> I hate to blame the lack of technology on economics but that is a sad truth. Teachers do not see any point in learning the technology if they do not have the equipment to use with their classes.

I agree that teachers would be foolish to spend time learning stuff that they can’t use in their classrooms. I disagree that it’s an issue of economics. The computers that schools are getting rid of now make excellent thin clients that, with a slight learning curve are easier to maintain than the single Windows machine that they replace. In the places I’ve thrown these machines, with much less training than I thought was the minimum good sense dictated, kids and teachers have used computers in the ways that this conversation seems to be promoting.

Paper and pencils can be used to draw inappropriate, hate filled, pictures messages and ideas - and you could poke someone’s eye out. They could even be used to lure your child into a dangerous situation. Should we (and could we if we tried?) cut off access to keep our children safe? No, because they are everywhere and too valuable in so many ways – so as parents and educators we monitor and teach ethical, appropriate, safe use.

Over 200,000 children are injured using playground equipment each year – some are killed. Should we (and could we if we tried?) cut access to playground equipment to keep our children safe? No, because they’re eventually going to find play equipment and playing is too valuable an experience – so as parents and educators we monitor and teach ethical, appropriate, safe use.

50,000 people die or are injured in swimming accidents each year. Should we (and could we if we tried?) cut access to swimming to keep our children safe? No, because pools and lakes and ponds are everywhere and it would be dangerous if they fell in and it is too valuable and healthy a skill – so as parents and educators we monitor and teach ethical, appropriate, safe use.

30,000 people a year are killed and thousands more injured in auto crashes each year. Should we (and could we if we tried?) cut access to cars and driving to keep our children safe? No, cars are everywhere and driving is too valuable – so as parents and educators we monitor and teach ethical, appropriate, safe use.

Phones are used for criminal activities, even luring kids away from home. Should we (and could we if we tried?) cut off access to phones to keep our children safe? No, phones are everywhere and they are too valuable – so as parents and educators we monitor and teach ethical, appropriate, safe use.

There are some churches and religions out there that don’t have the same beliefs as yours - and some even preach ideas that you would consider blasphemous and hateful. Should we (and could we if we tried?) cut off access to religion to keep our children safe? No, religion is everywhere and it is too valuable – so as parents and educators we monitor and teach ethical, appropriate, safe use.

There are applications of technology that can expose your child to inappropriate, hate filled, pictures, messages and ideas. Technology and the internet are everywhere. Do we cut off access? (and could we if we tried?) Or are these applications too valuable? – As parents and educators maybe it would be better if we monitor and teach ethical, appropriate, safe use.

Otherwise who will teach them about these things and where will they learn about them?

Learning is messy!

However, the answer to my own question is: I should be EQUALLY concerned with the online predator and the neighborhood sex offender. In both cases it only takes one lapse of judgment by me or by one of my kids to end up with a horrible result.

I need to know what my kids are doing and we have to communicate in an open, non-judgmental basis every day. They have to learn how to protect themselves on the net just like they need to know about the bad people in the neighborhood.

No one has ever been killed, raped, or physically abused while they were chatting with someone on the net. All of the bad things happen in the F2F environment. We have to make sure that our kids know what is acceptable behavior for when they get up and walk away from the computer….even more so than when they are sitting in front of it.

I would add that this applies to parents too. Ask your school to run after work classes for parents on how to create a family web 2.0 portal to:

(1) Learn about the tools and environments your children are using/participating in.

(2) Learn what happened in school each day.

(3) Participate in your child’s education. (Ties in with Michael Russo’s comments.)

Cheers,
Darren

There is a lot of scary information about what could (and has) happened to kids because of their behavior on the Internet. There is only one tried and true way to really help your child stay safe on the Internet, and it is…

communication.

Talk to your kids about what they do online. Talk about how “off-line” rules applies online, also. They know not to talk to strangers when outside – the same applies to online. They know that bullying is not appropriate in school, on the playground, or anywhere else. It is not appropriate online either. Explain to them
that you do not feel technologically proficient, but that you want (need) them to show you what they do.

The rules for appropriate behavior have not changed – what has changed is the medium. The world has been brought into your home via the Internet. It is an awesome communication tool that is changing every facet of our everyday lives. What kids don’t always get is that that the safety of being in their own home (even bedroom) no longer protects them from the dangers of the world.

It’s easy to just pass it off as kids at play, or something that some kids are doing. But ALL students are interacting on the internet, and most are leaving a trail behind them that doesn’t portray them in a very positive light.

Warning parents about the dangers of the internet doesn’t seem to hold any shock value anymore. Letting them know that they may not get into Stanford because of their MySpace account generally hits them like a faceful of icewater.

1. Internet safety is the same issue parents have always faced in a new form. Healthy parent involvement in a child’s life is the best protection. Know your child. Keep open lines of communication.Create reasonable guidelines and expectations (not too lenient and not too strict). Participate and be involved with the child’s life. Arm the child with information and tools for those times when they have to make decisions on their own.

2. It’s easier to avoid the worst uses when you have access to the best. Get your child involved with technology as a creative and inventive tool. Seek out classes and opportunities to be involved in robotics, animation, programming, blogging, video, videogame creation, sound production, interactive design.

3. Unplug your child. Be sure your child gets access to interesting activities off of the computer,MP3 player, videogame console, TV. If they have legitimate outlets for their sense of adventure, need for social interaction, and curiosity… all day interacting online won’t be the default location for those natural drives.