BEduc 425 Internet Safety Plan

Beduc425C
Internet Safety Plan
Internet Use and Student Safety

The Internet is the largest, easiest to access, most comprehensive source of information available today. It has shrunk the world into a nugget accessible by all who have internet access. It is fast, powerful and inexpensive. These same strengths are its potential weaknesses. Private information in electronic format can end up being public knowledge. The internet gives a degree of “anonymity” to its users that can and is abused by some. Once information is made available online, it is much harder to track (by lay people), who has accessed it, and for what purpose. This, however, should not be a deterrent from making the most out of a technology that has changed our world and our lives forever, and that promises to continue shaping the ways in which our societies function. Rather it is a reminder of the necessity to educate ourselves in the duties, responsibilities and benefits of good cybercitizenship.

Some of the basic principles that apply to any and all instances of internet use include:
- Know who your audience is. Based on the security settings and accessibility, who will be able to access the information? Who do I want to have access to it? If they are not one and the same, reconsider how you are sharing or what you are sharing. Do not share until they match.
- Access information only for legitimate purposes, never with intend to harm or engage in unlawful enterprises/activities.
- Demonstrate honesty and integrity in all your cyber interactions. A good rule of thumb is to conduct yourself as you would in person.
- Help maintain the internet safe by refusing to participate and denouncing illegal and improper uses.

The way in which different tools are set up and the guidelines for participation are defined depends on the purpose(s) for which the tool(s) will be employed.

Here is an example of how this could look like applied to a Blog
Let’s imagine that for the purposes of this scenario the blog is being created by students in a 5th grade class as a means to share with their parents the work they do in school. A first step would be to ensure that parents and students are willing to participate and follow the guidelines framing the project. Explicit discussions and training would be mandatory for the students and parental participation encouraged ensuring everyone’s safety and engagement.

Some of the guidelines for participation would include:

- Do not share personal identifiable information like pictures, full name, phone number, address, etc., of self or others.
- Be respectful in all your comments and interactions.
- Collaborate with one another by giving each other feedback and constructing meaning together.
- Identify yourself in all your contributions and interactions by the use of the pseudonym or nickname selected for this purpose.
- Share the Blog address only among the class students, teachers, parents and guardians.
- Whenever using a public computer to access the blog, close the browser and log off at the end of each session. If login is shared, clear the history before exiting.
- Help monitor and ensure these guidelines are followed and observed by all. Report misuse immediately.

In the training and discussion sessions, it would be explained why each of these guidelines help protect privacy and ensure safety of all participants. Other concerns voiced by students, parents or other teachers would be addressed as well during the discussions.
The Blog settings would be set by the teacher so that the Blog would be undiscoverable by search engines. Comments would be subjected to moderation, particularly at the beginning of the project to ensure all participants are following the guidelines. This moderation could be reduced to an audit - simply checking that the participant is legitimate by cross-reference with email address listing after it has become a routine to comply with the guidelines.