Hallee Adelman said, "A recent study showed that one in five youths (between ages 10 and 17) 'received a sexual solicitation or approach [over the internet] in the past year' and 'one in seventeen [youths] were threatened or harassed' online (Finkelhor, Mitchell, & Wolak, 2000, p. ix) (2004). It is of utmost priority that we protect our students from online predators. The dangers that today's students face is unmatched in our history. As summer draws to a close and we begin planning our lessons and incorporating all of the wonderful ideas we have gained just in the last few weeks it is imperative that we monitor what our students are looking at and to whom they are "talking" online. All of this week's readings seemed to tie together one major theme: BE CAREFUL!
Keeping parents involved and informed could be our greatest asset in providing a safe, online learning environment for our students. It would be especially helpful to offer suggestions to parents that would allow them to monitor what it their child is doing on the internet. For example, setting up definite parameters, time frames, and situations in which their child may do their work could prove to be very beneficial. J.A. Hitchcock offered several practical suggestions culminating in the idea that "if you wouldn't say it to a complete stranger on the street, then do not 'say' it online" (2007). If meeting face to face with all of your parents is impractical (and when you have 250 students I would say that it is) perhaps setting up a blog to which they could subscribe would be a highly efficient way of communicating with the masses to make them aware of what will be going on in your classroom as well as steps they can take to protect their children in the process.
Adelman, Hallee. Voices From the Middle, "Teaching Online Safety." March 2004.
Hitchcock, J.A. MultiMedia & Internet @ Schools, "Cyberbullies, Online Predators, and What to do About Them." May/June 2007.
'Monitoring' a teenager's web activity is easily said in articles but pretty tough to do in practical terms. This is a time when kids are separating from their parents and want privacy. They see monitoring as a lack of trust. I think better advice is to give the child a sense of personal privacy, to talk to them about internet activity in terms of safety and security and to give them articles about internet abuse so that they can learn how to make responsible decisions.
ReplyDeleteI say find what works for you and go with that. My thinking is many parents do not know where to begin in dealing with this "separation" nor do I see this as a good thing. I want to know, and have a right to know, what is going on in my home.
ReplyDeleteComing from my vantage point, trying to raise an 18 year old young man and not being so far removed from that stage of life my self, I want to minimize the "danger" he faces by setting proactive rather than reactive boundaries.