Internet Safety REFLECTION

I believe that internet safety is a really important concept to cover with your students. I believe that the Internet is important to use in education because it can be a very useful tool if it is used correctly. If we, as teachers, teach our students how to stay safe on the internet I believe that the Internet will be a very valuable tool for them to use. However, for us a teachers it is very important for us to evaluate the sites that we are using to help teach our students, because if we are not using reliable sources then we are not sharing reliable information with them. Teachers need to be sure that they are using credible sources in teaching. Without evaluating the sites that they are using then they are just sharing any information whether it is accurate, safe, or reliable.
There are some questions that I will ask myself to make sure each site that I use is reliable and accurate. For example some of the questions would be:

Does the internet site contain pop-ups? (pop-ups can cause viruses.)
Does the internet site have inappropriate ads?
Does the internet site have a reliable author/creator?
Does the internet site have their information correctly cited?
Does the internet site have a date that it was published/updated?
Does the website contain the information that I am seeking?
Does the website ask for personal information? (if so do not use this site)
These are some questions that are really important to ask myself each time I am trying to evaluate a website.
There are certain ways that I would keep my children/students safe while surfing the internet. Some of the tips that I would make sure I went over with them would be:

Never give out any of your personal information.
Never agree to meet with some that you meet online.
If you read something on the internet that makes you feel uncomfortable, tell someone you trust.
If someone says something to you on the internet that makes you feel uncomfortable, log off, don't respond, and tell someone you trust.
Never give your personal password out to anyone.
Never fill out surveys or fun questionaires even if they are from friends.
Do not open attachments on emails from people you do not know.
Do not send personal photos over the internet to people you do not know.
All of these are important tips that need to be covered with your children/students. As a parent and a teacher we need to make sure that we really monitor what the kids are looking at over the internet. Internet safety is extremely important. If we do not give the students our guidance or safety tips they can get themselves into trouble. The internet is a valuable and useful tool if it is used right! :)