A Week in Review: Internet Safety!

Internet Safety Newsletter

Above it the Internet Safety Newsletter I created using LetterPop.  Creating the newsletter, working with my classmates on the webquest, and our whole class meeting this week on internet safety was very insightful.  As an adult, who has grown up with the internet, I am very familiar with all the hazards and  online predators that exist.  However, young children and parents who do not have much experience with the internet may not know some of the basic information they need to keep themselves safe.  Children these days are highly involved on the internet from facebook to youtube to twitter, they have a way to connect, share and meet people instantly.   This comes with a double edged sword.  They are able to share and get ideas on any subject and research information on their next school project.  However, they are also able to chat with strangers, who may not be who they say they are, send and receive pictures, and are exposed to inappropriate information.  Cyberbullying is a topic that has researched the forefront of discussion.  Children are made fun and bullied all across the internet and this has led to student suicides.

Clearly ground rules have to be set so that students can enjoy the great benefits that the world wide web has to offer.  Parents ,who may not be internet savy, need to get involved and keep track of what their children are doing.  This may be as simple as keeping the computer in a neutral family room and blocking off certain sites.  Teachers should use the vast amount of information that the internet has to offer in their classroom and they should also teach their students that what is said online is very transparent can be seen by anyone.  The internet is an amazing tool and can remain safe if certain guidelines are set.

After working with Team TechSavy on the internet safety webquest, it was nice to see the different perspectives that we had on the subject.  Some of the group members focused on the positives of the internet and others more on the negatives.  After collaborating, I think the group has reached a balance.  We are aware of the dangers, but we know there are measures that can be taken to make the internet a safe place. We created a powerpoint presentation using google docs.  I focused on the dangers of spam, or internet junk mail.  Lauren and Granger focused on internet chartroom safety and Ashley focused on proper internet etiquette.  Together we cover all of the major issues a teacher, student and parent should know about internet safety.  We collaborated well together and planned out our assigned roles with a meeting on WizIQ.  Check out Team TechSavy's presentation:  Team TechSavy's Internet Safety PowerPoint.

Our whole group online class meeting on Monday night was very insightful as well.  Each group shared their powerpoint presentations on web safety and what they had learned from the webquest.  I feel that our class has a very good handle on internet safety and will be able to implement technology very effectively in their  classrooms.  Next week we are working on the topic of collaborative learning vs. cooperative learning.  I am very excited to learn more about this topic.  I feel that my team members and I have worked well together this semester.  We have found ways to collaborate and support one another with assignments, even though we all have such different schedules.