Keeping students safe online

Good afternoon and Happy Friday!
We are well into our internet safety unit. We have talked a lot about what to do to be safe online. One of the most important things we have learned is to tell an adult if we see something that makes us feel unsafe or uncomfortable. But what does the adult do when they are told this information? Below are several tips for adults to help students stay safe on the internet and what to do if a student tells you something has made them feel unsafe:

• Talk to children and teenagers about appropriate online behavior. Set rules as you would with offline behavior. Make it clear they should never give out personal information (name, address, telephone number, school, hangouts, etc.) or meet online friends in person.
• Place the computer in a common area in the home, such as a family room, and not in a child's bedroom. This will discourage forbidden and risky activities while online.
• Monitor usage of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. Let children know in advance you'd like to view their profiles—they're less likely to feel cornered or "busted."
• Don't forget about cell phones. Text messaging is increasing in popularity, and adult predators are becoming more innovative at preying on children and teens. Check cell phone bills and text messages for suspicious behavior.

Parents or other caregivers may feel uncomfortable doing so much monitoring of children's Internet usage, especially with teens. But remember, the first duty is to protect kids, even if they feel their privacy is being violated. Adults can talk with kids about why their computer use needs such close observation and that it's not the kids, it's the predators they don't trust. With open communication between adults and children, the Internet can be fun and useful for the entire family. (http://www.socket.net/tech-talk/keeping-kids-safe-online)

If you think your child is being contacted by an online predator, seek immediate help from the following resources:

• Local police: If your child is in immediate danger, you should call 911. Otherwise, you can call your local police's non-emergency number to report a problem.
• CyberTipline: Visit www.cybertipline.com from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children or call (800) 843-5678 to report crimes against children
  (http://www.gcflearnfree.org/internetsafetyforkids/2.3)

Remember to surf safely!
See you in Computer Lab

Internet Safety

We have started our internet safety unit. Students in K5-2nd grade have learned about telling adults when they see something that makes them uncomfortable online. They have also learned about not downloading things from people they don't know. The link below has the videos we have watched. There are other videos about other topics on the site as well as other resources.

http://kids.ikeepsafe.org/

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me!

Surf safely and see you in Computer Lab!

Honor Flight

This week, students wrote letters or drew pictures for veterans who will be participating in this year's Honor Flight.

Honor Flight Upstate SC is a non-profit, volunteer-based program that is dedicated to honoring our veterans and the sacrifices they have made to keep our nation safe and our people free. We are affiliated with the national Honor Flight Network and serve veterans in the upstate and surrounding areas. We show our honor and support to these heroes by offering a program that flies our World War II and Korean War veterans to Washington, DC, to see the memorials built in their honor, and to experience recognition for their service that literally saved the world. (http://www.honorflightupstatesc.com/2011/)

The letters will be delivered to a representative for the Honor Flight next week and distributed during the Mail Call on the return flight home. This year's Honor Flight takes place on October 29, 2015.
Below are some photos taken while the students worked on their letters.

Internet Safety

Happy 1st day of October!!!

I can hardly believe there are two months left in the year! Where did the time go?!?!

This month, all grades will be focused on Internet Safety. I believe this is very important in our day and time. Students use the internet all the time and a lot of times they don't even realize they are online. Teaching students about internet safety will keep them safe and keep others safe.

Throughout the month, students will view videos, play interactive games, and create posters promoting internet safety. I encourage you to talk to your students about the things they are learning. The best way for them to remember is to keep them talking about it. 

Happy Fall and surf safely!