Social Networking and Walled Gardens

We live in a world where social networking has become a way of life.  All across the globe, people are communicating and collaborating in ways that were once unimaginable.  Because of the nature of social networking today, the concept of walled gardens (or closed/filtered network environments) is meant to address student safety.  But, is this protection that is provided to students always a positive, or are there still potential dangers lurking in the shadows?

Safety on the Internet

The Internet is a superhighway of information that has great potential for shaping learning environments for students of all ages.  Information about virtually any topic can be reached within seconds by doing a simple web search.  While there are a multitude of positive effects the Internet can have in a classroom, it is also important to consider the negative content that can pose risks to students, and to realize the necessity of teaching Internet safety to promote responsible digital citizenship among all students.

Internet safety seems to be approached with two different philosophies.  The first philosophy is one that labels the Internet as a playground for mischief and dangerous content.  Internet filters are placed with a high level of restrictions, so that the likelihood of inappropriate content being at the hands of students is very low.  Social media sites such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook are not allowed through filters.  Advocates of this philosophy cite legal mandates such as the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act as valid reasons for banning such content in schools (Kharbach, 2013).

The second philosophy on Internet safety is in favor of teaching students how to be responsible consumers of the Internet.  This belief embraces the fact that students are consumers of web-based content outside of the school day as well, and may not always be supervised or protected by a filter.  Maria Knee, a kindergarten teacher in New Hampshire argues, “Our kids are going to be using these tools and sites anyway, don’t we want to educate students about them at school?” (Boss, 2008)  Filters may restrict content at a less invasive level, or in some cases, not at all. Schools enacting policies that are less restrictive on Internet use still have acceptable use requirements, but more of an emphasis is placed on a user’s responsibility when using the Internet and teaching them skills that promote responsibility, rather than protecting the user by denying access.

Regardless of the philosophy a school district may choose to adopt, teaching Internet safety is imperative.  There is no web filter or firewall that is capable of protecting students from 100% of the inappropriate content on the web, and students are going to be unsupervised while using the Internet at some point.  Social issues, such as cyberbullying, sexting, or revealing too much information online, have emerged as being potentially hazardous issues to young people.  As educators it is important that we prepare our students in handling these situations should they encounter them, and teach them how to responsibly utilize the resources they have at their fingertips.

When having students access the Internet in your classroom, remembering to follow a few important guidelines* can help your students have a positive and successful learning experience.

1. If possible, make sure devices in the classroom are arranged so that you can easily observe the content the students are viewing.  If this is not possible, make sure you continually scan the room to view content.
2. Remind students not to post personal information online.  Information about students like full name, phone number, or address should not be shared with anyone or placed on social media sites.
3. Always preview content you intend your students to access.
4. The Golden Rule still applies online!  Treat others the way you want to be treated.  If you wouldn’t like someone saying something to you, then you shouldn’t say it to another person.
5. Be a good online-role model.  Always practice your own positive digital citizenship skills.

*Guidelines created from tips on sites of National Children’s Advocacy Center, Microsoft, and Common Sense Media.

There are many resources that are available to teachers to help teach Internet safety.  The following links are examples of such useful content:

• http://www.netsmartz.org/internetsafety This site is sponsored by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  Resources are provided for children of all ages and a variety of resources for parents and teachers are available to help facilitate Internet safety education.
• https://auth.isafe.org/wp/ i-SAFE is an organization that provides Internet safety curriculum to educate young people.  The curriculum is designed for students young and old, and targets a variety of topics regarding Internet safety.
• http://pbskids.org/webonauts/ PBS offers the Webonauts Internet Academy to parents and teachers as a way of educating kids about Internet safety in a game-like format.  Kids must complete tasks that involve safety issues and make important decisions along the way.  This site is targeted toward younger students, however solid reading skills are required to navigate through the game, so this may be more appropriate for upper elementary students.
• https://www.kycss.org/internetsaf.php The Kentucky Center for School Safety supplies teachers with a vast amount of information and curriculum resources to use in Internet safety education.  Links to other sites with Internet safety resources are also supplied.

References:  

Boss, S. (2008).  Playing it too safe online will make you sorry.  Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/playing-it-too-safe-online-will-make-you-sorry

Kharbach, N. (2013). 8 reasons behind social media ban in schools. Educational Technology and Mobile Learning. Retrieved from:  http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/04/5-reasons-behind-social-media-ban-in.html

Knorr, C. (2012). Internet safety tips for elementary school kids. Common Sense Media. Retrieved from: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/internet-safety-tips-for-elementary-school-kids

Microsoft. (n.d.). Age-based guidelines for kids’ Internet use. Retrieved from: http://www.microsoft.com/security/family-safety/childsafety-age.aspx

National Children’s Advocacy Center. (n.d.). Internet safety tips for kids. Retrieved from: http://www.nationalcac.org/prevention/internet-safety-kids.html

Relative Advantages of Video-Use in the Classroom

This week I had the opportunity to interview five of my coworkers and visit with them about how they utilize video in their respective positions.  I was able to meet with educators from many areas of specialty, from classroom teachers and specialists, to administration. 
Prior to the interviews, I was slightly concerned that the responses would all be centered around the same resources, making the presentation dull and tedious.  However, upon conducting the interviews I was reminded of how many different methods there are to facilitate learning.  I found myself truly inspired by many of the ideas that were shared with me.  It is important that as educators, we do not forget what valuable resources we have in each other, just down the hallway from one another.