BLOG #1

In reading the article A Scary Reality http://techlearning.com/article/37236 , the subject of internet safety is the main issue at hand. How can we make the internet a safer place for our children to utilize this most powerful tool for knowledge? Parental involvement is lacking and not enough information is provided to the children with what to do if approached by a potential predator. We should educate our students as well as their parents on what the harsh reality of dangers that can be found online. That being the means of protecting them yet not limiting them from using this tool in a way that is most beneficial for them. Most people put filters to protect the students from inappropriate material that can be found on the web, but I am a witness of what boundaries that creates. It has been in my experience to have seen coloring pages that are blocked by the filter. What I would like to know is if there are ideas of how to effectively reach the parents of our children to enable them to continue the education on internet awareness in the home setting. Just as children are taught to never speak to strangers as they are growing up, I believe the same tactic can be used to instill in them the need for safety online.