HELPING CHILDREN USE THE INTERNET

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HELPING CHILDREN USE THE INTERNET POSITIVELY
SAFELY
Francis Mack Primary School
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THIS PRESENTATION
TAKING A BALANCED APPROACH !
Why is this issue important?
What is so positive for Children?
What are the dangers for Children?
What can you do now?
Practical resources Questions
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WHAT IS THE INTERNET LIKE FOR CHILDREN?
Connects you to the world Like bringing a city
into the home or classroom
The goodThe bad
Lets make sure the good outweighs the bad!
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A bit about you.
How many of you have internet access at home ?
What sort of things do your children like doing
on the internet ?
What sort of concerns do you have about your
childrens use of the internet ?
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PART I
IMPORTANT
WHY IS THIS
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PART I
1) WHAT ARE THE DANGERS ?
Whilst there are enormous benefits for children
using the internet at home and at school there
are potential dangers for children using the net
unsupervised. These can broadly be grouped into
3 C s

• Inappropriate content
• Inaccurate information

• Threatening e-mails
• Strangers in Chat rooms

• Blur between advertising content
• Invasions of privacy SPAM

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PART I
2) ADULTS CHILDREN USE THE NET IN DIFFERENT
WAYS
PARENTS Mostly e-mail and web for research
YOUNG PEOPLE Interactive chat, IM, Music, Games,

DO YOU KNOW HOW YOUR CHILD USES THE NET?
WE NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN OUR CHILDRENS ONLINE
ACTIVITY, VALIDATE THEIR SKILLS LEARN FROM THEM
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PART I
3) THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE WISDOM
KNOWLEDGE Many children pick up technology
quicker !
WISDOM Understanding how to behave in a virtual
world
HELP YOUR CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT
TECHNOLOGY IS THROWING UP NEW IMPORTANT SAFETY
ISSUES WHICH CHILDREN MAY NOT SEE
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PART I
4) SUPERVISED/UNSUPERVISED ACCESS POINTS
IN SCHOOL Supervised, protected and monitored

OUT OF SCHOOL Often no filtering, supervision or
monitoring
WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN SUPERVISE- WE NEED TO
HELP EDUCATE
CHALLENGE to ensure that children are
safe wherever they use the internet
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PART II
WHATS SO POSITIVE
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WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THE NET?

• Search
• Homework
• Projects
• The biggest library in the world

• E-mail
• Newsgroups communities and clubs
• Chat
• Brings kids together at local call rates

• Web sites
• Text, art, music, photos, video...
• Anyone can become a publisher

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Three examples which shows the power of the Net
for children to
Discover
Connect
Create
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PART III
WHAT ARE THE DANGERS
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THE DANGERS TO CHILDREN

• Threatening e-mail
• Paedophiles in chat rooms

• Invasion of privacy
• Blur between advertising content

• Inappropriate content
• Inaccurate information

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Interactive services online

• Chat web based
• Instant Messaging
• Games MOO, MUD, MUSH etc

SMART TIP
Get your kids to explain how chat and IM work!
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What is Instant Messaging?
Instant Messaging (sometimes called IM,
IMing, or Messaging ) is the ability
to easily see whether a chosen friend or
co-worker is connected to the internet and, if
they are, exchange text messages with them.
Instant Messaging differs from ordinary email
in that the messages are delivered immediately,
making dialog much easier than with email.
Definition courtesy whatis.com
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Why is IM REALLY Important to Parents?

• 37 of online teens have used IM to write
  something that they would not have said in
  person.
• 41 of online teens say they use email and
  instant messaging to contact teachers or
  classmates about schoolwork.

Data courtesy www.pewinternet.org
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THE DANGERS IN CHAT

• You dont know who people are
• People lie about their age and other interests
• Flattery can make kids feel important
• Determined adults can seek abusive relationships
• Contacts shift quickly to messaging, e mail and
  mobile phones

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Commercialism on the net
Subtle Pressure

• Blur between much content advertising
• Subtle request for information (games, auctions
  competitions
• Collection of information makes net marketers
  dream
• Many parents unaware of dangers

• Eat kelloggs cereal
• Find codes in box
• Punch them in to get points
• Use points to get cool stuff.

SMART TIP
Be careful about filling in online forms!
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PART IV
SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NOW
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SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NOW ?
1) Get involved in your childrens online
activity at home. Check you know what
applications they are using, especially chat
rooms and games played with others online. Ask
who their e-pals are. Get them to teach you
about how things work.
2) Support the school Sign the Acceptable Use
Policy and take an active interest in what your
children are doing in ICT at school.
3) Encourage internet use that builds on offline
activities. It helps to keep the computer in a
family room not tucked away in a childs bedroom.
Help your children to use the Internet for home
work and leisure interests.
4) Use some of the tools on the computer to help
you.
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Use Childrens Search ToolsKids sites reduce
the chances that your child will see something
you or the child think is inappropriate

• FPSs Webpage
• http//www.lexington4.net/fps/frames_website_links
  .htm
• Noodle Tools
• http//www.noodletools.com/noodlequest/
• Ivys Search Engine
• http//ivyjoy.com/rayne/kidssearch.html

More Tools
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By learning together, taking care and supporting
our children we can help our children get the
benefit, avoid danger and use the internet to
fully Discover Connect Create