Internet Safety for Elementary Children

 I just wanted to branch off of yesterday's post with a spin of the same type of content for younger students.  The Professor Garfield Foundation, sponsored by the Virginia DOE (but still applicable here in NY!) has a wonderful website with lessons about internet safety.  Each lesson has a video segment to watch, a review game to play, and an application practice section.  Check it out and use it with any elementary students who use the Internet!

UPDATE!

I just found out that Brain Pop Jr. offeres a free video on Internet Safety.  Annie and Moby also do a great job of explaining how to be safe on the Internet.

Internet Safety with NS Teens

Social interaction is changing!  Hopefully, this isn't news to you, but it has become a way of life for today's tweens and teens to have an online profile.  Be it Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or another social site, kids are posting pictures, making comments, playing games, and interacting online.  Sometimes, this can lead to inappropriate behavior, bullying, or other negative outcomes.


School curriculums are also in the process of changing to include instruction about internet safety so our kids know the effects of their online activities.  Whether it's protecting their identity, or knowing about cyberbullying, teens need us as educators to fill them in about safe practices while using the Internet.


So, I want to share with you a neat resource I found designed specifically for teens and tweens.  NS Teens (NS standing for Net Smartz) is an online collection of quick videos meant to educate students about different topics of internet safety.  The characters are animated teenage students, interfaced with interviews from real life teenagers.  I highly recommend the one about cyberbullying because it seems like harrassing text messages, comments and emails has become a big problem as of late....which you find out in the video can lead to police involvement, just like regular harassment.


So, please take the time to jump on teachable moments about internet safety.  Hopefully, this site can help!




NOTE: Also, go to NetSmartz.org to find resources for elementary kids, educators, parents, and law enforcement officers.