Internet Use and Cyberspace: Opening Pandora’s Box

I was reading back posts from ilearntechnology her blog always has great information. I wanted to share some of the sites I found about internet safety to use with students. Some are completely free. Several of the sites are partially free. Many of these sites are from the United Kingdom.

1. Disney’s Surfswell Island http:home.disney.com.au/activities/surfswellisland

a. This site is from Australia. The format is designed for kids to learn by playing games. There are parent and teacher components. Another feature is the glossary.

2. Internet Safety
http://www.internetsafety.com/

Is a commercial site that features some good resources and printables for parents to use with their children.


3. Safe Surfing With Dongle
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/help/web/besmart.shtml

This site covers cyber issues like email and internet safety. It is in a game format. There are recommended links as well as a “grown-up” section.

4. The Carnegie Cyber Academy
http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/

This site has a downloadable game called “Carnegie Cadets: The MySecureCyberspace Game

In this game students make learn how to stay safe on the web. There is also a teacher’s packet.

5. Think U Know Cyber Café http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/cybercafe/Cyber-Cafe-Base/

Game format – students help “Griff and his friends” stay safe while using email, chat areas and mobile devices. There is a teacher section.

6. Internet Safety with Professor Garfield http://www.infinitelearninglab.org/

“The Virginia Department of Education teamed up with the Professor Garfield Foundation and the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia to provide guidance for students, teachers, and parents to help students protect themselves online.”

7. Illinois State Board of Education http://www.isbe.state.il.us/curriculum/html/internet_safety.htm

Informative links about Cyberbullying


8. Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/cyberethics.htm

This site talks about cyberethics and cybercitizenship. It is a Department of Justice site.

9. Childnet International www.childnet.com/
This site is more adult centered. Features news, how to report abuse, teacher and parent components, and connected links.

Elementary teachers might want to check out www.childnet.com/kia/primary for more resources.

10. Welcome to the Web
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/welcome/start.htm

This site makes me think of a webquest – students read and answer questions. Very good teaching module. It even comes with a Challenge. Students must go through the other sections and save their secret codes to participate in the challenge.

Cybersafety is very important. As parents and teachers we often feel overwhelmed by the scope of the problems that have jumped out of this pandora’s box. In the story Pandora found hope in the bottom of the box.

Many people have designed wonderful sites to help us keep our students safe. We teach children how to cross streets safely. Now we need to teach them how to be safe in cyberspace.