Media Literacy is an essential part of a child's education. In our schools and in our society, we must learn to deal with the overwhelming amount of information available to us today. Our goal is for our children to be able to use technology to produce original and creative work and to communicate effectively with others. We want children to be safe, but also to be savvy about interpreting and evaluating the thousands of messages that they receive each day through media and technology. This includes teaching our children to be safe online, but also to be responsible and respectful users of technology.
Online Resources for Parents: NetSmartZ Workshop for parents & guardians. OnGuardOnline.gov - addresses mobile phone safety, social networking, file sharing, cyberbullying, sexting, protecting the family computer, and parental controls. Free materials for parents. Online Resources for Teachers: Virginia Department of Education - Internet Safety resources. NetSmartZ Workshop |
Internet Safety guidelines for parents:
1. Never allow a child to have unsupervised Internet access. Keep the computer in a central and visible location in your home. Unplug or disable the computer if your child is at home alone. Technology is an powerful draw for even the most disciplined child. 2. Monitor your child’s Internet activity closely. Help them choose websites that are appropriate for games or homework. Ask questions about what sites they visit and who they are talking to online. Request their passwords for any accounts they have online and regularly check on them. This is NOT an invasion of their privacy - it is your responsibility as a parent. 3. Talk to your child about NEVER revealing personal information to anyone online. Even just revealing the name of their school can enable a child to be identified. 4. Keep parent/child communication open. Your child should feel comfortable and secure in telling you if they are disturbed by something they have seen or read online. 5. Report any incident of online bullying to the school. Online bullying is a widespread phenomenon - it is much easier for children to be cruel or threatening to others in faceless online interactions. Be aware of any unexplained mood changes in your child that may be caused by interactions with others online. 6. Learn how to check the “history” of websites that have been visited on your computer. It is possible for your child to catch on and delete the History, so also learn how to look at your Internet cache, or temporary internet files to see if any inappropriate activity is going on. 7. Learn their language! If your child uses Instant Messenger, be aware of secret messages and abbreviations that are used to hide behavior. For example, “POS” means “Parent Over Shoulder” and lets the person on the other end know not to say anything incriminating. 8. Limit computer time. Doctors say that children should not be on the computer more than two hours a day. The benefits of the Internet far outweigh any potential harm. It is an indispensable tool in education and in the home. Embrace this amazing technology, but use it wisely! |