inquiries (Launching Library 2.0). However, they never truly introduced how the students or parents should protect themselves from the internet. Some school districts require the Librarians to teach new technology to the students and some staff members. In our school district the elementary students and parents sign a permission waiver allowing the student picture to be taken and to use the internet within the school (ILSD 153). The High school districts have the same requirement, but in addition they offer monthly parent advisory meetings to inform them about any curriculum changes. They aid families without access to a computer and they have created a school webpage to communicate with parents that are not able to make the meetings (ILSD 233). However, to teach students how to be “cybersafe” while using the school’s technology or for personal use at home, the only notice that is reiterated from our school Librarians is to not have food near the computers and to be respectful while using the computers. Even in our computer lab classes, it is mentioned not to use inappropriate sites or unapproved sites during class time - Facebook, Snapchat or Gaming - but some do (ILSD 233). Yet in all honesty, I do not believe our children understand how vulnerable the internet can be. Does anyone, students especially, know how to correctively be Cybersafe? According to the District Administration article by Kevin Butler, “Cybersafety should be taught as soon as children begin to use a computer”. According to Launching Library 2.0 (LL 2.0), Librarians should not be the only educators who teach Internet literacy safety, the teachers should provide an insight about how to appropriately and safely use the Internet as well. There are several website organizations that have dedicated time to create online worksheets, lesson plans, interactive programs, games and professional developments to introduce Internet Literacy safety. One organization the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), not only created the 3 C’s paradigm to follow: “Cyber Ethics, Cyber Security, and Cyber Safety” (LL 2.0). Cyber Ethics is the teaching of digital citizenship: how to behave online respectfully and to understand the consequences of cyberbullying. Cyber Security teaches how to avoid viruses, spam or how “not” to post personal information online. While Cyber Safety teaches how to avoid online predators or hackers (Dist. Admin. p. 57). Although most of this information is verbally mention in classrooms prior to a research projects, but it is not taught what to watch-out for prior too, nor even suggested as a research project. Other interesting sites to review are: - for “Free” - Netsmartz; WiredSafety.org; NCSA; Internet Safety and You; and CyberSmart! . Some sites have a service fee: iKeepSafe; EasyTech Online Safety; CyberSmart! ; and iSafe Education – these fees vary subjected to what service the educator wants to use the sites for. We as educators need to acknowledge our students are consuming the cyber life faster than we can implement them into our curriculum but at least we can provide the Cyber Safety knowledge for their growth. Illinois School District 153. (2010-19). Elementary districts 153. Illinois School District 233. (2016-19). High school districts 233. Fredrick, K. (2010). Launching library 2.0: teaching the rules of the road online. School Library Monthly, PDF, V26 – 8. Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety, in the classroom. District Administration. PDF. www.DistrictAdministration.com.
Tammicea, I agree with your opening statement. I remember being in school and having firewalls and filters to block out the sites that we were not allowed on but we were not taught how to actually do that or anything on internet safety. I think it is really smart to actually add that into the curriculum. Technology and the internet are widely being used now in school and at home, students should know the basics of cyber safety. Victoria
Cyber safety is something every student should be taught. Technology is so widely used in the classroom and at home that it should be taught to students on how to protect their information and privacy. "As teachers use the Web more in instruction and research, they should always be providing examples of good use and explain why it is important." (Butler, 2010) With technology and the Web changing so quickly, teaching how to use it responsibly and securely use it. In Butler's article, he mentions how teachers who do teach cyber safety still feel as though they are behind because of how quickly it all can change. I think the idea of including cyber safety into the curriculum is a smart thing to do when it comes to using the Web and technology in the classroom. Incorporating lessons on privacy, security, and what and how to keep information safe should be started right when children begin to understand on how to use the Web. This is something parents should be involved in as well. Parents need to understand the information their children are being taught and how to reinforce that at home. There are websites to teach cyber safety like, I-Safe, NetSmart, Stay Safe Online, and so many more just to get started. In the article Teaching Rules of the Road Online, it is mentioned that there is a lot of time spent on firewalls and filters on school computers. These are to block out what websites and bad things students are not supposed to be on. "The National Cyber Security Alliance provides a paradigm: the 3 Cs—cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security. School librarians are positioned to help students in these areas." (Fredrick, 2010) I agree that librarians, computer teachers, and anyone who is teaching students about the Web are in positions to help students learn about the 3 C's. Depending on the age of the student, the lessons should be age appropriate and right for their age and what they are doing on the computer. They should be taught practices that they can use at home and when away from school on cyber security. Fredrick, K. (2010). Launching library 2.0: teaching the rules of the road online. School Library Monthly, PDF, V26 – 8. Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety, in the classroom. District Administration. PDF. www.DistrictAdministration.com.
I loved your post from the start. I did because of the first thing that you said. I agree that cyber safety is something that should be taught to every student. The internet is ever growing and that comes with new dangers. Children need to be more protected from the world out there and the world they have at their fingertips. What happens when children are not taught cyber safety? How early should it be taught? I like the idea of teachers showing good use and explaining why it is important. Children need things explained to them because just showing them does not always make it click. I agree that if teachers just keep going they will be able to teach all they can. The internet is so hard to keep up with because of the fact that it is ever changing. What would be some personal suggestions from you for teachers? Should the parents be teaching the children cyber safety as well? I also agree that the lesson should be age appropriate. Children are a lot smarter than they are given credit for. This was a great post and I am glad that you shared.
You mentioned how parents need to be involved with the teaching and the learning that their children are receiving at schools, I agree with you, especially when it pertains to internet safety. We as teachers should create an assignment that involves and requires the parent and student to work together. This way both are learning about internet safety, how to appropriately use the internet and the warning signs to watch out for. This assignment should require the parent to assist the student with 2 or 3 sites. Parents must provide 2 or 3 statements of how cyber safety is applied to their work, the car, and to list what shopping site they visit. Those questions are just hypothetical examples and they may seem personal, but only the parent would have that information to provide. Also, it will at least suggest the parent was involved with or while the student had to conduct the research. Indirectly stated with your comment, to create a good idea for future assignments.
Reflection: Cyber safety is something not a lot of people talk about in schools. I feel like at times, the topic feels like everyone is jsut expected to just know the information because it should be common sense. We forget that children are becoming so much smarter and getting into technology and access to the Web at such an earlier age now that we need to teach them the basics of cyber safety for their own safety. I agree that it should be included in the school's curriculum if they are using technology in the classrooms. The staff, teachers, and parents should know how to keep their information private and secure when using the Web. It should also be reinforced at home for when the children are not in school. Learning to not share passwords, communicate with adults if something is suspicious, scary, or harmful are important lessons to be taught.
We hear the word safety in everything we do, no matter what it may be. When a child wants to ride a bike, safety first. You need a helmet to keep your head from getting hurt. When you turn the car on, the first thing is, buckle up. It's the law. We tell students no running in the hall or classroom because they can hurt themselves or someone else. If we take all these precautions, why wouldn't we take the extra step to keep our students safe while they use the internet? It is one of the most difficult places to monitor yet also a place that can never be too safe. Schools never had to worry about this in the past because computers weren't such a big thing. However, that has changed now and we have to keep whoever logs on safe. We educate teachers on how to keep the bad sites away but we aren't sure when the children walk out those doors, what they will do or what they will be exposed to. In the first article, the National Cyber Security Alliance talks about using the three Cs which are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cybersecurity. With the help of the librarian, a student can be shown how to be safe when using a computer. It's about working as a team to help them and getting the right training to do so. When I sit here and think about the things that can happen to a child, it scares me. They can suffer from cyberbullying or inappropriate people on the internet. Children also now have phones at a young age. We can use apps to block certain websites and set time limits for when they can access the internet or certain content; however, this is never enough. Teachers and parents try to educate children on every subject they will need to succeed in life. However, the one thing we can't completely control is the use of computers and the internet. Teachers and students have a vast array of information accessed from the internet that provides a huge benefit to both.
It is imperative that we consistently talk to our students in school and our children at home about being safe. We need to show them sites that are approved while in school and explain why. We need to ensure the subject is a constant talking point because it isn't something to take lightly. Things are always fun and exciting until something goes wrong. If we provide them with the tools to handle themselves out in the world, the results can be different. Teachers also need to ensure they have an open-door policy and the children feel safe in their presence. Rules always need to be posted up on the walls for them to follow and we need to keep reminding them even if they feel it isn't necessary.
For this week we were able to read more about online safety. There are different rules and techniques that can be used to help students be safe on the internet. This isn’t just for when they use it at school, but also for when they are using the internet outside of school. It’s really important that children are aware of internet safety and what that means. The earlier they know this the better it will be for them. It’s important that they know they should never be giving out their personal information to people that they don’t know. It would even be considered a bad idea to give out information to people who they do know. How are they to know if it really is who they think it is? With this, my first thought goes to Facebook. Everybody uses Facebook, so it’s really easy for kids to have access to it. On Facebook, how are people supposed to know for sure if people are who they say they are. It’s just really important for students to be aware that things like this can happen. Another important thing to know about internet safety, is that there should be some type of supervision on what websites children have access to. They should be monitored not only at school but also at home. At school, there is a lot of reinforcement and monitoring on what the students can do online. There are different sites that they might not have access to and there is constant supervision going on. According to the Teaching Rules of Road Online, “Students learn to use the Internet with guidance by going to proscribed Web sites and by learning smart searching strategies as they use subscription databases and the Web”. At home it’s a different thing. There are some parents that don’t supervise their children while they are online. This is where sometimes it can lead to bad things. I think it would be a good idea to have online workshops for parents. This would give them a better idea on what they should be looking for and how to help their children be safe on the internet. In the article, Cybersafety in the Classroom, it states, “She adds that, through its adult education division, the district also conducts a more in-depth, three-hour class taught in a computer lab in which adults can take tours of MySpace, Facebook and other technologies as part of an Internet safety and security lesson.” This is a great way for parents to get involved and get more information on internet safety.
Butler, K (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://d2.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126/Cybersafety%20in%20%the20%Classroom.pdf_&d2l
Frederik, K. (2010, April). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content.enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%Classroom. Pdf.
You mention that students may not have supervision when they are at home and using the Internet. To address that issue, I agree with you that parents may need to attend a workshop to educate them about the dangers present online and how they can protect themselves and their children. On NetSmartzKids.org, the computer in Nettie and Webster's home is in a common, open area of the house, not a private room. This allows anyone to be able to see what is on the screen and fosters caution and responsibility on behalf of the user while preventing misuse of the web. I think keeping all digital, network connected devices in the open where they can be seen is an excellent idea for the home environment. I also support placing parental controls on devices that children use to help further prevent inappropriate web use. What do you think?
It is necessary for children to be provided with an online compass that will govern their behavior in the online world beyond school; taught the rules of the road online. One professional that has an opportunity to take a leadership role in this area is a school librarian. According to Fredrick (20100 school librarians can “help create critical and ethical thinkers, ready to assess what they see online and make good decisions” (p. 35). School librarians can begin with the 3Cs-cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security. As mentioned by Fredrick (2010) information literacy has a focus of: the ethics of research, the effective use of resources, and the guidance of students’ online work (p. 35). According to Fredrick (2010) “In a collaborative role with teachers, school librarians also have an opportunity to provide training to other educators as well. Working collaboratively, it is possible to provide a sequential approach to teaching students these skills across the grades” (p. 35). In early elementary, grades kindergarten through fourth, the following topics should be covered: using icons, clicking links, basic Internet use, having an adult present when online, not giving information to unknown person as well as logins and passwords, cyberbullying, harassment, and understanding acceptable use of technology (Fredrick, 2010, p. 35). In middle grades and higher the topics of: protecting personal information, privacy, understanding intellectual property, copyright, plagiarism, understanding social networking dos and don’ts, understanding identity theft, hacking, malware, and other cybercrimes should be covered (Fredrick, 2010, p. 35). District leaders need to take the responsibility for teaching student how to wisely navigate the Internet. As mentioned by Butler (2010) the Internet has “revolutionized communication and provided powerful new educational tools for student learning, it has also created risks and raised ethical issues for students of all grades, as it has created many opportunities for illegal, inappropriate and unsafe behavior among all participants” (p. 53). When teaching cyber safety in the classroom, curriculum integration, involving parents, and enlisting Web 2.0 have to be taken into consideration. One problem with curriculum integration is how rapidly the Internet landscape changes. Programs that focus on specific Web tools or site quickly become out-of-date. In addition to integrating these lessons into the curriculum, Butler (2010) mentions that the responsibility should be shared among all the teacher, not just library media specialists (p. 54). Parents are also targeted by Internet safety and security education efforts, as well as teachers and students. Involving them through adult education, allows them to get information and ask questions (Butler, 2010, p. 56). Tools that can be used to teach Internet safety, security and ethics are Web 2.0 tools. Two resources available online include: NetSmartz Workshop and CyberSmart! Curriculum. NetSmartz Workshop offers a registration to receive downloadable files of presentation for different grade levels. The Web site has supporting handouts, activities, and fun and engaging video clips about safety, security, and ethical behavior (Fredrick, 2010, p. 36). CyberSmart! Curriculum offers a set of free lesson plans with reproducible activity sheets. The site has lessons that can be incorporated into the curriculum for particular situations (Fredrick, 2010, p. 36).
References
Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety in the classroom. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
Frederick, K. (2010). Teaching the rules of the road online. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
The Internet has revolutionized communication and provided powerful new educational tools for student learning, it has also created risks and raised ethical issues for students of all grades, as it has created many opportunities for illegal, inappropriate and unsafe behavior among all participants. Cyber safety is such an important concept that needs to be integrated into the curriculum and classroom. I know this may be difficult for some schools to do for various reasons. I have learned that this responsibility extends beyond the library media specialist. Which is interesting, because the first person I remember introducing me to a computer and how to navigate it was the librarian. This week really put the topic of Internet Safety into perspective for me. Before I didn’t consider that students needed to be taught the rules of the road online. I guess I assumed it was more like something they learned on their own through explorations. Just like students learn how to drive from taking a Driver’s Ed, the same goes for learning how to navigate the Web. I wasn’t necessarily taught how to behave in the online world, but with the increase of social networking, I think it is a must for the current generation of students. I enjoyed completing the Week 6 Assignment Task. I am a person that learns by doing, so it was beneficial for me to create a Web poster. Creating the Web poster was not as challenging as some of the other technological tools that we have explored thus far. I definitely got something out of it and think a classroom of students would as well. I know that cyber safety, cyber ethics, and cyber security are all important, but I became wrapped up in cyberbullying. I think this is because bullying is a sensitive subject for me. Of course I want to teach all 3Cs, but if it came down to it, I would definitely want to ensure that my students are not victims or participants in cyberbullying.
Internet use in the classroom and beyond continues to grow. Many students are using the internet not only for school related work, but for socializing on places like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as web surfing. It is important for us as educators to be able to teach our students about internet safety and security as a part of their curriculum. This should start at the same time that the use begins in the classroom. Due to consistent internet use this has become just as vital as other subject areas. Some safety concerns are making sure an adult is present, not giving out information, cyberbullying/harassment, understanding copyright/plagiarism, social media dos and don’ts, identity theft, and hacking(Fredrick, 2010).
It can seem scary for us as educators to be able to do and some of us might not know where to begin. I personally feel I wouldn’t be prepared at this point to teach it. I would need to learn more about it and probably take some more specific professional development on the subject. The articles this week were a great starting point as I feel that it has put me in the right direction.
The National Cyber Security Alliance provides a paradigm: the 3 Cs—cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security (Fredrick, 2010). We have to not only create appropriate lesson plans, but identify the necessary lists of possible hazards according to our students’ grade levels. Luckily, there are resources available to us like NetSmartz and CyberSmart(Fredrick, 2010). Both of these sites offer presentations and lesson plans as well as activities that we could use in the classroom to help teach our students internet safety. They are efficient because they range by grade level.
Growing up, I always remember taking computer class and learning how to use the computer, but not being taught how to safely and securely use a computer. With the quick developments in technology, internet use has really evolved. Therefore, this is why it is important to teach it to our students even though it is not already integrated into our curriculum. Some states, like Virginia, require districts to teach all kids internet safety and security issues, and districts receiving certain federal E-rate funds (Butler, 2010). If we had adequate resources in our schools, like library techs, they would be a great asset in helping students personally, but also being able to educate teachers on ways to develop responsible safety and security habits.
References Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
Frederick, K. (2010). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
You mentioned taking a computer class but not learning how to safely use the computer. I can relate to this when it comes to learning how to use the Internet. I wasn't allowed much unsupervised access to the Internet when I was in high school. So when I went to University the first time, I suddenly had access to everything; I do not think that there were any security protocols in place at the time limiting what we could access and look at. At the time, it was exciting to first realize that I had the freedom to look at anything. In the end, I had to enforce my own set of ethical and moral codes to keep myself safe from things that I did not want to see - online or off.
I guess what I am saying is that I agree that explicitly teaching Internet or Cyber safety and security is of the utmost importance. Since we will no doubt make use of the Internet to provide instruction, we need to make certain that our students understand Internet "netiquette" as NetSmartz says. Students also need to know that there are very harmful things on the web that can leave a lasting impression if they are not careful; but we to tell them this in a way that fosters awareness and caution, not curiosity.
We have mentioned before in our posts how important it is for our children to be able to use the Internet safely. This week, we read about how educators can use safety features and model safe Internet-use behaviours as we teach students how to use this tool safely and effectively.
Kathy Fredrick (2010) highlighted how librarians can take the opportunity to lead the way in preparing students for the world outside of school and away from secured networks by helping them become “critical and ethical thinkers who can assess what they see online and make good decisions.” They can begin with “the 3C’s – cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security” which encompasses “the ethics of research, the effective use of resources, and the guidance of students’ online work.” Her article also suggested that school librarians collaborate with teachers, administrators and students to create a curriculum that would cover: having a trusted adult sit with students while they are online, not sharing personal information or passwords with others, online bullying and harassment, understanding copyright/plagiarism/IP, and various cyber-crimes. There are also several free online resources that educators can use that provide curricula pieces from full lesson plans to supporting info and materials that work within the 3C’s model. - (Fredrick, 2010)
In “Cybersafety in the Classroom,” Kevin Butler (2010) discusses how school districts have moved toward including Internet safety as part of their existing curricula to prepare students to be ethical and responsible while online. While the desire to begin Internet safety education is present, the ability and skill of all educators to provide adequate education seems to be lacking. Mr. Butler mentions that “the problem is that the Internet landscape is changing so rapidly that programs that focus on specific Web tools or sites quickly become out-of-date as youths move on to the next online trend” (page 54). Keeping up with these changes can be daunting, especially if educators are constantly creating additional lessons in excess of any existing curricula. The suggestion to incorporate Internet safety skills into existing curricula will/may reduce the amount of time spent doing so. As with the article written by Kathy Fredrick, Kevin Butler lists several online sites that educators can use as resources for teaching students of all ages about Cyber security. Among the sites mentioned are: NetSmartz.org; CyberSmart!; iKeepSafe.org; isafe.org; and Stay Safe Online. - (Butler, 2010)
After looking around these sites, I was drawn to NetSMartz because of its instant attraction to children and its simple and direct information about cyber safety. CyberSmart’s curriculum tab links you directly to Common Sense Education (commonsense.org) where educators can access free lessons after signing up for free. i-Safe Digital Learning provides a curriculum library that links you to edbrowser.com once schools have registered and received login credentials. This company has two arms, one for-profit that helps schools and commercial businesses meet regulatory guidelines and the other a non-for-profit that provides districts and schools with digital access to lessons and activities regarding cyber security and safety for students of all ages. Finally, Stay Safe Online seems to be a good resource for older students (middle and high school) since it provides a wealth of information about cyber security. By the way, did you know that October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month according to Stay Safe Online?
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. District Administration, 46(6), 53 - 57. Retrieved October 22, 2019, from https://d2l.ni.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=hHVUFykSWTr1Pi4zRwKCjZTFr
Fredrick, K. (2010, April). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. School Library Monthly, 26(8), pp. 35 - 36. Retrieved October 22, 2018, from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=hHVUFykSWTr1Pi4zRwKCjZTFr
My experience with technology and the internet was limited as a child. Our household didn't own a computer, so when I had access to a computer, there were specific web sites that could be used in high school in the computer lab or library. Therefore, that experience provided opportunities for research for scholarly material to write a paper or research paper. I didn't own a computer until I went to college and realized that I spend too much of my time in the computer lab at school to complete my assignments. As I reflect on the required material for this week's Blog. I think it is vital to equip children with the skills and knowledge that introduces them to the cultures on how to be better digital citizens. For example, children need to learn how to search the internet and be safe with knowledge of safe search engines, reliable website domains, and how to use keywords that can provide reliable information that they use for their learning experience. To avoid misleading and distracting information that can be easily accessed. Teachers must teach children how to use the 3C's from the National Cyber Security Alliance. The 3C's are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cybersecurity (Frederick, 2010). I also believe that if children learn the skills early, their role in internet safety will help them be successful in school. Frederick (2010) mentions, Just as educators teach students how to be safe walking to school, taking the bus, and asking for help when in danger, it is crucial to do the same for them in their online life. (p. 36) Furthermore, teachers who are confident and educated can teach about internet safety with the 3C's cyber ethics, cyber safety cybersecurity. With this information, children will be empowered to be successful with their education and will be better prepared in the work field to be better digital citizens. Butler (2010) shares how "teachers feel insufficiently prepared" to teach children about internet safety due to their lack of knowledge on how to go about teaching it (p. 2). I feel there should be more funds and opportunities available for educators to be prepared to teach these skills to the children. The article shares, several available resources for educator and parents, however, there should be more time that is set aside for teachers also to learn how to teach the skills effectively, especially for some teachers that have a lack of experience in the area of technology. I also feel that it is everyone's responsibility to teach internet safety, not just librarians. Teachers should integrate it into the lesson plans, and parents should practice it at home. The more it is practiced, the better understanding and more naturally it will come to students, especially if we start as soon as we introduce a computer into the classroom to empower the children with successful learning.
Reference Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved October 24, 2019, from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-1126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=sWuT0BBCePTjax4kPQOlgWgXw Frederik, K. (2010, April) Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=68WUZfgSTmlbft1Sjn7yjdKM1
One of the biggest things I thought about this week was the use of firewalls in the classroom and how they don't do anything to help students in the long run. It makes me wonder how useful programs like Bark are. They monitor all the activity a child has, but is it really helpful or does it just prevent the children from learning how to handle their cyber identities? Where is the line between protection and teaching safety?
This week was a great week filled with great discussions and a great assignment. It was different for e creating the web poster like I had to do. It was a new tool for me and something that I have never heard of before. I was thinking when I first read the assignment that it would be heard and complicated. I had come to find out that it wasn’t. I liked being able to navigate something new and it was simple to figure out. I learned how to use a new tool and it is a tool that I can use in my classroom. I can use it to make posters for the families about a certain topic. I can use this for newsletters and spreading the news. I would print it out and make copies. I also enjoyed being able to work with giving directions again. I enjoyed this because it prepared for more for the future when I have to type out directions for my students. It gave me some experience making sure that every detail was included. I also went through the directions and I gave me a better experience that was form both points of view. The view of the teacher and student is what I mean. This was a great week.
This week’s topic of Internet safety was definitely very valuable and informative. It seems like most of my classmates and myself did not have any Internet safety lessons when we were in elementary school. I feel like it wasn’t a huge deal for us but now since students have what seems like unlimited access to the internet and social media, they need to know how to keep themselves safe. The web poster was another new topic for me that I had not heard of or used before but thought it was fairly easy to use because when I first opened week 6 assignment I wont lie, I got overwhelmed thinking it was going to be harder than it was to use web poster.
With going into this week and learning more about safety and making sure that children are well educated is as important then them learning math or reading. We take every measures to keep our children safe in this world. For some parents we wish we can keep them small and in a bubble but we can't. At one point we have to let them go so they can grow. But with school taking on more ways to protect our children we know that they are forming the base work for them to look out for warning signs while on the internet. Even when they aren't in school and using their phones. We were given good information during this week that we can take with us not only into our classrooms but also with our own children. I know I try and make sure that I know what my children are doing when using there Ipads.
I thought this week's content was very important. Internet safety is vital information for all people to know. Children are especially vulnerable to the dangers of the internet, so it is important to inform them of ways to be safe. I enjoyed the discussion we had as well as completing the assignment. I think that the Web Posters are really great tools to use with students. I wouldn't be able to use this type of tool with my students in the same way that we did in our assignment, but I can still see some interesting uses for it. I actually had fun putting my Web Poster together, once I really figured out how to use the site. It was a little confusing at first, but I figured it out and realized what a great tool it was. It's such a cool way to have students do assignments as well, rather than just typical worksheets.
In reflection to this week's blog post I feel the information discussed is very important. Internet safety should be a concern in all schools and properly taught. If children do not understand how to handle the internet than they are at means to run into some very dangerous concern. I felt a bit confused creating the Web Poster, but I believe they are a wonderful tool to educate children with. Children need to have tools such as these to gain the best education for all learning purposes. Internet safety is a very in depth topic, therefore, having all the tools to teach this topic correctly is the key to success. Thanks for all the thoughts this weekend! Great work everyone.
Helping students to learn all about internet safety should always be something requires teachers to teach as well as having the knowledge behind internet safety. I’ve learned that many teachers struggle with teaching internet safety to kids because some aren’t up to date with the internet world and others just don’t have the resources behind teaching the subject. However, today many school districts provide workshops and many seminars for teachers to learn all about internet safety.
This week’s activity was a bit challenging for me. Finding sites for students to gain information about internet safety wasn’t the difficult part, however, trying to find a safe internet site for grade levels K-3rd was a bit of a challenge for me. Mostly everything I have came across was tips for parents or teachers about internet safety for kids. I tried finding information where young students would be able to understand. The game I found was a game that provides students with safety internet tips. I also found a site were students have the chance to do a multiple choice quiz on internet safety. When creating a webpost, that was the first time I’ve ever heard of this tool, however, it was actually interesting to do. It didn’t require as much to do and it was very simple.
Overall, teaching students all about internet safety is important. Many of us have experienced with our personal business being hacked. The objective is to be able to provide students with safety internet tips that will prepare them for the future and last them a lifetime.
Reflection There is a lot that I learned this week about internet safety. I learned that there is a lot that goes into it and it’s a great part of a students education. As educators, we have to prepare children and talk to them about internet safety. Most children start using the internet at an early age. So the earlier they are aware of how to use it safely, the better. I would want to do different workshops with my class and make sure they fully understand how to be safe on the internet. I was able to find some really interesting sites about internet safety. I added them to my spreadsheet and I think they would be really helpful for the children. On one of the sites, it talked about how it’s important to never give out personal information such as passwords. There’s a video that goes along with it and children would enjoy watching that. There’s also another website that is a game called Surfing the Web. This would be ideal for third graders. I think these sites would be beneficial when talking about internet safety. As for the assignment we had this week, I thought it was a bit confusing at first. I had to read the directions and the rubric several times. As I started doing it, I found it easier to do.
This week we learned a lot about the importance of internet safety. It is important that we teach our students how to be safe and secure when using the internet. Prior to this week, I never really put into consideration how important this is. After the readings, I was able to not only get a much better idea of what internet safety is and what it looks like, but learned why it is so important to educate our students on it. Since we will be using it in class and all of us use it on our personal time, it is important that we all know how to do it in a safe and secure manner.
This week’s assignment helped me learn more about internet safety. It was fun yet challenging to create this workshop because I was learning from it as well. As I researched sites about internet safety I was able to educate myself a little more on the topic, but finding appropriate sites for the primary grades has been a little bit of a challenge. It seems that a lot of content was more for the upper grades. What really helped was using some of the strategies we learned in one of our previous modules. I was able to use the Boolean strategies to help me identify sites that were specifically for k-3 and this is where I started to find more appropriate sites on this topic.
Final Reflection As I reflect on the required material for this week's blog and assignment, I learned some important facts about internet safety. I think that it is vital to teaching children the 3C's from the National Cyber Security Alliance. The 3C's are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security (Frederick, 2010). I feel Internet safety is vital information for all people to know. Children are especially vulnerable to the dangers of the internet, so it is essential to inform them of ways to be safe. I also enjoyed this week's assignment to complete a worksheet on Web Posters. I feel this is a great tool to use with students to complete tasks and share information they have learned. I had a lot of fun following the step to complete to prepare the worksheet on the web post. I also like the opportunity of creat directions and instructions for the student to access the web post to get to the worksheet. The experience was exciting for me to learn since this was my first time exploring with the tool. However, I don't think that I would be able to use this type of tool with my students because of their age level. But I believe that some preschool children would be able to use the tool with some assistance from a teacher to access the worksheets. And if there were pictures next to the link to guide the children, this tool might be developmentally appropriate for them to complete different assignments or projects.
Internet safety is not something I remember learning a lot about in school but I think should have been taught. As more and more schools transition into online learning and assignments the importance of teaching internet safety is becoming more important. I remember as a high school student there were certain websites that were blocked to students such as Facebook. I think a big safety problem is Google. Using Google as your primary search engine for children would not be the best option. If certain keywords are missing or one words something just right inappropriate websites and pictures can come up. Butler (2010) discusses how schools need to "start on web education as soon as computers are introduced to the children" (p. 2). Some things I think that are important for children to learn about internet safety are safe search engines, reliable website domains, and how to use keywords. As children get older it's important to teach them about chatting online, personal information on the web, and cyber bullying. Unfortunately, now a days children are bullying each other via technology and I think it's important for children to know how to handle a this type of situation and what they should do if they find themselves in this type of situation.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to educating children about internet safety I think there should be a separate computer class that starts when children get into first grade. Teaching the children early on about their role in internet safety will help them be successful in school. Along with a class, schools need teachers who are educated and able to teach about internet safety. Butler (2010) discusses how "teachers feel insufficiently prepared" to teach children about internet safety due to their lack of knowledge on how to go about teaching it (p. 2). This leads into why isn't internet safety required by schools to teach? This type of knowledge will follow a child into high school and then college. With this knowledge schools and teachers will be setting the children up for success in all of their future endeavors. There is so much on the Web that is accessible to anybody and everybody and as educators and administrators we should be taking more responsibility on how internet safety is being taught to the children as it is our job to keep them safe and always have their best interest in mind. Butler (2010) goes on to discuss how "even though schools think that because they have certain sites blocked such as social media sites they don't have to worry about teaching internet safety but schools should still be preparing children to use internet safety while they are not in school" (p. 4).
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=sWuT0BBCePTjax4kPQOlgWgXw
Cierra,
DeleteThank you for your thoughts on this week's blog post. I found this week to be extremely informative and enlighting. I agree with several facts you made when it comes to internet safety and how to protect our students. I think the internet can be such a dangerous place for students and we need to be more aware to the actions it creates for students. How do you think teachers can act on situations where the internet is toxic? Can situation be stopped before they are created? Thanks so much a great work!
Cierra,
DeleteI also don't recall being taught any internet safety in school, but think it is really important as well. I think you brought up a really good point about Google and how it is so easy to being searching innocently and end up on a site that is inappropriate. We talked about using keywords and how to better use search engines, internet safety is yet another reason that this knowledge is so important. I like how you brought up issues with cyberbullying. It really is quite a big issue and I think it needs to be taught about early on. Children should learn about bullying of all forms at a younger age so that they are less likely to participate in any kind of bullying. I also agree that it is important to teach children how to deal with cyberbullying when it is happening to them.
I think you also brought up some good points of how to introduce internet safety to children. I can see how a lot of teachers don't know how to teach internet safety and how it is important for teachers to know and understand how to teach it as well. They should have some background knowledge in it so that they can help students when they need the help.
Kaylee
Hi Cierra,
DeleteYou mentioned that entering keywords into a Google search engine may bring up results that are inappropriate and harmful if those words are just right. Well, when I was in University the first time around, I took a class and was asked to enter certain keywords and see what results we would get. I will not share those keywords (and yes, I remember a few of them for good reason) but the results were of the sort that I would never want any child to accidentally stumble upon them. As a full-grown woman I keep the Safe Search button on my personal laptop, especially since my niece lives with me and could possible have to use my laptop. She uses her parent's laptop and tablets for school work every day and those devices each have some sort of security to prevent her from going places she should not online.
As educators, we are responsible for teaching our students how to safely use the web and available digital devices in a way that is ethical and responsible. I agree with you that we need to start as early as possible. Preschool students are limited to 30 minutes of screen time per week, 10 minutes at one time per day. It is a shame that we don't have such limits on K-12 students during the school day since we use the Internet so heavily in our instruction. But this is in keeping with the time we live in and it is only going to progress toward digital proliferation. We really just need to prepare for and prepare our children for all of it.
Jocelyn
Cierra,
DeleteYou mentioned that you don’t recall learning about internet safety at school. I can agree with you on that. I think that could have been because technology wasn’t used as much. Students didn’t have access to tablets and they weren’t as exposed to technology. Now there is so much more technology being used, that internet safety is needed. By this I mean that students should be taught about this at school. Not only that but I think parents need some type of workshop as well. There are so many times where I just see parents hand over their phones to their kids. It seems as though they don’t pay attention to what the children are doing. They just give them the phones so the children stat involved in something. They need to be aware of how to keep their children safe while using the internet. Discussing internet safety at school is an important part for children to know how to safely use it. Like you mentioned, it can then lead them to being successful. Knowing about internet safety needs to start at an early age. The younger the children are the better. The more they know about it the better. This will help them throughout their school years. Thank you for sharing.
Lili
Cierra,
DeleteI can definitely agree with you. I also do not remember being taught internet safety as a student. I remember taking multiple computer courses, but they were mainly typing courses and basic computer functions. I feel that the internet use was not as advanced for many of us back then and this is why it was not taught to us. I can only remember of doing a handful of assignments for a class on a computer. I feel this is something I did more in high school than in grammar school. Since we are using the internet more frequently in classrooms today, this is why it has become so important for us as educators to be able to teach our students about internet safety.
Laura
Hello Cierra,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your blog this week, with your summarize thought on internet safety for children. I believe that you organized ideas with precise details to understand your point views on internet safety. I can relate to your experience of the lack of information on internet safety in school and specific websites being a block in high school. I agree with you that it is vital to teaching children how to use safer search engines to locate appropriate information on the internet. I think that you shared an interesting fact about some teacher's concerns to be prepared to teach internet safety to children. For example, "Butler (2010) discusses how "teachers feel insufficiently prepared" to teach children about internet safety due to their lack of knowledge on how to go about teaching it (p. 2)
I also feel teachers should be prepared with necessary training and materials to teach about the valuable lesson and essential skills on internet safety to children in the classroom. I believe that it is also the responsibility of educators and caregivers to teach and reinforces the skills and rules to search the internet safely with their knowledge to be safe. Great blog, thank you for sharing.
Felisha,
Growing up, I did not learn about internet safety. In fact, it wasn't until I was almost in highschool that my local library even got computers. I grew up in an extremely small town and funding was always an issue. I don't quite remember having much of a computer in my house, but we did have every video game system that came out! With that, my mom did become very into computers as they became available and was quick to learn and teach everything she knew to me and my sister. I was very fortunate to grow up in a household that supported this up and coming system.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to children it is critical to teach them computer skills. There are many people who have not survived long in my work environment because they couldn't grasp basic computer concepts. Even more importantly, children need to understand the risks of sharing private information online as well as how to behave in an online setting. It should be every school districts job as a whole to teach internet safety (Butler, 2010).
Many resources are out there for students, teachers, and parents to use when it comes to teaching internet safety. One idea is using the 3C's from the National Cyber
Security Alliance. The 3C's are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security (Frederick, 2010).
Most importantly, I think it is everyone's responsibility to teach internet safety, not just the librarians. Teachers should integrate it into the lesson plans and parents should practice it at home. The more it is practiced the better understanding and more naturally it will come to students, especially if we start as soon as we introduce a computer into the classroom and life of a child.
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=sWuT0BBCePTjax4kPQOlgWgXw
Frederik, K.(2010,April) Teaching the Rules of theRoad Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=68WUZfgSTmlbft1Sjn7yjdKM1
Kassandra,
DeleteThank you for your thoughts on this weeks discussion board post. My mother was the same way when it came to the internet. We weren't allowed to have myspace, facebook, etc until we graduated and left for college. In a way I am truly happy she did this because it is such a dark place. I agree with your statement that it is everyone responsibility to teach children about the internet and the safety which should be around it's everyday use. Do you believe there is a way to monitor children on the internet? How do you believe educating students would look like?
Kassandra-
DeleteIn elementary school I did not learn anything about Internet safety. It wasn't until middle school/junior high that we were taught the absolute bare basics. I too think that it is critical, especially this day in age, to teach children as young as Kindergarten or 1st grade about Internet safety. At least the basics. Most children have been using the tablet since they were 1 or 2 years old to watch YouTube videos. As they get older and will be having more internet freedom they need to know what to look for that could be a potential threat to themself or other kids. I agree that it is Everyone's responsiblility to teach children about Internet safety. It should start at home with the parents/guardians and then continue and grow/expand at school, but the librarian should not be the first or only person teaching the child about Internet safety. Good information.
Jensen
Kassandra,
DeleteI loved your post from the start. I did because of the first thing that you said. I was never taught cyber safety in my schooling as well. When I was in school, it was not a subject that was taught. I wish it was because of how much the internet as grown. Unfortunately, internet safety was not top on the school’s list. I am glad that you had your mother to teach you. In my lifetime, I have always had technology. I just wish that someone would have taught a little more about it. I learned most of what I did from myself. I agree that it is critical to teach the children computer skills. What happens if they are not taught? What happens if they learn things on their own? I like that you shared your personal story. Internet has taken over everything and one does not know how to use it then they fall behind. I also agree that children need to know the risk of sharing their information. Who should be teaching the children? Does it lie sorely on the teacher? I also agree that there are many resources out there. How can the word be spread around? How can the teachers be helped when teaching internet safety? How can they keep up?
Kortney
Hello Kassandra,
DeleteI have to agree with you on your post this week. Internet safety wasn't big like it is today. We were able to go on and our parents never worried. Now it is a scary thought because we can't protect them from everything. But I do think we can educate them till we are blue in the face. This is a subject that should never go away or be taken lightly. This does fall on every person in a school and at home. It is the only way the children will learn that information is never to be shared and certain pictures doesn't have to get posted. Not every friend request has to be accepted. We can't keep them away from the internet but we can educated them.
Kassandra,
DeleteI was not taught internet safety as a child either and am just now learning about the in depth information when it comes to internet safety from this class. How would you go about implementing internet safety classes into school districts? Would have a separate class with a designated teacher or would you just have the classroom teachers take on the responsibility of teaching internet safety? How young do you think children should start learning about internet safety? Great post. Thank you for sharing.
Hello Kassandra,
DeleteIt is crucial to teach children how to operate and appropriately use a computer. I personally as a parent must admit I became a lacky with physically teaching safety issues on the internet when my youngest son had to complete online assignments. With believing that he was on appropriate sites pertaining to his lesson, I later discovered he was multitasking with music, anime and/or online gaming. By not completing the assignment on time, then left the parents to assist and monitor in a crunch to get the job done. And yes, most parents would not do that, however that let me know to be mindful to set time limits, assuring he was on task and accounting for progress. With giving authorization to schools to allow computer usage, we as parents do lack with believing that our kids are being taught correct use from their teachers / schools. However, just saying, there should be an assignment created to involve parent / student internet safety learning. Good Luck with implementing it into your future classwork.
Tammicea
Hi Kassandra,
DeleteI too did not learn about internet safety and my parents didn't care too much back then when it came to using the internet. They felt as though the computer was to be used to do homework assignments but my parents weren't aware of dangerous it was for children visiting different websites. It is great that your mother was able to gain the resources and kept updated on using the internet and teaching it to you and your sister. Now that I am older with my own children, I make sure to teach them about internet safety and I am always watching and making sure that my children aren't visiting websites that aren't safe. Using the 3 C's form National Cyber is a great way to teach students about internet safety. Thanks for sharing.
Kassandra,
DeleteYou are very fortunate to have a mother who was able to teach you about computers. I didn’t have a computer at home and learned everything that I knew about computers from school. It wasn’t until about high school that one of my older siblings did purchase a desktop for us to use at home. I think my parents didn’t realize the importance of computers at home since they had no use for them.
I agree that computer skills are critical even for children. With the evolving world, computer skills have become a part of everyday life. Most of our students will one day have a job that will require a certain amount of computer experience in order to do their jobs. This is why it’s so important that it be taught in our schools.
Laura
Hello Kassandra,
DeleteI enjoyed reading your blog this week with your summary of your thought on internet safety for children. I believe that you organized ideas with precise details to understand your point views on internet safety. I agree with you that it is also the responsibility of educators and caregivers to teach and reinforces the skills and rules needed to search the internet safely too. I think that it is vital to teaching children the 3C's from the National Cyber Security Alliance. 3C's are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cybersecurity (Frederick, 2010).
Furthermore, I feel that children need to learn how to use safer search engines to locate appropriate information on the internet. I also think teachers should be prepared with the necessary training and materials to teach about the valuable lesson and essential skills on internet safety to children in the classroom. I Great blog, thank you for sharing.
Felisha,
As I reflect on this readings this week, I can personally admit I do not remember learning much about internet safety. Although, it was not a topic introduced to me growing up, I believe it serves much significance and should be addressed. As some would question, why should a course address internet safety?
ReplyDeleteSince technology is ever changing and not going to leave the school setting anytime soon, we must change with the times. As we are all aware of, technology has it’s pros and cons. One huge con is the fact that you truly never know how “safe” a site can be. The internet is a trap, which can lead to a very unhealthy place. Although, we learn a lot of information from behind the screen-- we have to protect our students. On the other hand, I believe we have to educate them on the sites which could be unsuccessful for their learning abilities. It is very simple for students to research something innocent, only to find the complete opposite side of the content. Therefore, there needs to be some sort of privacy setting for students to be blocked from sites which could contain harmful information. Web education should be incorporated into the daily academics a child receives. Before computer time--discuss the rules, review questions, and quiz them on their ability to remain safe when searching the internet. Students should be questioned on their understanding towards specific domains, positive search engines, and how to properly use keywords. If they understand the importance of these key terms, they will be more aware of what exactly to find when searching for specific materials.
The internet can be a very dark, toxic, and unhealthy place. As children get older, they fall into the trend of social media. This is about the most toxic place, espicially for young teenagers. Children gaze through internet sources and begin to feel like they aren’t as good as “blank” on their recent feed. Children begin to question their self worth, creativity, and ability to be an individual. Another aspect of the internet which can be so painful for students is cyber bullying. It is hard for teachers, parents, and administors to be on top of internet connections 24/7.
Although, it is hard to know what is always happening behind the screen, there are ways to go about informing children how to properly be on the internet. I believe there should be a class purely placing information about the internet and how dangerous it can be. There needs to be set rules for the students to follow so they can manage the realtionship they have with the internet, social media, and blog posts. I strongly believe students are not the only individuals within a school setting that need to listen in on internet safety. Many educators admit with technology changing they do not understand how to use it all in a proper manner. Therefore, how can they teach children how to protect their searches from the internet if they themselves are a bit lost. It wouldn’t make sense for them to educate students on a topic they have little knowledge on. I think teachers would benefit from learning the same material, just in a more in depth light. Therefore, education is truly key in the relationship to all individuals and the internet. In our reading, one specific topic stood out to be the most, "even though schools think that because they have certain sites blocked such as social media sites they don't have to worry about teaching internet safety but schools should still be preparing children to use internet safety while they are not in school" Bulter 2010 p. 4).
Overall, I believe all schools should incorporate internet courses to learn the most information. If teachers would educate their students on technolgy more--the numbers of bullying, self worth, anxiety, and depression would I believe decrease in our overall statistics today. A lot of issues come straight from the source of the internet, which can easily be handled.
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom
Sarah,
DeleteI think you bring up a really good point when you said that teachers not understanding how to use technology properly causes issues with expecting them to understand, protect, and teach their students. We have to take time to focus on educating our teachers before we can expect them to protect our studnets.
Sarah,
DeleteIt is definitely true that there are a lot of sites out there that are unsafe. Not only that, but some people are unaware of how much information they should or shouldn't share. Although the internet is an amazing tool, there are a lot of things about the internet that are unsafe. This is why it is so important to educate people about these facts. Starting at a younger age, is better, because schools do use the internet for assignments.
I agree with you that there should be blocks for certain kinds of searches for children. However, it is definitely more than just blocking things that is important for young children. We need to teach them how to safely search and what keywords and search engines to use. We also need to teach about other potential dangers on the internet like information being stolen or cyberbullying. I agree with you that the internet can be toxic, especially as children get older. You brought up some great points about social media. Although it can be used for good by linking old friends and making it easier to stay in touch, there are a lot of toxic things about it too, such as cyberbullying.
I also agree with you that schools should have courses or time set aside for children to learn internet safety information. Teachers should be educated on these facts as well, so they are able to pass on the information and help their students as well.
Kaylee
The internet has grown and expanded so much. I remember being in elementary and we didn’t learn about using the internet we were learning about how to type. I also remember learning to do research papers and having to surf the internet but learning all about internet safety and things we need to be aware of as such as illegal, inappropriate and unsafe behavior that is being exposed was not taught to students. There are many different social networks that kids have access to. There are many students who have access to the internet outside of school where teachers aren’t present. The internet provides students with many educational tools, however, as teachers we are to teach students all about using the internet. It is vital for students to know all about internet safety. According to Kevin, “Although the internet revolutionized communication and provided powerful new educational tools for student learning, it has also created risks and raised ethical issues for students of all grades, as it has created many opportunities for illegal, inappropriate and unsafe behavior among all participants” (Butler, 2010).
ReplyDeleteIt is very important that students learn all about internet safety in the classroom and outside of the classroom. As teachers we hope that these skills will last a lifetime as well as using those skills outside of the classroom. I believe teachers should educate families as well for those who don’t have the skills of using the internet or the knowledge of internet safety. I personally think the internet is really unsafe, however, there are many different sites for children that are safe to visit. There are so many predators and people who try and steal your identity and personal information such as your personal bank account. I myself had an experience of purchasing things off the internet and not being aware of safe sites to shop on. Money was stolen from my account and things were purchased.
Now teachers are prepared to teach students about internet safety. Their school districts provides workshops and learning seminars for teachers who aren’t knowledgeable of internet safety as well as keeping teachers on path has the internet continues to grow. The National Cyber Alliance provides a paradigm: the 3 C’s (cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security. Teachers are positioned to help students in these areas. Kathy mentions how librarians can work with colleagues to determine what works best for their school. Every teacher in every grade level can come together and create a plan that would teach students about going online and the importance of not giving your information to strangers.
Practicing internet safety will prepare students for the future. They will be able to take those skills and use them outside of the classroom. Those skills will teach students to understand the importance of internet safety and knowing how to make the right decisions while using the internet.
https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Ji9kNNmIy8yjklxbDfP3NNrYA
https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=OPT6HqOgpFhseLrkOdpEKbCLc
Betty-
DeleteI agree, and also find it to be a little scary that the Internet has grown and changed so much since say you or I were in elementary school or even middle school. I do remember playing computer games at home when I was in elementary school but that was about the extent of using a computer. And as for the computer, it definately wasn't a laptop like they are now days. Things are always changing. The Internet is one of them and with how many young children are using the Internet these days Internet safety is something that needs to be taught now more than ever. I however think Internet safety should be taught starting at home and then continued and expanded on at school. It should not be the sole responibility of the school.
Jensen
Betty,
DeleteI agree with you that internet safety should be taught in the classroom and in the home. The internet is being introduced earlier and earlier to children and they need to be able to understand how to use it safely. You would be teaching responsibility by teaching about privacy and security. Schools should incorporate cyber safety in to their curriculum and also have parents understand and learn the information too. Cyber safety is just as important in the home as it is in school.
Victoria
Hi Betty,
DeleteI am so sorry that you went through that scare of someone taken that safe guard away from you. The internet is a scary place that we aren't able to control even for ourself. I don't have personal information up and using personal things even for school makes me feel uncomfortable because you never know. But students need to be educated on this subject because they live on the internet and they do need to be aware of all the scary people out there. I am glad that schools and teacher take this subject very seriously. It doesn't have its benefit but there are bad things as well. Staying up to date on this will benefit everyone as well.
Betty,
DeleteThere are so many more social networking sites today then there were when I was growing up. With there being so much going on socially, it calls for children to be taught the rules of the road online. Technology can bring a love/hate relationship. I feel a big issue with social networking involves cyberbullying. This makes it crucial for students to know how to behave on the online world by learning cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security.
Brandy
The internet is a great tool for so many reasons. However, there are a lot of dangerous things that children can run into when using the internet and it is important for educators to teach children how to be safe on the internet. Frederick (2010) discusses how most schools usually have some sort of filter to block the “bad stuff” on the internet. Frederick (2010) states, “School librarians have a unique opportunity to take a leadership role in this area. Students learn to use the Internet with guidance by going to proscribed Web sites and by learning smart searching strategies as they use subscription databases and the Web” (p. 35). Although this is a great start, it doesn’t help children using the internet outside of school or on computers that do not have these filters. Educators need to find a way to teach young children about internet safety. Frederick suggests that librarians work with teachers to train them on internet safety and how to teach internet safety. Frederick (2010) states, “The focus for information literacy is all about the ethics of research, the effective use of resources, and the guidance of students’ online work” (p. 35). With these concepts in mind, teachers can find a way to help students be safe on the internet.
ReplyDeleteI can’t say that I recall being taught specific internet safety strategies when I was in school. There were sites we were allowed to use and sites we weren’t. We weren’t taught about cyberbullying or issues with sharing too much information. However, it might have been not as much of an issue at the time. Now, it is an issue, along with many other issues that can arise on the internet. Butler (2010) talks about how a lot of internet safety isn’t taught until the teen years, but should be taught earlier. It is important for children to learn at an early age about internet safety so that it will lessen the risk of cyberbullying, help keep information safe, and much more. The earlier we get this information to students, the better educated people will be with the internet.
I thought it was interesting how both articles mentioned adding internet safety into the curriculum. I think this would be a great idea, especially if computers are used in the classroom. It is more common that computers are used in the classroom, so children should be taught internet safety on top of how to use the computers in general. I can see having a librarian come in about once a week or so to teach a new lesson on internet safety. I think this would help the teachers as well. However, Butler (2010) states, “the responsibility should be shared among all the teachers, not just library media specialists, who have traditionally taken a lead on the matter” (p. 54). Butler discusses splitting it up among the teachers and how it makes sense to have an English teacher do a lesson about plagiarism and proper citations and other teachers teach lessons on internet safety that go along with the subject they teach. I think this makes a lot of sense as well. Librarians should still help out as well and I can still see it very useful bringing the librarians into the classrooms.
References
Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety in the classroom. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
Frederick, K. (2010). Teaching the rules of the road online. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
Hi Kaylee,
DeleteThe internet has grown rapidly and is being used more and more excessively everyday especially by children. I agree there are many dangerous things that students can run into on the internet. I feel that it is also parents respnsibility as well to teach their child about internet safety. I also feel as though educators should really teach students about internet safety because students are using the internet at school, even though some websites may be restricted when using the school computer, it is important they they not only teach the students but have reminders and rules every time they log on before using the internet. I think students should be reminded daily on how to use the internet. I myself wasn't taught anything about how to use the internet safely. I think because back then the internet wasn't as popular as it is today. Thanks for sharing.
Kaylee,
DeleteI think that the sooner children are aware of internet safety, the better. Children need to be aware that there are sites that not good. Also, one of the biggest things for them to know, is that they should never give out personal information. I think that many times that is stressed out enough. Like you mentioned, most schools have some type of blockage on sites. They also talk about how to safely use the internet. I also think that it’s important for parents to do this at home. I don’t have any kids, but if I did, I would want to make sure my kids are using the internet safely. Parents need to keep their children safe and talk to them about internet safety as well. When I was in school, I don’t remember talking about internet safety as much. I remember we would have computer class twice a week and that was pretty much the only time we would have access to the internet. It was until middle school that we had more access to it since we started writing papers and doing research. But even then there wasn’t a lot of talk about internet safety. I think that now there is probably a lot more involvement and talking about internet safety.
Lili
Initial:
ReplyDeleteInternet safety was not a topic that I remember learning about in school. The little bit that was talked about was in junior high and high school and really the only things they mentioned was not to share passwords with others. I don’t even remember having a computer lab until I was in middle school/junior high and then about the only time I would use the computer at school was when I went with my class anytime the teacher would take us.
Now days with students using computers more often, “K12 educators are seeing the need to not only utilize the Internet in instruction, but also to teach students the knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to be safe and responsible digital citizens both inside and outside of school.” (Butler, 2010, p.53) I think teaching children Internet safety should be a 50/50 partnership between parents and the school. The parents should be teaching their child the basics by the time the child is old enough to use a computer, but then schools should always reinforce Internet safety. Students usually work with the librarian and/or their classroom teacher when in the computer lab. “What is being taught to students that will help them when they are in the unfiltered world outside of school networks? School librarians have a unique opportunity to take a leadership role in this area. Safely using the Internet should start with the youngest students. Many topics will be repeated at each grade level. What should be covered and when? For early elementary students (K-4) Basic internet use, Having an adult present when online, Not giving information to unknown persons, Cyberbullying/harassment, and Understanding acceptable use of technology.” (Fedrick, 2010, p.35)
“A poll released by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), Microsoft, and Educational Technology Policy, Research and Outreach (ETPRO) shows that only 56% of the 1,003 teachers surveyed in December 2009 and January 2010 felt that their district does an adequate job of preparing them to discuss topics with students such as online ethics, safety, and security. Only about one third say their district requires those topics to be taught in the classroom setting.” Butler, 2010, p.54)
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Q5bKzlceaz65FWc9A5HuYWQfP
Fredrick, K. (2010, April). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Q5bKzlceaz65FWc9A5HuYWQfP
The internet is something that is ever growing and it is something that will never go away. It is also something that can be very dangerous. It can be very dangerous for children that are attached to it. They can find something that they should not find and they can see images that they should not have seen. One of the articles mentioned that schools have filters and firewalls to help protect the children, but those go away once they walk out those school doors (Fredrick, 2010). The biggest thing is that when children are using internet that is not filtered, they can find the predators and all the bad stuff (Fredrick, 2010). This is why internet safety should be taught in schools. The three things that should be taught are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security (Fredrick, 2010). Another thing I found is that there are certain things that should be taught at certain ages. The children should be taught to use icons, click links, having an adult present when online, not giving information to unknown people, cyberbullying, harassment, and understanding acceptable use of technology should be taught in grades k-4 (Fredrick, 2010). The children should be taught how to protect personal information, understand plagiarism, understand copyrighting, use social networking, understand identity heft, and cybercrimes in middle school and up (Fredrick, 2010). All of these things can be taught and they can be integrated into a teachers everyday lesson plan (Fredrick, 2010). A study had showed that many teachers do not feel like they can teach internet safety and they do not how to put it into their lesson plans (butler, 2010). However, there are free resources for them that can help with that (Butler, 2010). Teaching internet safety can involve the families of the children as well (Butler, 2010). There can be nights where the school invited the families to talk about internet safety and how to protect them (Butler, 2010). They can talk about ways to protect their children and how to teach them how to be safe at home (Butler, 2010). Parents have questions too because they have the same worries that teachers. I always worry about children finding something that they should not. Internet safety is something that is not always taken seriously So many people post things online that will never go away and they do not realize the dangers. Internet safety is something that will hopefully be taught more in school. I was never taught it and I wish I would have been.
ReplyDeleteReferences
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Q5bKzlceaz65FWc9A5HuYWQfP
Fredrick, K. (2010, April). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=Q5bKzlceaz65FWc9A5HuYWQfP
Kourtney,
DeleteI too hadn't thought about the different 'stages', so to speak, of teaching internet safety to different ages until this week. I think starting with students learning to click icons and so forth is a great way to get started in an early learning classroom such as the one I have.
Kortney,
DeleteYou made a lot of great points in your post. I remember my school having filters and firewalls but once we got into high school students were hacking those walls and getting into things they shouldn’t have been getting in to. Like you said, students have protection in school but once they leave school they no longer have that protection so how is that helping the students? Great post thank you for sharing.
Kourtney,
DeleteI agree with you, it is very true that the Internet is ever changing and is something that is not going away. I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about technology. Two main reasons for this is because of a concern with screen time and the dangers that the Internet can present. This is why I think it is so important to have cyber safety implemented into the classroom curriculum. If we know that the Internet is not going anywhere, as teachers it is in our best interest to teach cyber safety, cyber ethics, and cyber security to our students. The topic should be presented in a positive, interactive, and engaging way.
Brandy
Cyber Safety Rules…
ReplyDeleteSince early 2000’s with the introduction of Web 2.0 (the World Wide Web) to the world, most school districts had been slowly integrating the use of the Internet Literacy into their curriculum. Mainly, they have focused upon how to create firewalls and block inappropriate sites from students who access the internet for inquiries (Launching Library 2.0). However, they never truly introduced how the students or parents should protect themselves from the internet. Some school districts require the Librarians to teach new technology to the students and some staff members. In our school district the elementary students and parents sign a permission waiver allowing the student picture to be taken and to use the internet within the school (ILSD 153). The High school districts have the same requirement, but in addition they offer monthly parent advisory meetings to inform them about any curriculum changes. They aid families without access to a computer and they have created a school webpage to communicate with parents that are not able to make the meetings (ILSD 233). However, to teach students how to be “cybersafe” while using the school’s technology or for personal use at home, the only notice that is reiterated from our school Librarians is to not have food near the computers and to be respectful while using the computers. Even in our computer lab classes, it is mentioned not to use inappropriate sites or unapproved sites during class time - Facebook, Snapchat or Gaming - but some do (ILSD 233). Yet in all honesty, I do not believe our children understand how vulnerable the internet can be.
Does anyone, students especially, know how to correctively be Cybersafe? According to the District Administration article by Kevin Butler, “Cybersafety should be taught as soon as children begin to use a computer”. According to Launching Library 2.0 (LL 2.0), Librarians should not be the only educators who teach Internet literacy safety, the teachers should provide an insight about how to appropriately and safely use the Internet as well. There are several website organizations that have dedicated time to create online worksheets, lesson plans, interactive programs, games and professional developments to introduce Internet Literacy safety. One organization the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), not only created the 3 C’s paradigm to follow: “Cyber Ethics, Cyber Security, and Cyber Safety” (LL 2.0). Cyber Ethics is the teaching of digital citizenship: how to behave online respectfully and to understand the consequences of cyberbullying. Cyber Security teaches how to avoid viruses, spam or how “not” to post personal information online. While Cyber Safety teaches how to avoid online predators or hackers (Dist. Admin. p. 57). Although most of this information is verbally mention in classrooms prior to a research projects, but it is not taught what to watch-out for prior too, nor even suggested as a research project. Other interesting sites to review are: - for “Free” - Netsmartz; WiredSafety.org; NCSA; Internet Safety and You; and CyberSmart! . Some sites have a service fee: iKeepSafe; EasyTech Online Safety; CyberSmart! ; and iSafe Education – these fees vary subjected to what service the educator wants to use the sites for. We as educators need to acknowledge our students are consuming the cyber life faster than we can implement them into our curriculum but at least we can provide the Cyber Safety knowledge for their growth.
Illinois School District 153. (2010-19). Elementary districts 153.
Illinois School District 233. (2016-19). High school districts 233.
Fredrick, K. (2010). Launching library 2.0: teaching the rules of the road online. School Library Monthly, PDF, V26 – 8.
Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety, in the classroom. District Administration. PDF.
www.DistrictAdministration.com.
Tammicea,
DeleteI agree with your opening statement. I remember being in school and having firewalls and filters to block out the sites that we were not allowed on but we were not taught how to actually do that or anything on internet safety. I think it is really smart to actually add that into the curriculum. Technology and the internet are widely being used now in school and at home, students should know the basics of cyber safety.
Victoria
Cyber safety is something every student should be taught. Technology is so widely used in the classroom and at home that it should be taught to students on how to protect their information and privacy. "As teachers use the Web more in instruction and research, they should always be providing examples of good use and explain why it is important." (Butler, 2010) With technology and the Web changing so quickly, teaching how to use it responsibly and securely use it. In Butler's article, he mentions how teachers who do teach cyber safety still feel as though they are behind because of how quickly it all can change. I think the idea of including cyber safety into the curriculum is a smart thing to do when it comes to using the Web and technology in the classroom. Incorporating lessons on privacy, security, and what and how to keep information safe should be started right when children begin to understand on how to use the Web. This is something parents should be involved in as well. Parents need to understand the information their children are being taught and how to reinforce that at home. There are websites to teach cyber safety like, I-Safe, NetSmart, Stay Safe Online, and so many more just to get started.
ReplyDeleteIn the article Teaching Rules of the Road Online, it is mentioned that there is a lot of time spent on firewalls and filters on school computers. These are to block out what websites and bad things students are not supposed to be on. "The National Cyber Security Alliance provides a paradigm: the 3 Cs—cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security. School librarians are positioned to help students in these areas." (Fredrick, 2010) I agree that librarians, computer teachers, and anyone who is teaching students about the Web are in positions to help students learn about the 3 C's. Depending on the age of the student, the lessons should be age appropriate and right for their age and what they are doing on the computer. They should be taught practices that they can use at home and when away from school on cyber security.
Fredrick, K. (2010). Launching library 2.0: teaching the rules of the road online. School Library Monthly, PDF, V26 – 8.
Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety, in the classroom. District Administration. PDF.
www.DistrictAdministration.com.
Victoria,
DeleteI loved your post from the start. I did because of the first thing that you said. I agree that cyber safety is something that should be taught to every student. The internet is ever growing and that comes with new dangers. Children need to be more protected from the world out there and the world they have at their fingertips. What happens when children are not taught cyber safety? How early should it be taught? I like the idea of teachers showing good use and explaining why it is important. Children need things explained to them because just showing them does not always make it click. I agree that if teachers just keep going they will be able to teach all they can. The internet is so hard to keep up with because of the fact that it is ever changing. What would be some personal suggestions from you for teachers? Should the parents be teaching the children cyber safety as well? I also agree that the lesson should be age appropriate. Children are a lot smarter than they are given credit for. This was a great post and I am glad that you shared.
Kortney
Hello Victoria,
DeleteYou mentioned how parents need to be involved with the teaching and the learning that their children are receiving at schools, I agree with you, especially when it pertains to internet safety. We as teachers should create an assignment that involves and requires the parent and student to work together. This way both are learning about internet safety, how to appropriately use the internet and the warning signs to watch out for. This assignment should require the parent to assist the student with 2 or 3 sites. Parents must provide 2 or 3 statements of how cyber safety is applied to their work, the car, and to list what shopping site they visit. Those questions are just hypothetical examples and they may seem personal, but only the parent would have that information to provide. Also, it will at least suggest the parent was involved with or while the student had to conduct the research. Indirectly stated with your comment, to create a good idea for future assignments.
Tammicea
Reflection:
DeleteCyber safety is something not a lot of people talk about in schools. I feel like at times, the topic feels like everyone is jsut expected to just know the information because it should be common sense. We forget that children are becoming so much smarter and getting into technology and access to the Web at such an earlier age now that we need to teach them the basics of cyber safety for their own safety. I agree that it should be included in the school's curriculum if they are using technology in the classrooms. The staff, teachers, and parents should know how to keep their information private and secure when using the Web. It should also be reinforced at home for when the children are not in school. Learning to not share passwords, communicate with adults if something is suspicious, scary, or harmful are important lessons to be taught.
We hear the word safety in everything we do, no matter what it may be. When a child wants to ride a bike, safety first. You need a helmet to keep your head from getting hurt. When you turn the car on, the first thing is, buckle up. It's the law. We tell students no running in the hall or classroom because they can hurt themselves or someone else. If we take all these precautions, why wouldn't we take the extra step to keep our students safe while they use the internet? It is one of the most difficult places to monitor yet also a place that can never be too safe. Schools never had to worry about this in the past because computers weren't such a big thing. However, that has changed now and we have to keep whoever logs on safe. We educate teachers on how to keep the bad sites away but we aren't sure when the children walk out those doors, what they will do or what they will be exposed to. In the first article, the National Cyber Security Alliance talks about using the three Cs which are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cybersecurity. With the help of the librarian, a student can be shown how to be safe when using a computer. It's about working as a team to help them and getting the right training to do so. When I sit here and think about the things that can happen to a child, it scares me. They can suffer from cyberbullying or inappropriate people on the internet. Children also now have phones at a young age. We can use apps to block certain websites and set time limits for when they can access the internet or certain content; however, this is never enough. Teachers and parents try to educate children on every subject they will need to succeed in life. However, the one thing we can't completely control is the use of computers and the internet. Teachers and students have a vast array of information accessed from the internet that provides a huge benefit to both.
ReplyDeleteIt is imperative that we consistently talk to our students in school and our children at home about being safe. We need to show them sites that are approved while in school and explain why. We need to ensure the subject is a constant talking point because it isn't something to take lightly. Things are always fun and exciting until something goes wrong. If we provide them with the tools to handle themselves out in the world, the results can be different. Teachers also need to ensure they have an open-door policy and the children feel safe in their presence. Rules always need to be posted up on the walls for them to follow and we need to keep reminding them even if they feel it isn't necessary.
For this week we were able to read more about online safety. There are different rules and techniques that can be used to help students be safe on the internet. This isn’t just for when they use it at school, but also for when they are using the internet outside of school. It’s really important that children are aware of internet safety and what that means. The earlier they know this the better it will be for them. It’s important that they know they should never be giving out their personal information to people that they don’t know. It would even be considered a bad idea to give out information to people who they do know. How are they to know if it really is who they think it is? With this, my first thought goes to Facebook. Everybody uses Facebook, so it’s really easy for kids to have access to it. On Facebook, how are people supposed to know for sure if people are who they say they are. It’s just really important for students to be aware that things like this can happen.
ReplyDeleteAnother important thing to know about internet safety, is that there should be some type of supervision on what websites children have access to. They should be monitored not only at school but also at home. At school, there is a lot of reinforcement and monitoring on what the students can do online. There are different sites that they might not have access to and there is constant supervision going on. According to the Teaching Rules of Road Online, “Students learn to use the Internet with guidance by going to proscribed Web sites and by learning smart searching strategies as they use subscription databases and the Web”. At home it’s a different thing. There are some parents that don’t supervise their children while they are online. This is where sometimes it can lead to bad things. I think it would be a good idea to have online workshops for parents. This would give them a better idea on what they should be looking for and how to help their children be safe on the internet. In the article, Cybersafety in the Classroom, it states, “She adds that, through its adult education division, the district also conducts a more in-depth, three-hour class taught in a computer lab in which adults can take tours of MySpace, Facebook and other technologies as part of an Internet safety and security lesson.” This is a great way for parents to get involved and get more information on internet safety.
Butler, K (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved October 23, 2019, from https://d2.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126/Cybersafety%20in%20%the20%Classroom.pdf_&d2l
Frederik, K. (2010, April). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content.enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%Classroom. Pdf.
Hi Lili,
DeleteYou mention that students may not have supervision when they are at home and using the Internet. To address that issue, I agree with you that parents may need to attend a workshop to educate them about the dangers present online and how they can protect themselves and their children. On NetSmartzKids.org, the computer in Nettie and Webster's home is in a common, open area of the house, not a private room. This allows anyone to be able to see what is on the screen and fosters caution and responsibility on behalf of the user while preventing misuse of the web. I think keeping all digital, network connected devices in the open where they can be seen is an excellent idea for the home environment. I also support placing parental controls on devices that children use to help further prevent inappropriate web use. What do you think?
Jocelyn
It is necessary for children to be provided with an online compass that will govern their behavior in the online world beyond school; taught the rules of the road online. One professional that has an opportunity to take a leadership role in this area is a school librarian. According to Fredrick (20100 school librarians can “help create critical and ethical thinkers, ready to assess what they see online and make good decisions” (p. 35). School librarians can begin with the 3Cs-cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security. As mentioned by Fredrick (2010) information literacy has a focus of: the ethics of research, the effective use of resources, and the guidance of students’ online work (p. 35). According to Fredrick (2010) “In a collaborative role with teachers, school librarians also have an opportunity to provide training to other educators as well. Working collaboratively, it is possible to provide a sequential approach to teaching students these skills across the grades” (p. 35). In early elementary, grades kindergarten through fourth, the following topics should be covered: using icons, clicking links, basic Internet use, having an adult present when online, not giving information to unknown person as well as logins and passwords, cyberbullying, harassment, and understanding acceptable use of technology (Fredrick, 2010, p. 35). In middle grades and higher the topics of: protecting personal information, privacy, understanding intellectual property, copyright, plagiarism, understanding social networking dos and don’ts, understanding identity theft, hacking, malware, and other cybercrimes should be covered (Fredrick, 2010, p. 35).
ReplyDeleteDistrict leaders need to take the responsibility for teaching student how to wisely navigate the Internet. As mentioned by Butler (2010) the Internet has “revolutionized communication and provided powerful new educational tools for student learning, it has also created risks and raised ethical issues for students of all grades, as it has created many opportunities for illegal, inappropriate and unsafe behavior among all participants” (p. 53). When teaching cyber safety in the classroom, curriculum integration, involving parents, and enlisting Web 2.0 have to be taken into consideration. One problem with curriculum integration is how rapidly the Internet landscape changes. Programs that focus on specific Web tools or site quickly become out-of-date. In addition to integrating these lessons into the curriculum, Butler (2010) mentions that the responsibility should be shared among all the teacher, not just library media specialists (p. 54). Parents are also targeted by Internet safety and security education efforts, as well as teachers and students. Involving them through adult education, allows them to get information and ask questions (Butler, 2010, p. 56). Tools that can be used to teach Internet safety, security and ethics are Web 2.0 tools.
Two resources available online include: NetSmartz Workshop and CyberSmart! Curriculum. NetSmartz Workshop offers a registration to receive downloadable files of presentation for different grade levels. The Web site has supporting handouts, activities, and fun and engaging video clips about safety, security, and ethical behavior (Fredrick, 2010, p. 36). CyberSmart! Curriculum offers a set of free lesson plans with reproducible activity sheets. The site has lessons that can be incorporated into the curriculum for particular situations (Fredrick, 2010, p. 36).
References
Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety in the classroom. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
Frederick, K. (2010). Teaching the rules of the road online. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
Final Reflection:
DeleteThe Internet has revolutionized communication and provided powerful new educational tools for student learning, it has also created risks and raised ethical issues for students of all grades, as it has created many opportunities for illegal, inappropriate and unsafe behavior among all participants. Cyber safety is such an important concept that needs to be integrated into the curriculum and classroom. I know this may be difficult for some schools to do for various reasons. I have learned that this responsibility extends beyond the library media specialist. Which is interesting, because the first person I remember introducing me to a computer and how to navigate it was the librarian. This week really put the topic of Internet Safety into perspective for me. Before I didn’t consider that students needed to be taught the rules of the road online. I guess I assumed it was more like something they learned on their own through explorations. Just like students learn how to drive from taking a Driver’s Ed, the same goes for learning how to navigate the Web. I wasn’t necessarily taught how to behave in the online world, but with the increase of social networking, I think it is a must for the current generation of students. I enjoyed completing the Week 6 Assignment Task. I am a person that learns by doing, so it was beneficial for me to create a Web poster. Creating the Web poster was not as challenging as some of the other technological tools that we have explored thus far. I definitely got something out of it and think a classroom of students would as well. I know that cyber safety, cyber ethics, and cyber security are all important, but I became wrapped up in cyberbullying. I think this is because bullying is a sensitive subject for me. Of course I want to teach all 3Cs, but if it came down to it, I would definitely want to ensure that my students are not victims or participants in cyberbullying.
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ReplyDeleteInternet use in the classroom and beyond continues to grow. Many students are using the internet not only for school related work, but for socializing on places like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well as web surfing. It is important for us as educators to be able to teach our students about internet safety and security as a part of their curriculum. This should start at the same time that the use begins in the classroom. Due to consistent internet use this has become just as vital as other subject areas. Some safety concerns are making sure an adult is present, not giving out information, cyberbullying/harassment, understanding copyright/plagiarism, social media dos and don’ts, identity theft, and hacking(Fredrick, 2010).
ReplyDeleteIt can seem scary for us as educators to be able to do and some of us might not know where to begin. I personally feel I wouldn’t be prepared at this point to teach it. I would need to learn more about it and probably take some more specific professional development on the subject. The articles this week were a great starting point as I feel that it has put me in the right direction.
The National Cyber Security Alliance provides a paradigm: the 3 Cs—cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security (Fredrick, 2010). We have to not only create appropriate lesson plans, but identify the necessary lists of possible hazards according to our students’ grade levels. Luckily, there are resources available to us like NetSmartz and CyberSmart(Fredrick, 2010). Both of these sites offer presentations and lesson plans as well as activities that we could use in the classroom to help teach our students internet safety. They are efficient because they range by grade level.
Growing up, I always remember taking computer class and learning how to use the computer, but not being taught how to safely and securely use a computer. With the quick developments in technology, internet use has really evolved. Therefore, this is why it is important to teach it to our students even though it is not already integrated into our curriculum. Some states, like Virginia, require districts to teach all kids internet safety and security issues, and districts receiving certain federal E-rate funds (Butler, 2010). If we had adequate resources in our schools, like library techs, they would be a great asset in helping students personally, but also being able to educate teachers on ways to develop responsible safety and security habits.
References
Butler, K. (2010). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
Frederick, K. (2010). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=wLEMn2uG1jHIcVSiJRC9BsWrL.
Hi Laura,
DeleteYou mentioned taking a computer class but not learning how to safely use the computer. I can relate to this when it comes to learning how to use the Internet. I wasn't allowed much unsupervised access to the Internet when I was in high school. So when I went to University the first time, I suddenly had access to everything; I do not think that there were any security protocols in place at the time limiting what we could access and look at. At the time, it was exciting to first realize that I had the freedom to look at anything. In the end, I had to enforce my own set of ethical and moral codes to keep myself safe from things that I did not want to see - online or off.
I guess what I am saying is that I agree that explicitly teaching Internet or Cyber safety and security is of the utmost importance. Since we will no doubt make use of the Internet to provide instruction, we need to make certain that our students understand Internet "netiquette" as NetSmartz says. Students also need to know that there are very harmful things on the web that can leave a lasting impression if they are not careful; but we to tell them this in a way that fosters awareness and caution, not curiosity.
Jocelyn
Internet Safety
ReplyDeleteWe have mentioned before in our posts how important it is for our children to be able to use the Internet safely. This week, we read about how educators can use safety features and model safe Internet-use behaviours as we teach students how to use this tool safely and effectively.
Kathy Fredrick (2010) highlighted how librarians can take the opportunity to lead the way in preparing students for the world outside of school and away from secured networks by helping them become “critical and ethical thinkers who can assess what they see online and make good decisions.” They can begin with “the 3C’s – cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security” which encompasses “the ethics of research, the effective use of resources, and the guidance of students’ online work.” Her article also suggested that school librarians collaborate with teachers, administrators and students to create a curriculum that would cover: having a trusted adult sit with students while they are online, not sharing personal information or passwords with others, online bullying and harassment, understanding copyright/plagiarism/IP, and various cyber-crimes. There are also several free online resources that educators can use that provide curricula pieces from full lesson plans to supporting info and materials that work within the 3C’s model. - (Fredrick, 2010)
In “Cybersafety in the Classroom,” Kevin Butler (2010) discusses how school districts have moved toward including Internet safety as part of their existing curricula to prepare students to be ethical and responsible while online. While the desire to begin Internet safety education is present, the ability and skill of all educators to provide adequate education seems to be lacking. Mr. Butler mentions that “the problem is that the Internet landscape is changing so rapidly that programs that focus on specific Web tools or sites quickly become out-of-date as youths move on to the next online trend” (page 54). Keeping up with these changes can be daunting, especially if educators are constantly creating additional lessons in excess of any existing curricula. The suggestion to incorporate Internet safety skills into existing curricula will/may reduce the amount of time spent doing so. As with the article written by Kathy Fredrick, Kevin Butler lists several online sites that educators can use as resources for teaching students of all ages about Cyber security. Among the sites mentioned are: NetSmartz.org; CyberSmart!; iKeepSafe.org; isafe.org; and Stay Safe Online. - (Butler, 2010)
After looking around these sites, I was drawn to NetSMartz because of its instant attraction to children and its simple and direct information about cyber safety. CyberSmart’s curriculum tab links you directly to Common Sense Education (commonsense.org) where educators can access free lessons after signing up for free. i-Safe Digital Learning provides a curriculum library that links you to edbrowser.com once schools have registered and received login credentials. This company has two arms, one for-profit that helps schools and commercial businesses meet regulatory guidelines and the other a non-for-profit that provides districts and schools with digital access to lessons and activities regarding cyber security and safety for students of all ages. Finally, Stay Safe Online seems to be a good resource for older students (middle and high school) since it provides a wealth of information about cyber security. By the way, did you know that October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month according to Stay Safe Online?
References:
ReplyDeleteButler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. District Administration, 46(6), 53 - 57. Retrieved October 22, 2019, from https://d2l.ni.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=hHVUFykSWTr1Pi4zRwKCjZTFr
Fredrick, K. (2010, April). Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. School Library Monthly, 26(8), pp. 35 - 36. Retrieved October 22, 2018, from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=hHVUFykSWTr1Pi4zRwKCjZTFr
My experience with technology and the internet was limited as a child. Our household didn't own a computer, so when I had access to a computer, there were specific web sites that could be used in high school in the computer lab or library. Therefore, that experience provided opportunities for research for scholarly material to write a paper or research paper. I didn't own a computer until I went to college and realized that I spend too much of my time in the computer lab at school to complete my assignments. As I reflect on the required material for this week's Blog. I think it is vital to equip children with the skills and knowledge that introduces them to the cultures on how to be better digital citizens. For example, children need to learn how to search the internet and be safe with knowledge of safe search engines, reliable website domains, and how to use keywords that can provide reliable information that they use for their learning experience. To avoid misleading and distracting information that can be easily accessed. Teachers must teach children how to use the 3C's from the National Cyber Security Alliance. The 3C's are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cybersecurity (Frederick, 2010). I also believe that if children learn the skills early, their role in internet safety will help them be successful in school. Frederick (2010) mentions, Just as educators teach students how to be safe walking to school, taking the bus, and asking for help when in danger, it is crucial to do the same for them in their online life. (p. 36)
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, teachers who are confident and educated can teach about internet safety with the 3C's cyber ethics, cyber safety cybersecurity. With this information, children will be empowered to be successful with their education and will be better prepared in the work field to be better digital citizens. Butler (2010) shares how "teachers feel insufficiently prepared" to teach children about internet safety due to their lack of knowledge on how to go about teaching it (p. 2). I feel there should be more funds and opportunities available for educators to be prepared to teach these skills to the children. The article shares, several available resources for educator and parents, however, there should be more time that is set aside for teachers also to learn how to teach the skills effectively, especially for some teachers that have a lack of experience in the area of technology. I also feel that it is everyone's responsibility to teach internet safety, not just librarians. Teachers should integrate it into the lesson plans, and parents should practice it at home. The more it is practiced, the better understanding and more naturally it will come to students, especially if we start as soon as we introduce a computer into the classroom to empower the children with successful learning.
Reference
Butler, K. (2010, June). Cybersafety in the Classroom. Retrieved October 24, 2019, from https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-1126.201910/Cybersafety%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=sWuT0BBCePTjax4kPQOlgWgXw
Frederik, K. (2010, April) Teaching the Rules of the Road Online. Retrieved from: https://d2l.nl.edu/content/enforced/114579-11126.201910/TeachingRulesOfRoadOnline.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=68WUZfgSTmlbft1Sjn7yjdKM1
One of the biggest things I thought about this week was the use of firewalls in the classroom and how they don't do anything to help students in the long run. It makes me wonder how useful programs like Bark are. They monitor all the activity a child has, but is it really helpful or does it just prevent the children from learning how to handle their cyber identities? Where is the line between protection and teaching safety?
ReplyDeleteThis week was a great week filled with great discussions and a great assignment. It was different for e creating the web poster like I had to do. It was a new tool for me and something that I have never heard of before. I was thinking when I first read the assignment that it would be heard and complicated. I had come to find out that it wasn’t. I liked being able to navigate something new and it was simple to figure out. I learned how to use a new tool and it is a tool that I can use in my classroom. I can use it to make posters for the families about a certain topic. I can use this for newsletters and spreading the news. I would print it out and make copies. I also enjoyed being able to work with giving directions again. I enjoyed this because it prepared for more for the future when I have to type out directions for my students. It gave me some experience making sure that every detail was included. I also went through the directions and I gave me a better experience that was form both points of view. The view of the teacher and student is what I mean. This was a great week.
ReplyDeleteFinal Reflection:
ReplyDeleteThis week’s topic of Internet safety was definitely very valuable and informative. It seems like most of my classmates and myself did not have any Internet safety lessons when we were in elementary school. I feel like it wasn’t a huge deal for us but now since students have what seems like unlimited access to the internet and social media, they need to know how to keep themselves safe. The web poster was another new topic for me that I had not heard of or used before but thought it was fairly easy to use because when I first opened week 6 assignment I wont lie, I got overwhelmed thinking it was going to be harder than it was to use web poster.
Reflection
ReplyDeleteWith going into this week and learning more about safety and making sure that children are well educated is as important then them learning math or reading. We take every measures to keep our children safe in this world. For some parents we wish we can keep them small and in a bubble but we can't. At one point we have to let them go so they can grow. But with school taking on more ways to protect our children we know that they are forming the base work for them to look out for warning signs while on the internet. Even when they aren't in school and using their phones. We were given good information during this week that we can take with us not only into our classrooms but also with our own children. I know I try and make sure that I know what my children are doing when using there Ipads.
Reflection
ReplyDeleteI thought this week's content was very important. Internet safety is vital information for all people to know. Children are especially vulnerable to the dangers of the internet, so it is important to inform them of ways to be safe. I enjoyed the discussion we had as well as completing the assignment. I think that the Web Posters are really great tools to use with students. I wouldn't be able to use this type of tool with my students in the same way that we did in our assignment, but I can still see some interesting uses for it. I actually had fun putting my Web Poster together, once I really figured out how to use the site. It was a little confusing at first, but I figured it out and realized what a great tool it was. It's such a cool way to have students do assignments as well, rather than just typical worksheets.
In reflection to this week's blog post I feel the information discussed is very important. Internet safety should be a concern in all schools and properly taught. If children do not understand how to handle the internet than they are at means to run into some very dangerous concern. I felt a bit confused creating the Web Poster, but I believe they are a wonderful tool to educate children with. Children need to have tools such as these to gain the best education for all learning purposes. Internet safety is a very in depth topic, therefore, having all the tools to teach this topic correctly is the key to success. Thanks for all the thoughts this weekend! Great work everyone.
ReplyDeleteReflection
ReplyDeleteHelping students to learn all about internet safety should always be something requires teachers to teach as well as having the knowledge behind internet safety. I’ve learned that many teachers struggle with teaching internet safety to kids because some aren’t up to date with the internet world and others just don’t have the resources behind teaching the subject. However, today many school districts provide workshops and many seminars for teachers to learn all about internet safety.
This week’s activity was a bit challenging for me. Finding sites for students to gain information about internet safety wasn’t the difficult part, however, trying to find a safe internet site for grade levels K-3rd was a bit of a challenge for me. Mostly everything I have came across was tips for parents or teachers about internet safety for kids. I tried finding information where young students would be able to understand. The game I found was a game that provides students with safety internet tips. I also found a site were students have the chance to do a multiple choice quiz on internet safety. When creating a webpost, that was the first time I’ve ever heard of this tool, however, it was actually interesting to do. It didn’t require as much to do and it was very simple.
Overall, teaching students all about internet safety is important. Many of us have experienced with our personal business being hacked. The objective is to be able to provide students with safety internet tips that will prepare them for the future and last them a lifetime.
Reflection
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot that I learned this week about internet safety. I learned that there is a lot that goes into it and it’s a great part of a students education. As educators, we have to prepare children and talk to them about internet safety. Most children start using the internet at an early age. So the earlier they are aware of how to use it safely, the better. I would want to do different workshops with my class and make sure they fully understand how to be safe on the internet. I was able to find some really interesting sites about internet safety. I added them to my spreadsheet and I think they would be really helpful for the children. On one of the sites, it talked about how it’s important to never give out personal information such as passwords. There’s a video that goes along with it and children would enjoy watching that. There’s also another website that is a game called Surfing the Web. This would be ideal for third graders. I think these sites would be beneficial when talking about internet safety. As for the assignment we had this week, I thought it was a bit confusing at first. I had to read the directions and the rubric several times. As I started doing it, I found it easier to do.
Final Reflection
ReplyDeleteThis week we learned a lot about the importance of internet safety. It is important that we teach our students how to be safe and secure when using the internet. Prior to this week, I never really put into consideration how important this is. After the readings, I was able to not only get a much better idea of what internet safety is and what it looks like, but learned why it is so important to educate our students on it. Since we will be using it in class and all of us use it on our personal time, it is important that we all know how to do it in a safe and secure manner.
This week’s assignment helped me learn more about internet safety. It was fun yet challenging to create this workshop because I was learning from it as well. As I researched sites about internet safety I was able to educate myself a little more on the topic, but finding appropriate sites for the primary grades has been a little bit of a challenge. It seems that a lot of content was more for the upper grades. What really helped was using some of the strategies we learned in one of our previous modules. I was able to use the Boolean strategies to help me identify sites that were specifically for k-3 and this is where I started to find more appropriate sites on this topic.
Final Reflection
ReplyDeleteAs I reflect on the required material for this week's blog and assignment, I learned some important facts about internet safety. I think that it is vital to teaching children the 3C's from the National Cyber Security Alliance. The 3C's are cyber ethics, cyber safety, and cyber security (Frederick, 2010). I feel Internet safety is vital information for all people to know. Children are especially vulnerable to the dangers of the internet, so it is essential to inform them of ways to be safe. I also enjoyed this week's assignment to complete a worksheet on Web Posters. I feel this is a great tool to use with students to complete tasks and share information they have learned. I had a lot of fun following the step to complete to prepare the worksheet on the web post. I also like the opportunity of creat directions and instructions for the student to access the web post to get to the worksheet. The experience was exciting for me to learn since this was my first time exploring with the tool. However, I don't think that I would be able to use this type of tool with my students because of their age level. But I believe that some preschool children would be able to use the tool with some assistance from a teacher to access the worksheets. And if there were pictures next to the link to guide the children, this tool might be developmentally appropriate for them to complete different assignments or projects.