Internet Safety

This past week we covered the issue of Internet safety. We can all agree that keeping children and teens safe online is no easy task. The lure of social networking sites and cyber interactions provide for many ways of accessing dangerous territory. And unfortunately the danger not only comes from strangers, but of other teens using online tools to bully each other. The number of youth committing suicide after having been harassed by their peers has become increasingly alarming. As technology becomes more accessible to teens, so do the tools for unsafe choices.

As educators we have the responsibility to keep ourselves informed of new ways to provide Internet safety to students. This week however, we found other strategies to assist with this endeavor. Some of these Internet safety tools come in the use of real life scenarios from Digizen videos, having older students tutor the younger ones in safe usage of the Web or teaching parents Internet safety skills. The importance and main goal is to keep the youth safe while teaching them the tools to be digital citizens.

As a parent and educator I share with my children, who are teens, every positive online tool I learn about. And I am constantly having discussions about being safe online. I am hoping the NYS curriculum will make Internet safety part of the technology standards. This would be a huge step forward in preparing our students for the future.