3 April- Internet Safety

Internet Safety Reflection:
As a teacher I believe that although the Internet can be very dangerous it is a very useful tool that should be used every classroom. The Internet is extremely useful for many reasons. The communication that it provides between people all around the world is unprecedented. It is so incredible that we can search, study, and interact within the click of a mouse. Students can take virtual tours of the ocean, learn about Africa then use Google Earth and other simulation programs to actually see it and explore it, students can research topics at home and much more with the Internet. Although the Internet has many uses there are a lot of drawbacks as well. One of the major issues with using the Internet in a classroom is safety. There are a lot of predators, cyber bullies, and many other safety issues with using the Internet. As a teacher of young vulnerable adults I plan on monitoring their Internet very closely. When we utilize the internet I will teach them safety precautions that are critical to follow. Students will learn how they should never give out personal information online, correct etiquette, what they should do if they read something that is inappropriate or strange in anyway, and how to avoid cyber bullies and viruses. Because there is so much garbage and useless information on the Internet it is important to evaluate the sites that we use. Evaluating every website that we use will ensure that accurate information will be obtained, the author and source are credible and reliable, and most of all that it is safe and useful. The questions we should ask ourselves when evaluating a website can be remembered by the 5 Ws: 1.WHO: Who wrote the information and are they an expert? Does the website contain an online biography of the author or an email address? 2. WHAT: What doest the author say? What is the purpose of the site? Is the information biased? What organization sponsors the page? Is it an ad disguised as information? Does it contradict other information? 3. WHEN: When was the site created and last updated? 4. WHERE: Where does the information come from? Where can I find out more information about the sponsor or organization the author is affiliated with? In the URL look for personal names like jdoe or johndoe, ~ or %, or the words "users," "members" or "people," 5. WHY: Why is this information useful for my purpose? Why is this page or site better than other pages or sites? By following these guidelines and teaching our students Internet Safety we can ensure that they receive the most out of the time they spend on the Internet while still being safe.