EdTech 541: Internet Safety Guidelines

Helping Our Students Stay Safe Online

(This post is written for teachers of pre-teen or young adult students.)
 
It’s easy to presume that since young adults are digital natives, having grown up with an ethernet cable as an umbilical cord and a computer mouse practically attached to their fingertips, that their savvy equates to safety.  However, this is often not the case, and many students find themselves confused by or caught up in illegal content, cyberbullying, marketing, identity theft, and computer viruses. The ubiquity of internet-enabled technology is a compelling reason to make internet safe practices a hot topic in our classrooms. These safety skills and information must be explicitly taught so as to promote behaviors that are respectful, legal, ethical, and integrity-minded both in the classroom and at home.

Establishing a clear and student-friendly Acceptable Use Policy, providing secure firewall technology, laying down transparent ground rules, creating a private online community for classroom use, and scheduling time for discussion, role-playing, and multimedia activities regarding internet safety are some of the ways in which educators can support their students’ growth in this area. Ensuring parents are on board is also a critical piece.  Information nights, workshops, and literature are all helpful tools to improve communication through consistency in the message.  Websites such as: http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide provide streamlined facts, rules, and regulations to help parents stay informed.

Young adults need both boundaries and information to guide them to make good choices. There are many things they can do, or avoid doing, that will keep them from falling victim to some of the unfortunate “evils” of the online world.  Our job is to give students intellectual and emotional tools. Some of the topics educators should be sure to address include content, communication, privacy, and security.

I. Content: Untrustworthy, Unreliable, Unwanted, or Illegal

When it comes to using the internet for research and reporting, students must understand that it is unacceptable and could be, in fact, illegal to steal ideas or files from others.  If ideas or facts are not properly cited or credited, this a breach of academic honesty called plagiarism.  In addition, in some cases these supposed “facts” are really not reliable at all, as they do not come from trustworthy sources.  Since just about anyone can post their ideas on the internet, misinformation can be spread easily if people do not carefully consider the author of the web page.  What is the purpose of the website? Who created it and whom is it for? Students must be taught to be critical consumers to avoid passing on untrustworthy information.  Students must also be careful to avoid sharing copyrighted material.  This all-too-easy practice is actually illegal, and students may not even realize it.  Therefore they must learn the law, and learn alternatives for acquiring information, programs, or files that are not intended to be freely distributed.

Firewall filters, password-protection, and other administrative controls should prevent access to most illegal information from the internet in the school setting, however students must know what to do in case they come upon inappropriate content.  Essentially, they should close the window, close the browser, and tell a teacher. However, if the students are accessing inappropriate information intentionally, then discipline policies must be in place to rectify the situation.  Students must be made well aware of these policies in advance of internet use.  They must also understand that their searches are tracked and stored even on public computers and even if the browsing history is deleted.

II.  Communication: Netiquette and Cyber-bullying

When students participate in social media, they must keep in mind the dangers that may come from misinterpretation or anonymity.  It is easy to hide behind a computer screen and alias when communicating over the internet, however students must remember that real people are both ends of the conversation.  This has implications for our netiquette (internet etiquette) as well as our outright safety.  With regard to polite and proper behavior, we must make sure our meaning is clear and that we communicate with appropriate language.  This ensures that our message isn’t misconstrued and that others’ feelings aren’t hurt or inflamed.  A good rule of thumb is that if you wouldn’t say something to another person’s face, don’t post it online!  With regard to safety, students must remember that some people they communicate with are not who they say they are, even though they may pretend to be a peer or come across as trustworthy.  They may be a predator or identity thief. Therefore, it’s important to never agree to meet in person anyone you first “met” online.  It’s also crucial to avoid giving out personal or private information that could be used maliciously.

Cyber-bullying is an increasingly concerning trend that has emerged from the social media landscape.  When a child is threatened, harassed, or humiliated by a peer, whether it be private or public, they must inform an adult.  If not, the situation could escalate.  Students can learn tactics to avoid or curb the presence of cyber-bullying in their social media circles.  Young adults may feel that spreading gossip, pictures, or “anonymous” opinions gives them power and increases their popularity.  However, they must remember that bullying is bullying, no matter that medium.  Mean comments can be exponentially more hurtful in cyberspace since they spread like wildfire and stick around for a longer time.  Therefore, encourage students to share comments with integrity, respect, and positive vibes.

III. Privacy: Exploitation and Unwanted Marketing

With tracking cookies, security breaches, and unsolicited and deceptive pop-up ads, the internet can seem like a minefield of thieves and malice. There really is nowhere to “hide” when it comes to private information on the Web.  Therefore, we must educate our students to keep as much personally-identifying information private as possible.  This shouldn’t scare us from using the internet as a resource or tool, but should remind us that caution is appropriate.  Some risk-aversion tips include:

• Don’t share your password with friends.
• When you use a public computer log out of the accounts you’ve accessed when finished.
• Don’t give out personal information of yourself or others (e.g. full name, address, school name, or phone number).
• Don’t buy anything online without parents’ consent. And even with permission, only use reputable websites with secure check-outs when shopping.
• Remember that ads or emails may try to trick you into giving away your information by offering free things or claiming you won something.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

IV. Security: Safety and Privacy

Staying secure means keeping our computer, our identity, and our reputation problem-free.  We must direct our students to age-appropriate search engines, chat rooms, and social media options.  Many social networking websites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Second Life) and blog hosting websites have minimum age requirements to sign up for an account and participate. These requirements should be respected as they exist to help protect minors.  There are other measures to take that aid in privacy enforcement such as changing settings to make posts private, and taking great care in selecting whom someone adds to their “friends” list.

We must also encourage students to avoid “oversharing” on the internet by establishing boundaries based on one’s comfort zone and reflecting on the ramifications of particular information being made public. (This could include anything from an address, to a credit card number, to inappropriate photos.)  Once something is “out there”, it’s a permanent and publicly sharable piece of information.  The ultimate audience may not be the intended one.  Even if they are not passed along, images and texts are stored by cell phone databases, app servers, or other technology companies.  Students should always think about their reputation and consider a moral framework such as “would my grandmother approve of me sending or posting this?”  We should try ensure our digital footprint shows us and others in the best of light, and

We must also keep our computer and its stored information safe by taking caution against introducing viruses to our machines.  Students should be taught to ask an adult before opening an email attachment or downloading software. Some clickable files on favorite websites are actually ads or malware in disguise that may contain viruses or other phishing scams.  Students must learn from an early age how to avoid scams that result in us falling victim to an online criminal.

V. Resources

If used safely and conscientiously, the internet is a valuable tool for resourceful collaboration, productivity, and social connection.  Students need to be wary of some of the “cracks” in security and morality that are inevitably embedded into our online experience.  The following tools can help teachers and students learn and rehearse specific behaviors and thought patterns:

For Teachers:

http://www.netsmartz.org/TipSheets -- In addition to many other valuable tools incorporated in this website, this page offers printable tip sheets that can be posted as reminders for students to use proper safety protocol when using the internet.

http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/protect-kids-online -- Links to various definitions and webpages about internet safety subtopics, especially geared towards parents.

http://pbskids.org/webonauts/about/ -- Interactive game for 8-10 year olds about being a good digital citizen. Includes simulations surrounding identity‚ privacy‚ credibility and web safety.

http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Schools.aspx -- Lesson plans and professional develpment about cyber safety.

For Students:

Video guides: 

“Playing and Staying Safe Online” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmdWToVnWkA and

“Safe Web Surfing: Top Tips for Kids and Teens Online” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrln8nyVBLU

KidsSMART: http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/ -- Kid-friendly links to information about file sharing, mobile devices, social networking, chatting, digital footprints, and safe searching.  Includes music, games, competitions, and other helpful links.

Faux Paw learning tool from http://kids.ikeepsafe.org/ -- Animated movies and accompanying guidebooks about illegal downloading, cyber-bullying, and general online safety with title character Faux Paw.

Think U Know http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ -- A website with age-appropriate tips and guides for using the internet safely in a social way (particularly with an aim to avoid exploitation).

References

Dunn, J. (2011). The Teacher’s Guide to Keeping Students Safe Online. Retrieved from http://www.edudemic.com/student-online-safety-guide/

GCF. (n.d.) Internet Safety for Kids. Retrieved from  http://www.gcflearnfree.org/internetsafetyforkids

Magid, L. (2014, February 22).  In defense of internet safety education. Retrieved from http://www.safekids.com