Online Predators

This video illustrates the importance of adult supervision in any environment regarding online resources and children. It opens the eyes of teachers as to the dangers internet chat rooms can provide for unsuspecting innocent minds. Teachers have a duty to provide safety inside the physical and virtual classroom that they provide. It's important that teachers not only provide a set of rules for online usage but enfore these rules, for the safety of everyone.


Willard, Nancy. "SECURITY in a Web 2.0-Based Educational Environment." MultiMedia & Internet@Schools 17.3 (2010): 8-11. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.

SECURITY in a Web 2.0-Based Educational Environment

In the article, Security in a Web 2.0-Based Educational Environment, Nancy Williard states that personnel in schools need to ensure the safety of its students within the virtual setting of classrooms. She starts with an enunciation of a vision: In 21st century learning environments, schools are safely and effectively using Web 2.0 technologies to prepare students for their future education and careers, civic responsibilities, and personal life in the 21st century. Keeping this vision on track, however, requires the careful guidance of educators and the community. She outlines the risks and opportunities schools face regarding the use of the Internet as a medium in preparing students for their education. She then provides alternative approaches as to prevent these risks:
* Fully integrating the district's educational technology program into curriculum and instruction and ensuring that learning objectives focus on the use of digital media resources and technologies as tools to facilitate learning where appropriate in the curriculum.
* Establishing a safe and manageable Web 2.0 environment that allows for the creation of online communities with various groupings, blogs, and wikis.
* Revising the approach for technology-use management. Reinforce the notion that the internet must be used for learning activities, not entertainment. Periodically analyze technology use to ensure instructional focus.
* Establishing two levels of blocking and overriding authority: "harmful categories" that require approval to override and "management categories" that can be overridden by any teacher for instructional purposes or to address safe-schools concerns.
* Establishing student "tech teams" to provide computer troubleshooting and support in the use of technologies.

These resources are very accurate and up to date concerning the issues at hand with internet safety. Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D. is the director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use and is very much in the expertise to author this article. Her article was written within May/June 2010 making it a true up-to-date resource. The impact this article and video had on me was beyond eye opening. I knew internet safety was an issue but I had no idea of the severity of the problem. I liked her way of not just analyzing the problems, but searching for the solutions as well. I think parents, educators, and community members alike have a responsibility to children to better educate them on the dangers of the internet and prevent the unthinkable crimes that can befall them.

Sources:

“Internet Predators“ TeacherTube Video, Created Feb. 26, 2009, Retrieved Oct. 5, 2010
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=83999&title=Internet_Predators

Willard, Nancy. "SECURITY in a Web 2.0-Based Educational Environment." MultiMedia & Internet@Schools 17.3 (2010): 8-11. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.