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Posted by Susan Hyde Aug 14, 2007 |
The stories are all too common. An Internet surfing teenager is lured and then molested or abducted by an adult posing as another teenager. A child is targeted by another child with harassing instant messages or inappropriate e-mails. A student runs across offensive or even pornographic material while trying to research a school subject. A pedophile learns the name and location of a student who keeps a blog on a social networking site like myspace.com
The Internet is a fabulous but scary classroom tool. Although computers open the door to knowledge previously only accessible through library resources, they can also open the door to predators who can take advantage of children. Students who are armed with information about safe Internet surfing, blogging, and Instant Messaging, are less likely to be targeted by child predators and cyberbullies.
Although Internet filters can go a long way toward keeping students from unsuitable material, teachers and parents cannot rely on these tools to keep children safe. As computers become more commonplace, responsible teachers must be diligent about instructing their students on how to avoid and respond to online dangers. As a part of this instruction, schools should provide workshops and newsletters to educate parents about Internet safety, common acronyms used by children and teens in online chat rooms and instant messages, and avoiding cyberbullying and financial scams.
Before assigning any online research this year, be sure to take the time to establish classroom guidelines for Internet use. That way the computer can be the educational tool that it was meant to be.