Internet Safety

We are preparing our students for the 21st Century, so we must learn how to be responsible citizens on the internet. Below are a few tips for parents and students about keeping ourselves safe on the internet and how to responsibly contribute to a global community.

We have a no tolerance approach to Cyber Bullying. If we find a student using chats or social networking sites inappropriately, their computer will be locked down, and their parents contacted immediately. We have had lots of discussions in class about how to use Mahara, Facebook and Adium appropriately, so there is no excuse for misuse of these tools. We should not see swearing, put downs, bullying, or any other inappropriate material on their pages or in their chat transcripts. 

Just to note, we encourage our students to use correct grammar and punctuation during chats and when posting comments. Text language should ONLY be used in texts. 

Social Networking

Facebook is the largest social network in the world and has over 600 million active users. Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends over large distances, however, we need to learn how to use Facebook responsibly. At Ross Intermediate, we teach children how to use a social network through Mahara. Each child has their own Mahara page, where they can interact with other students, share their learning, and learn how to make posts and comments. Students are NOT allowed to access Facebook from their school computer, at home or at school.

Facebook is restricted to 13 years and over, so if you choose to let your child have a Facebook account, consider the following:

• Are the privacy settings secure? 
• Who are your child's friends? Do they actually know them?
• What is your child posting on their page? Is it appropriate?
• How much time is your child spending on Facebook?

Some tips:

• Create your own Facebook page and become friends with your child.
• Ensure the photo used as a profile picture is non-specific. Eg, should not be in school uniform, should not include friends that have not given permission, try using a cartoon character or sports star instead. 
• Encourage your child to use Facebook is a public place where you can monitor use.
• Ask your child to share their friends list with you.
• Have discussions with your child about how to keep safe on the internet. 

Browsing the Internet

The internet is a wonderful resource and is now such a big part of our lives, some countries believe it is a Human Right to have access to the internet. However, it is not the be all and end all and we need to monitor our use. Students need breaks between computer use. They are not on their computer for longer than 1 hour in class, so we would expect the same at home. Encourage them to have a break, eat something, get out and exercise.

At Ross Intermediate, we have a filtering system called Watch Dog which filters out inappropriate sites and images. We teach our students that if something inappropriate does come up, they need to report it straight away. None of the internet history should be deleted so both you and your child's teacher can view it if necessary. Below is a clip on how to check your child's internet history. 

 

Adium

Adium is a chat programme, where students can add multiple accounts. Eg, Facebook, GTalk, etc... Adium keeps a history of all chat transcripts, so you can check if your child is chatting inappropriately or using Adium far too much. Check out the video below, on how to check chat transcripts. 

If you have any questions about the points on this page, please do not hesitate to contact me.

lbeauchamp@rossintermediate.school.nz

I'll leave you with a video to contemplate...