Is danger a deal breaker?

     Sitting is class today has made me reflect on the potential dangers of the Internet, and unfortunately there are many of them. So it begs the question, is danger a deal breaker?

     As with anything, use of the Internet must be considered by weighing the potential benefits of technology with the harm that may arise from its use. Can we prevent those problems by using foresight to predict what may go wrong? How do we manage situations when cyberspace does become dangerous or harmful to our students?

     To keep this in perspective, we need to consider another example. Are there risks of driving around in the car? Yes, and plenty of them, but this doesn’t mean we stop using cars, but we try to minimize risk. We wear our seatbelts, we stick to the speed limits, laws are in place to ensure people act appropriately, and car manufacturers are constantly coming up with new features to keep road users safe.

     Use of the Internet, especially for children, needs the same diligence, and a few essentials that have stuck with me are as follows:

1. Preventative programs are vital! This means teaching the students what is appropriate, safe and respectful behaviour online, and what to do when faced with an unsafe situation.

2. A policy must be in place that explicitly says what is acceptable, what is unacceptable, and what the consequences of breaking the policy will be.

3. Parents need to be involved in this process, as many children have access to the Internet from home. It would be great for schools to run programs for parents to teach them how to monitor children's Internet access and how to keep them safe. (I was really impressed that at my prac school, they ran an afternoon IT session for parents every week to give them skills, which would in turn allow them to keep up with their children better. Let's not forget that these poor digital immigrants need all the help they can get!)
     We watched this great clip in class... wouldn't it be effective to show to a stage 3 class to prompt thought and discussion around digital identities?

Thanks for Flickr for Image: 'I most certainly DID...!' 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66606673@N00/4016377260