Free Educational Websites!

The best way to find out about great educational and learning websites is to share with each other what we have found on the Web! Please share any websites you've found appropriate and educational for your child or any school-age child you work with!

Computer and Internet Rules for School-Aged Children

No matter where you are at, it is important to be a good citizen by following rules of that place. The internet is a "place" with rules just like any other place that you might visit. People who use the internet can be referred to as "cybercitizens". You should establish, learn, and practice rules of the internet before you log on, so that you can be a "good cybercitizen".

Visit http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cybercrime/rules/rules.htm for "Rules in Cyberspace." Here is a quick summary of these rules:

DO:
1. use the internet for schoolwork
2. use the internet to visit museums
3. use the internet to meet children from other countries
4. be careful about talking to strangers
5. learn more about colleges and universities
6. respect privacy of others
7. be careful when downloading programs

DON'T:
1. give your password to anyone.
2. answer messages that make you feel uncomfortable
3. give any personal information
4. arrange to meet anyone you "met" online
5. try to break into computers
6. steal copyrighted programs
7. make copies of copyrighted material
8. copy material you find online and pretend it's your own work


There are many questions for families and schools to consider when allowing computer and internet access to children. What rules will we have for our own children at home regarding use of the computer and internet? What policies does our school have for internet use in their school? What internet use issues do we need to be concerned about? What do you believe we should teach our kids about computer and internet use? Let's share our ideas to make our homes and schools computer and internet safe places to be!

Online Safety Resources for Families

Online safety is an important issue to discuss with children as they become Web literate. Aside from establishing rules for computer and internet safety, students also need to become educated as to the warning signs, dangers, and cautions they need to take as computer and internet users. Parents and teachers need to know what students are doing online at all times and follow guidelines to ensure the safest possible online experiences for children as they grow as 21st Century learners. A couple interesting readings to get you started thinking about online safety are listed below:

http://www.mediafamily.org/network_guides_1.shtml

National Institute on Media and the Family; download Guide to Social Networking - Risks and Guide to Social Networking - Rewards. Great reads! Also includes downloads for many other tech topics like cell phones, gaming, online safety...check them out!

http://www.girlscouts.org/news/news_releases/2009/let_me_know.asp

Girl Scouts of the USA and Microsoft Launch Online Safety Campaign

Please leave any comments about the readings or share your experiences regarding online safety here. In addition, post any great resources you have found regarding online safety for families!