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Training Module 5
Managing the On-Line Student...Internet Safety

Before Getting Started

talk
1. Welcome everyone

Introduce yourself, and briefly describe your background.

2. Ask how this class was announced:
(e.g. training trainers, training teachers, or training others)

3. Ask who is participating in today's class
(e.g. trainers, teachers, administrators...)
(Keep in mind the various types of participants, so that you can gear examples and discussions to their needs.)

4. Discuss what the series will cover:

Module 1: Introduction to World Wide Web
Module 2: Accessing Educational Content
Module 3: On-Line Communication & Collaboration
Module 4: Creating a Web Page
Module 5: Managing the On-Line Student...Internet Safety
Module 6: Integrating the Internet into the Classroom

5. Discuss what class training will cover:
The title of today's module is, "Managing the On-Line Student...Internet Safety".
Today we will:

discuss how to teach students--pro-actively--how to be safe on-line,
discuss the importance of WWW (Internet) use-policies for the school and the home,
show screening, filtering, and monitoring software for the net, and
discuss what to teach students when they get "bad" information.

6. Describe Expected Outcomes
By the end of this class you will:

know some strategies to teach safe on-line practices,
be familiar with some important use-policy issues for school and home,
know some screening, filtering, and monitoring software for the net, and
know what to do when students get "bad" information from the net.

7. Review class times:

Mention - when the class will start
Mention - break-times, if any
Mention - when the class will end
Mention - that participants should ask questions whenever they need to, no matter how simple they may feel it is

Getting Started

video
Show Introduction to Module five of webTeacher Video, "Managing the On-Line Student...Internet Safety".

optional
(If the class has not seen the introduction to the webTeacher Video--featuring Senator John Glenn--then begin with the introduction, skip modules 1-4, and show module five.)

talk
As the narrator in the video points out, the World Wide Web (Internet) is an exciting and--soon to be--indispensable tool. But, like most tools, there are risks attached to its use!

As teachers, it is important to instruct students to use of the WWW (Internet) in such ways as to minimize their risks. Our goal is to make the on-line experience for each student a safe, positive and constructive one.

In today's class, I will talk about various ways through which we can achieve our goal. I will discuss:

- general policies for on-line use that should be considered--and adopted--in schools and homes to increase safety for the student, and
- specific products that will increase on-line safety for the student.

Let me begin with some general remarks:

Although there have been some highly publicized cases of abuses involving computers, such cases are relatively infrequent. (Of course, like most crimes against children, many cases go unreported, especially if the child is engaged in an activity that he or she does not want to discuss with a parent.) However, the fact that some crimes are being committed on-line, is not a sufficient reason to avoid going on-line.

To tell students to stop going on-line would be like telling them to stop attending college because some students are victimized on campus. A better strategy is to teach students how to be "street smart" when going on-line in order to better safeguard themselves from potentially dangerous situation.

The WWW (Internet) has transformed, and will continue to transform, our world-views in unexpected ways. It creates new modes of expression, connects new audiences, and invites a new kind of communication and participation by users around the world, of all ages, from all classes and from all cultures. It provides access to a virtually unlimited pool of ideas and information.

The WWW (Internet) also represents a new kind of public place. The vast majority of people who use on-line services are reasonable and respectful people. However, interacting with strangers in a public space--whether it involves shopping at a mall, driving on a roadway, or learning on-line from home or school--involves some unknowns and some risks. The most common risks are that someone may upset our feelings by being rude, obnoxious, insulting or mean. We also risk interacting with people whose values and ideas are very different from our own, an experience that is sometimes challenging and positive, and sometimes is disagreeable and negative. We may also unwittingly interact with people who want to exploit us, or hurt us.

As adults, we learn to manage these risks as we gain maturity, experience and knowledge. We try to protect children from as many of these risks as we can until they too can develop the maturity, experience and knowledge to handle risky situations on their own. We do that by educating them, and by supervising them, and by gradually granting them greater independence as they demonstrate their ability to handle themselves independently.

Road Hazards on the Information Superhighway
When you are driving on a highway, common sense tells you to slow down when there are construction activities on the side of the road. You also know that you should slow down during bad weather, or when you see road signs that warn you of special conditions like slippery roadways or other hazards. And you know that you must slow down when road signs tell you that you are passing through a school zone, or when the police signal you to do so.

The Information Superhighway also has road hazards. We are going to take a quick tour of some of the hazards that you need to be aware of, and explore some of the strategies and resources that can help you to avoid mishaps while you are on-line.

Exposure to Inappropriate Behavior or Material
What You Should Know:

Language: Some sites on the WWW (Internet) include obscene or adult language, or material of a sexual or violent nature.

Pornography: Some sites on the WWW (Internet) have sexually explicit images. (Note that sending sexually explicit images to a child, or depicting sexually explicit images of a child, are against the law!)

Harassment: Some electronic communications on the WWW (Internet) can contain messages that are harassing, demeaning, or belligerent; for example, when using e-mail, chat rooms, or bulletin boards.

ate Groups: Some sites on the WWW (Internet) contain negative racial, ethnic, religious and gender-based propaganda. (Some of these sites disguise their biases so well children that may have difficulty discerning fact from fiction.) Suggested Coping Strategy:
Among the best strategies against the problems mentioned above, are to:

pre-screen sites,
supervise on-line usage,
use safe search engines, and
consider using filters.

These strategies should be exercised in your classroom and school. However, it clear that you cannot exercise these controls all of the time--especially when your students are at home.

A more comprehensive strategy, therefore, would be to educate students to evaluate sites and to look for hidden biases. The development of such skills and sensitivities is a part of a new area of applied ethics; called, computer ethics. You can get more information--and pedagogical tools--about computer ethics at "http://www.emr.org". (Another good resource is: "http://www.ethics.ubc.ca/start/comp.html".)

At the heart of many on-line (and real-world) problems is the fact that difficult people and uncomfortable situations are a part of life. In an ideal world such people and situations would not exist; however, in our real world--and on-line in virtual worlds--they do.

For difficult people and uncomfortable situations on-line, teach students that they can deal with these situations safely by not getting involved in back-and-forth arguments. Point out to them, that there are times, when it's better just to end the conversation by logging off, or turning off instant messaging, or leaving a chat group, etc. It isn't worth running the risk of turning an offended bully into a cyber-stalker.

Report harassment to your Internet Safety Provider (ISP). (Also, note that new state and federal laws are being passed governing behavior on the net.) Report cyber-stalkers to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children toll free at 1-800-843-5678, and to your local law enforcement agency.

Resources:

class
Go to "http://www.hatewatch.org"

FBI Guide to On-line Safety -"http://www.fbi.gov/library/pguide/pguide.htm"

Exposure to Physical Danger
What You Should Know:

Pedophiles use on-line services and bulletin boards to gain a child's confidence and then arrange a face-to-face meeting. It isn't hard for an experienced adult predator to coax personal identifying information from unsuspecting youth, putting the youth at risk.

If one of your students should disclose information to you about molestation or sexual abuse of any kind, whether they arose from Internet contact or not, you are required by law to report those allegations to proper authorities. This is true for every state.

What differs by state is the definition of the proper authority; check with your principal to make sure you follow internal school, local and state policies and laws. Suggested Coping Strategy:
Educate, educate, and educate! Discus on-line safety openly and frequently with students of all ages. Should you learn or suspect than an incident has occurred: treat the student sensitively and listen closely--and without judgment--to what they have to say.

Repeat their information only to the proper authorities.
Follow-up with the proper authorities--and the student--to ensure the student gets the help he or she needs.

Resources:
class
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
http://www.missingkids.com

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Field Offices
http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm

Commercial Fraud
What You Should Know:

Credit rights and consumer protection laws apply to Internet transactions.
Consumer losses are limited by law to $50 in the United States.
If there is a problem involving commercial fraud, report it to the credit company, and to the Federal Trade Commission regional office--or other appropriate law enforcement agency. Suggested Coping Strategy:
Never give out your--or allow your students to give out their--banking or credit account password.

Be careful about giving out your--or allow your students to give out their--credit account number. Remember, if an offer is too good to believe, don't believe it.

Resources:
class
Go to: Federal Trade Commission Savvy Traveler Site http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/sitesee/

Go to: Federal Trade Commission Regional Offices http://www.ftc.gov/ro/romap2.htm

Go to: National Consumers League
http://www.nclnet.org/

Hacking or Hurting Others
What You Should Know:

In the early days of the Internet, a hacker meant anyone who wrote computer code. However, increasingly the term is being used to describe anyone who maliciously tries to invade or interfere with your computer or computer system.

Not all hacking is intended to cause real harm, and not all hacking is illegal, but there may be criminal penalties, even including jail, if you do harm and are caught at it.

If you have a web site, assume that someone has or will try to hack it. No one is completely safe, not even the U.S. Department of Defense.

Be Net-Smart: don't hack, don't encourage hacking, and don't tolerate hacking. Suggested Coping Strategy:
Stay informed about major new developments in technology--especially new computer vulnerabilities--by subscribing to an on-line magazine or news service.

Check such sites routinely for updated information.

Resources:
class
Go to: Code for Responsible Computing http://www.computerlearning.org/respcode.htm

Hoaxes
What You Should Know:

The WWW (Internet)--like the real world--has its share of hoaxes, ranging from get-rich-quick pyramid schemes, to chain letters and virus scares.

One of the latest cyber-scams involves virtually hijacking visitors from legitimate sites to unauthorized replica sites. These cyber-hijackers copy the legitimate site onto a rogue computer, where it is detected by legitimate search engines and categorized identically to the original site. When you unsuspectingly link to this pirated site, you may be automatically shunted, or hijacked, to another site (quite often the site you are taken to is pornographic).

Suggested Coping Strategy:
Stay informed: don't pass on virus alerts or other notices unless you really know what you are talking about. Subscribe, or ask your school technology coordinator to subscribe, to the US Department of Energy's Computer Incident Advisory Capability Bulletin Service.

The FBI and FTC are both looking into these kinds of deceptive practices. If you get a virus, get scammed, or get "hijacked" just close your computer, and report the incident to your Internet Service Provider--and to all other proper authorities.

Resources
class
Go to: U.S. Department of Commerce
http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACHoaxes.html

Identity Theft
What You Should Know:

It isn't hard for someone else to steal your identity on-line, and to send e-mail that looks like it came from you; the thief just sets their browser to use your e-mail name. (Anyone who received e-mail from you can copy your address and reuse it.)

Be careful about publishing personal profiles, which others can access to learn your age, and other personal identifying information.

Suggested Coping Strategy:
Never use your e-mail name in public spaces like on-line chat-rooms or on bulletin boards. Use an alias, or a nickname, instead. Be careful to whom you e-mail.

Resources:
class
Most states don't have laws prohibiting identity theft, but the tide may be turning on this issue. Contact a local law enforcement office, or your State Attorney General's office for more information.

Spam and Flaming
What You Should Know:

Spam is a new WWW (Internet) term that refers to unsolicited--and usually unwanted--bulk e-mail or postings to newsgroups. Spam may be advertisements promoting a commercial product or service, or it may contain sexually explicit material, or it may simply be an inappropriate question that appears on a newsgroup. Those judged guilty of spamming by their Internet peers may be subjected to flaming.

Flaming is the Internet practice of sending or posting an inflammatory message. Such messages are usually angry, and sometimes even offensive.

Suggested Coping Strategies:
Neither spamming nor flaming is illegal (unless it involves the transmission of child pornography). Use common sense to avoid these problems.

You do have the right to have your name removed from unsolicited electronic mailing, marketing, or advertising lists. Contact the organizations listed below to have your name removed, and to learn more.

To avoid blanket spamming, add extra characters to your e-mail address to fool programs that copy e-mail addresses en mass. (For example: [email protected]).

Never reply to spam, since this would give the spammer your correct e-mail account name. If you do get spammed, notify the spammer that you want your name removed from their list.

Don't use your regular e-mail account if you regularly use bulletin boards, participate in chat rooms, or answer web surveys. Instead, sign up to a free web based e-mail account, and use only that account when you will be interacting with strangers, or participating in public Internet activities like chat rooms.

Often, material being posted is appropriate for several newsgroups, and it is quite acceptable to post to multiple groups in that case. However, DO NOT POST TO GROUPS THAT ARE NOT INTERESTED. If you post only to those groups clearly related to the subject matter of your message, you will be fine.

Resources:
class
Go to: Direct Marketing Association
http://www.the-dma.org

Go to: Junkbusters Corporation
http://www.junkbusters.com

Viruses
What You Should Know:

Most people catch a computer virus by opening an attachment that someone sends to them via e-mail. It is also possible to get infected by downloading information from a web site or newsgroup.

Suggested Coping Strategy:
Never open an attachment from an unfamiliar source, and be suspicious of every attachment, even if it is from a trusted friend.

Not all viruses show themselves right away, and some pass themselves along using a hijacked user name, so your friend may not even know that they have been infected, and that they are passing the virus along by contacting you.

There are thousands of viruses, far to many to keep track of. So be smart, and invest in a good virus protection software program.

Resources:
class
Go to: Computer Associates Virus List
http://www.cai.com/virusinfo/

Go to: PC Magazine Anti-Virus Program Reviews
http://www.zdnet.com/pcmag/features/utilities99/index.html

On-line Safety
Students' Roles
It is said that knowledge is power. Nowhere is that more true than on the Internet. Children who are knowledgeable about on-line hazards, and who know how to evaluate web resources, are empowered to protect themselves, and are less likely to be victimized on-line.

Teaching safety rules does not protect students; only practice can do that. Encourage and empower students to be responsible for themselves, both on-line and off-line by discussing safety rules with them openly, but without preaching, or making ultimatums. Negotiate rules that work in your home or classroom, that are appropriate to the ages and maturity levels of individual youth, and that are enforceable by penalties that the youth will consider reasonable.

Parents' Roles
On-line safety begins at home. Parents need to assume primary responsibility for their children's on-line experiences and on-line safety. While children and teenagers need a certain amount of privacy, they also need parental involvement and supervision in their daily lives. The same general parenting skills that apply to the "real world" also apply while on-line.

Parents should negotiate written on-line safety rules that are posted near the family's or child's computer. The best way to assure that your children are having positive on-line experiences is to stay in touch with what they are doing. One way to do this is to spend time with your children while they're on-line. Have them show you what they do, and ask them to teach you how to access the services.

If you have cause for concern about your children's on-line activities, talk to them about your concerns. Learn more about the Internet from other computer users in your area, and get on-line yourself to become more familiar with this new medium. Learn how to track and/or restrict on-line activities on your computer system, and learn more about the pro's and con's of controlling your children's access to Internet content through the use of filters or other programs. Become familiar with the warning signs that youth may be headed for trouble on-line by reviewing the guidelines developed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children on their web site.

Schools' and Teachers' Roles
Schools should have an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) that lays out the rules that student's should follow when using school computers. Ideally, this policy should be produced in an agreement form that is signed by both the parent and the child.

Ideally, Teachers should review both the schools' Acceptable Use Policy and the Rules for On-line Safety with their students at the start of each semester.

go to
An example of and Acceptable Use Policy is:

http://www.bham.wednet.edu/policies.htm

select
Internet Policy - Student Use and Curriculum Aspects link

The Role of Knowledge
A knowledgeable Internet user is a safe Internet user.

In this section, we're going to take a quick look at several resources that you can access on-line to help students learn about on-line safety. These resources from TECH CORPS and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children can be used at home or in the classroom, by both parents and teachers.

Student & Child Safety Resources & Strategies
go to
TECH CORPS Internet Safety Site
http://www.techcorps.org/safety.html

select
Link to: On-line Safety Quiz
http://www.techcorps.org/getnet.htm

select
Link to: My Rules for On-line Safety
http://www.techcorps.org/myrules.htm

select
Link to: On-line Safety Screen Saver
http://www.techcorps.org/screens.html

select
Link to: Safe Sites for Kids, Tweens & Teens
http://www.techcorps.org/kids.html

go to
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Child Safety on the Information Superhighway
http://www.missingkids.com

select
(from left frame) EDUCATION & RESOURCES

select
(from right frame) "ribbon" which is titled MY EIGHT RULES

go to
back to EDUCATION & RESOURCES page

select
(from right frame) Campaign for Teenage Girls

go to
back to EDUCATION & RESOURCES page

select
(from right frame) KNOW THE RULES-public awareness

go to
back to EDUCATION & RESOURCES page

select
(from right frame) Kid's & Company Together for Safety

Parent & Teacher Safety Resources & Strategies
go to
TECH CORPS On-line Safety Primer
http://www.techcorps.org/primer.html

select
Acceptable Use Policies link

class
Review Internet safety strategies

class
Negotiate a home or school AUP

class
Negotiate penalties in advance

select
On-line Supervision

class
Supervise on-line time
class
Screen sites OR go to safe sites

select
Screening Inappropriate Materials

class
Supervise chats

class
Consider content controls or filters

class
Making Safety Learning Fun

go to
On-line Safety Rules Quiz
http://www.techcorps.org/quizzes.html

go to
On-line Safety Rules Screen-savers
http://www.techcorps.org/screens.html

go to
Making Safety Learning Educational

Evaluating Information on the Internet
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/990304thursday.html

Balancing Protection, Privacy and Freedom of Speech:
Children have a right to be safe, on-line and off-line. But that is not their only right. Children in the United States--especially older children--also have other rights, such as the legal right to privacy and the right to free speech.

An assessment of the risks and benefits of different types of Internet use for a particular child requires a complex balancing and judging process that government is not equipped to undertake. Parents are most appropriate arbiters of whether, where and under what circumstances a particular child should be permitted access to the Internet. However, because schools and libraries also guide students, they also share some of this responsibility.

According to the Supreme Court, the Internet is a free speech zone and it is entitled to protection under the First Amendment. To satisfy constitutional standards, restrictions on on-line speech must be both necessary to serve a "compelling interest", and they must be the least restrictive means of serving that interest.

As new as the Internet is, there is an even newer emerging area of law that will be played out through legislation and court decisions for decades to come. Stay informed of new developments. This section briefly reviews the major provisions of a new law to protect children's on-line privacy that will take effect in April 2000:

Children's On-line Privacy Act (COPPA)
COPPA is the acronym for the Children's On-line Privacy Protection Act of 1998. It is implemented through rules published by the Federal Trade Commission which take effect April 1, 2000. These rules require on-line services or web site operators to comply with certain notice and consent requirements before collecting personal information from a child.

What you should know:
These new rules may apply to general-purpose web sites that are not strictly children's sites but that are visited by children.

In most cases, the new rules mean that web site operators must get parental permission before they can collect personal information from children age 12 and younger. Parents' may access all information collected from their children, and may delete or refuse to permit any further use or collection of such personal information.

The method of permission will vary according to the type of information a particular operator gathers from children, and how they plan to use it.

Web sites that allow children to participate in chat rooms, or to share information external to a site, will have to get a parent's permission through mailed or faxed paperwork, telephone calls, use of a credit card, or use of tamper-resistant digital signatures.

E-mail permission will be permitted for internal uses of information, in conjunction with some mode of verification such as an e-mail reply, or a confirming telephone call. Some web sites are exempted from these requirements, such as sites that offer one-time homework help, or in cases where a child sends a single query to a web site.

Sites that are directed at children, but do not actually collect any information from the child on-line, are also exempt. (For example, if the operator requests the child to respond in writing through the postal mail.)

Where to learn more:

go to
Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/index.html

Children's Other Rights
What you should know:

Schools, teachers, parents and students need to keep the lines of communication open regarding on-line safety policies. A written AUP can help schools and parents stay on the same page when it comes to defining and enforcing safety rules.

At some point in every child's life, a parent's or school's efforts to protect her may come into conflict with other treasured--and in some cases, legally protected--rights. These rights include the right to privacy, the right to freedom of speech, the right of free press, and even the right to self-determination.

To learn more:
go to
The National Coalition Against Censorship:
http://www.ncac.org/cyberlibrary.html

Conclusion:
The Internet is a gateway to information, and in today's information age, information generates power. The Internet raises new questions for society, such as who will have access to the information available on the Internet, and who will have the power to control that access.

These new questions and new capabilities are already forcing us to re-examine our commitment to and positions on fundamental values such as the First Amendment's promise of free speech. Schools, libraries and the family will become the testing ground for freedom and knowledge--two necessary ingredients for a lasting democracy--as we move into the 21st Century.

The bottom line is that the best that a parent or teacher can do for a child or student in their care is to help them grow up to take care of themselves. In the new Information Age, that means teaching youth--both at home and in school--how to be safe on-line.

TECH CORPS wishes you and your child or student a safe journey on the Information Superhighway.

talk
SESSION WRAP-UP: Leave time to answer questions. If someone has a very specific question that is not of general relevance, tell them you'll answer that "off-line" (one-to-one) after the session is over.

If disks have been provided, they can download the list of bookmarks they visited today. No disk? No Problem! Most of the sites they visited today can be easily retraced through webTeacher!

optional
Ask people what they think they have learned today. Review material.

optional
Leave some time (15 minutes, if possible) for people who want to stay and use the computer on-line to do so.