There are lots of things online that can be harmful to our students if they are not informed. There are many ways that people can get personal information from our students that can be used to harm them and the growing use of cyber bulling is something that we have to deal with. One question that gets asked a lot is who should teach our students about internet safety? Some people think it is the parents and others the teachers. Even teachers can't decided on what teacher should teach the kids about internet safety Some think just the computer teacher. In an ideal world how should we be teaching internet safety? If this is a topic that you do not have much back ground knowledge on I would suggest doing a bit of reading on the topic. If we are asking or students to use technology then we should make sure we know what then need to do to be safe. (I can tell you from personal experience many kids are TOTALLY clueless when it comes to their safety on the web).
36 Comments
Kim Welch
3/22/2015 11:21:44 am
To me, internet safety needs to be taught by three key players in a child’s life: the classroom teacher, computer teacher, and parents/family. I believe the classroom teacher is responsible for teaching some “basic” computer safety ideas, such as never sharing emails, passwords, or other personal information on the internet. The classroom teacher can also give advice on what kinds of websites are appropriate to search for information, if it pertains to a content area, and which websites to avoid. The computer teacher can go into greater detail as to what kinds of things are appropriate/not appropriate to do on the computer. Lastly, the parents/family of each student needs to take the reins when it comes to teaching children about internet safety at home. The school can only do so much, and the parents need to act like parents and monitor what their child does on the home computer. Hopefully, the parents are setting a good example for their kids, which is not always the case. It’s sad to say, but children often mimic what their parents do, and there are numerous adults who don’t use computers for the best reasons. If I were to give one piece of advice to a student about internet safety, it would be to always ask yourself, am I doing something that I wouldn’t mind my parents, teachers, and other adults watch me do? If the answer is no, then the child should probably not be doing that on the computer. Internet safety is a complex issue, but I think the more people involved the better.
Reply
3/24/2015 01:33:27 pm
I agree with your concept of the three key players. Classroom teachers utilize the internet some, and therefore should educate the students about internet safety in the areas that they use the internet in their lessons. The computer instructor should go into more details concerning over internet safety. Parents should also be involved with educating their children in the areas of internet safety, but many parents may be unaware of many threats. I also think school counselors should also be involved in educating students, especially in areas concerning threats from socializing through the use of the internet.
Reply
Pat Tracy
3/23/2015 12:49:07 am
I believe that there should be a highlighted in a course because of the growing incidence of hacking and other harmful viruses that are out there. There should be a heightened awareness for everyone because of identity theft and technology defaulting due to a virus. I believe that there should be a class period or two dedicated to just internet safety. The class should be broken up into finding safe sites for projects and just for personal use (ordering stuff off of). The class should also discuss the different content that a person should put on the web (like not putting his or her social security number on there). Also, there should be discussions on the effects of unsafe uses of the internet. Additionally, I believe that social media should be discussed in this class because of what they might be putting on the internet could hinder future employment options or offend or harm others.
Reply
Taylor West
3/23/2015 06:09:53 am
I agree fully with the remarks of saying that teachers should take some time to teach internet safety in the class room. Seems like a very smart idea. You think Google, and other major internet providers would try and spread the awareness for internet safety. I know I really don’t see much about it. Taking a few ads, or commercials would help. The only really step people can take, is being on the cautious side, and teaching kids what can happen.
Reply
Devin Beasley
3/24/2015 09:33:57 am
Pat, you did a great job of breaking down what the internet safety class should teach and all of the components that should be involved within the class. I especially agree with you when you talk about teaching students to use safe sights for projects and what information is safe/unsafe to put on the internet. A lot of kids would not know that putting you social security number on the internet would be a bad thing. Also, we must teach the students which sites could be spam or tricks into getting money out of you.
Reply
3/24/2015 01:39:07 pm
Pat,
Reply
Simon Barinas
3/25/2015 12:39:55 am
Pat,
Reply
Terry Keown
3/25/2015 07:32:26 am
Pat I agree with you. The more bases covered the better off the students, school, and parents are. Fundamentally I think IT would be responsible for overseeing this instruction but I could see where a teacher may need to be involved with IT to assist in developing instruction for the class. I can't see why the a class in Internet safety at the high school level couldn't garner credit if it was made a bit broader in content.
Reply
J. Golden
3/26/2015 12:41:18 am
Pat, you did a great job on breaking down how the schools should teach this topic! I think the audience you were going for was high school students? The talk about social media should definitely highlighted in the course because as you stated you could potentially not get a job because something you put on there could offend or harm someone.
Reply
Dawn Macklin
3/26/2015 11:42:35 am
Pat,
Reply
Taylor West
3/23/2015 05:20:54 am
The internet is not going away any time soon. It’s only a matter of time that it will be easier and more available to use the internet in more places. Kids can seem to get into a lot of trouble with the simple click of a button. If a kid can understand to type and use a computer effectively. Then he/she will understand the basic rules that a parent or teacher should set up. I found a lot of articles online to show the prevention of bad things.
Reply
Kim Welch
3/23/2015 12:21:38 pm
HI Taylor, this is Kim Welch. I totally agree with your statement that teachers need to step in to help discuss at least the basics of internet safety. Teachers should tell students to never share any personal information, such as their social security number, address, phone number, etc. Like you mentioned as well, teachers need to step into the realm of teaching about internet safety because not all parents have the same values. I know I have been around a few parents that don’t mind their children playing Halo, watching R-rated movies, etc. It seems like if they think the content is okay for them to watch, then it is okay for their kids to watch as well – not quite the best idea. Hopefully teachers will step up to the plate and help address some internet safety issues with their students. If anything, it will plant seeds of knowledge into the minds of students, so they are at least aware of a few ways to be safe on the internet.
Reply
Devin Beasley
3/24/2015 09:30:53 am
Taylor, you bring up some great points and also a very important point that I hit on as well in my response. Teachers should most definitely be teaching internet safety and we cannot leave it up to the parents. Its hard to say but some parents do no even help their kids with their homework so why would we think that they will teach them about the internet and how to prevent their kids from danger. I think teaching this topic in a school will be very beneficial in the long run.
Reply
Jeromy Layman
3/29/2015 12:31:26 pm
Taylor,
Reply
Devin Beasley
3/24/2015 09:26:57 am
I believe that internet safety SHOULD be taught in the school systems. You cannot rely on parents to teach internet safety because as sad as it is to say, some parents may not even wonder or care to learn about it. I think that starting in the 6th grade, that it is mandatory for every student to have to take an internet safety course. Yes, I think that the computer teacher should be the one in charge. They know and are most educated about the internet and maybe the school could pay for this teacher to go to conferences to learn even more about how to help the students and teach the students about internet safety. Another teacher who could help out would be the school counselor. I think they would be able to take the cyber bullying approach to help teach our kids right from wrong when dealing with this topic. Nonetheless, something needs to be done to help inform our kids about cyber bullying and internet safety.
Reply
Kim Welch
3/24/2015 11:34:17 am
Hi Devin, this is Kim Welch. I thought your idea about involving the counselor was very creative. Like you mentioned, the counselor already helps teach students about being safe in other areas of life, so adding internet safety seems like a good fit. The idea of professional development for the computer teacher would be beneficial as well. I know there are countless professional development opportunities in the area that deal with the newest technology available to schools, and how to go about incorporating it safely in the school/home setting. At the beginning of the school year, my school has students and parents sign off on a technology agreement, which requires both parents and students to sign a piece of paper stating they have read the guidelines that must be followed in order to be able to use any technology at school (computers, laptops, iPads, etc.). I wonder if it would be a good idea to add an internet safety sign-off sheet to their paperwork, so at least the school and parents would be informed about the basics of internet safety. If anything, at least the school wouldn’t be held liable if a student decided to use technology for the wrong reason, or gave away important information they shouldn’t have.
Reply
Dawn Macklin
3/26/2015 11:44:59 am
Devin,
Reply
3/24/2015 01:51:34 pm
I believe education of internet safety should begin in school as soon as students are asked to use the internet for any type of school activity. Pamphlets should be sent home to parents at the beginning of every school year informing them of internet and technology safety issues. Schools should also provide learning opportunities for parents to attend to learn more about technology safety issues. As parents become more aware of the dangers, they will be able to set educated boundaries for their children.
Reply
Simon Barinas
3/25/2015 12:43:06 am
Julie,
Reply
Jeromy Layman
3/29/2015 01:11:05 pm
Julie,
Reply
Paden Kleinhesselink
4/29/2015 10:59:24 am
Julie,
Reply
Simon Barinas
3/25/2015 12:37:54 am
I do not think that there should be a specific class that addresses the matter because then the students will take it as something that have to learn and not something that is actually protecting them, then the whole purpose of the information given to them will be wasted in my opinion. I think the best way to approach this is by bringing multiple experts on different days and do demonstrations of how the can be victims of this, and how to protect themselves from happening to them. This way it will get their attention quicker, and if they have any questions the teacher that will be there on a daily basis should be able to answer and help the students.
Reply
Taylor West
3/25/2015 03:00:08 am
I like how you said not a specific class. It should be a given to be taught at some point, in some class. Makes better since so the topic of internet safety will be covered, Something with that high of importance will be covered. Like I said it can never be covered enough! Good point Simon.
Reply
Terry Keown
3/25/2015 07:40:35 am
I like the expert thought Simon as well. Also it gives such a process an air of respect that might transcend the teachers telling the students they have to take a course they allegedly know everything about. The expert thought may work well on students from Junior high to high school.
Reply
J. Golden
3/26/2015 12:36:13 am
Simon, I really enjoyed your ideas on how to approach this topic. It seems to me that this could help because then the children don't think of it as a class but as a fun interactive way of gaining knowledge on a topic.
Reply
Terry Keown
3/25/2015 07:14:53 am
Repetition, repetition, and did I say repetition. This is the only way the bases will be covered. At the minimum before the course begins for the year a mandatory pre-course in internet safety for everyone must be completed. Teachers should have a refresher every year as well. Students should receive a refresher in every class they take before the educational process begins. The next year it starts all over again. From a liability standpoint its a necessity. On the other end of the spectrum a parental course may be in order as well.
Reply
Terry Keown
3/25/2015 07:16:38 am
The link I referred to.
Reply
J. Golden
3/26/2015 12:34:55 am
I think that there should be time taken out of the school year almost every year to address the dangers of cyber bullying and online activity. It doesn't need to be a specific course or laid out in a way that the students think its just another topic they will be tested on but a fun interactive hour or two would really help. This topic should be brought up and taught by the classroom teacher and the IT department of the school. Also, the parents should at least address the topic at home so the children really know the dangers.
Reply
Dawn Macklin
3/26/2015 11:39:10 am
I believe that students should be taught internet safety as soon as possible. It doesn't necessarily have to be from the technology teacher. As classroom teachers, there are times we have to educate students on things that aren't related to our content field. I think it's also a good idea to send home information to parents so that they can be aware of internet safety and maybe help educate their child as well.
Reply
Tyler Fritz
3/29/2015 05:40:39 am
I agree with you that the students should be taught about internet safety as soon as possible. This will help prevent a lot of bad things going on already on the internet. Great idea to send home information to the parents because they need to be aware of internet safety just as much as the children do and hopefully they will help educate the children about it.
Reply
Paden Kleinhesselink
4/29/2015 11:02:57 am
Dawn,
Reply
Tyler Fritz
3/29/2015 05:37:44 am
I really think that they should teach internet safety in schools these days. There is not a lot of parents out there that will actually take the time to teach their children about being safe while using the internet. A lot of parents don't even think this is a big deal and don't even care about it. The way we should be teaching this is by having the computer teacher teach the class. The computer teacher should actually have to take a course on internet safety so that he or she is qualified to teach the children about it. There are many dangers on the internet these days and I really believe this class would be very beneficial to the children and will help prevent a lot of bad things happening on the internet.
Reply
Ryan Ellis
3/30/2015 04:24:26 am
I disagree, most parents want the best for their children and simply do not know about the dangers of internet use. Just because they're ignorant doesn't mean that they are not responsible for what their kids see and do while online. It is the parents responsibility to monitor their children's Internet access, not the teachers.
Reply
Jeromy Layman
3/29/2015 12:28:00 pm
In my opinion I think that it is important for internet safety to be taught both in the classroom and at home. As we move into a more digital world, students are being exposed to technology earlier and earlier. I have seen very young children with their own mobile devices, using computers, and tablets. It is important for parents to monitor their children at home and to explain the dangers that can be present on the internet. However, some parents may not have experience with technology themselves, and therefore cannot effectively teach their children how to responsibly utilize it. As a kid, I remember very vividly being much more knowledgable about technology and responsibly using the internet than my parents, and yet they would blame me when viruses would get downloaded or the computer slowed down or the internet went down. It was because in actuality, they were going on untrustworthy sites or clicking the wrong link. In retrospect, it is pretty funny. But that is how a lot of home are. That is why I think that the educational system also needs to take some of the responsibility for educating students on safely using technology. I always do a lesson on Digital Citizenship with my students, to inform them that they are creating a digital identity that will follow them for the rest of their lives and that decisions they make on the internet could impact them for many years to come.
Reply
Ryan ellis
3/30/2015 04:22:55 am
I think that the responsibility for teaching internet safety should lie with the parents. Yes we are living in a digital age and yes we utilize the Internet inside school settings, but most students use the Internet while outside of the school settings on their laptops, smartphones, and tablets. It is ultimately up to the parents to educate ther kids about Internet safety, how to avoid being a target, and proper use before they allow them to log online or buy them a device capable of accessing the net.
Reply
Paden Kleinhesselink
4/29/2015 10:55:19 am
Honestly, I think that internet safety should be taught by a combination of the 3. Mostly it should be taught by the parents. The parents should educate their child on what sites to go on and what ones not to. They need to explain that there are some very harmful people out there that are looking for innocent children. They have to be willing to answer questions that the child might have on this topic. The teachers come in then and reiterate what the child has learned. I think schools could help the parents with internet safety by giving them talking points or something of that nature to ease them into the conversation. Most of all, I believe the majority of the responsibility lands on the parent. They need to tell their children that if they see something that isn't right, they tell their parents.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Class BlogThis blog is for class conversations for Ed 514 at Central Methodist University. We invite input form other teachers about how they use technology in their classrooms. Archives
March 2015
Categories
All
|