After giving a presentation for parents and handing out books to all staff I thought I would write a bit about Internet safety on here. These are some of the main points from the presentation, but I will also give a link to see the PowerPoint slides used. All of the material has come from the program given by the Federal Trade Commission and more information can be found at http://onguardonline.gov/.
Here are the PowerPoint slides.
Talk with kids
The main point of this whole program was that you have to talk with kids about the problem. You could install all kinds of filters, etc. on your computers, but that will not help kids learn what they should and shouldn't do. Take the time to talk to them and talk to them often. We know it always takes more than one time talking to a kid before it sinks in. The main thing they say with talking is:
-Start early
-Create an honest environment
-Initiate conversations
Communicate Values
Many times the line between online and offline is difficult for students to see. Children many times do not see the consequences of their actions if they cannot see the person that is affected by their actions. You may have spoken to kids about speaking nice to people, but they may not move that over to the online area especially if they cannot look at the person they are talking to in the first place. They may not see texting on their phone for an answer is cheating because they are using other resources. Many times it is just communicating the same values, but sharing that they have to think the same way online as they do offline.
How to Socialize
Children may be thinking of values, but they still need to think of their communication with others. They need to be aware that people can't pick up on sarcasm, tone of voice, etc. So how they write can be challenging. They need to think of how people might read what they write if they can't see their face or here their voice. With so many people using sarcasm it is hard for people to stop using it while typing.
Students need to remember that what they post online cannot be taken back. I make the point that the kids have to believe that Facebook doesn't create tons of backups to make sure everything will be preserved. Also even if you deleted a post it doesn't mean that somebody didn't take a screen capture, or receive an email already with the update. It is very unlikely that anything online can be easily deleted.
The Internet is also a very public place so students need to think that what they put is public no matter how private they try to make their settings. People always seem to find a way around the privacy settings. I tell people to imagine that their grandmother is looking at what they post. Would they be embarrassed?
Cyberbullying
When your kid has is dealing with a cyberbully encourage them to talk to about the problems. You can also:
-Save the evidence
-Do what you can to unconnect from/block them (not possible in every spot online)
-If bogus profiles are setup you can contact companies to have them removed
One of the biggest problems with cyberbullying is the spreading of things online. It is once again important with kids to discuss your values and make sure if they receive something they don't pass it on. Make sure children know that they are responsible for what they write. Online communication is much easier to track and easy to keep records. They cannot hide behind what they write.
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