POST #1

Facebook, MySpace and e-mail are great means of communication for adults.  They are great for keeping in touch with college friends or coworkers that you may lose touch with once we get wrapped up in the fast pace of everyday life.  Personal information can be given on these sites, but it's optional.  Members (adults) are able to have the information private or available to the public and are usually aware of safety precautions they need to take when allowing others to view their personal information.  Users know how to edit their personal information and can delete their account at any time.  Okay...great.

 

A little girl I know... 10 years old is at my house and gets onto my computer telling me that she wants to play games.  I'm in and out of the computer room as I'm cleaning and notice her log onto her "MySpace for kids" account.  (I'm not sure of the actual site, but yes it obviously targets children)  I ask her what she's doing...she says she is going to talk to friends.  I ask who she talks to.  She tells me anyone.  ANYONE!?! ANYONE?!?  Exactly!! and she has no clue that it doesn't matter what that person's 'info' says...she could be talking to anyone.  It ends up that she has her personal information online including the street she lives on.  She didn't understand why I went through her account and deleted everything but her name explaining that she shouldn't be on it at all.  I showed her LiveMap and Googled her name and street address to prove to her that if I wanted to kidnap her...that's all it would take.  Come to find out she was "friends" with a woman she said was "older" (older than me she said and I'm 24) and registered as a 16 year old with 16 year old boys for "friends"...meaning having 16 year old conversations!  Hell, these 16 year old boys could be 30 year old predators for all we know.  It's a meat market for predators...who would even develop such a program?  Especially ones that would give CHILDREN the opportunity to give their whereabouts.  Children don't know what information is safe to post.  They don't understand the dangers and they certainly don't think to edit the information that the public can see.  Children feel safe by choosing the 'private' account and tell moms and dads it's okay.  Then children turn around anyway and accept "friendship" from ANYONE who sends them a message that says "Hey cutie!"

 

Even if they are 10 years old talking to 10 year olds...it gives a great opportunity to bully because we all know how easy it is to say something mean about someone if you're not looking them directly in the eye.  Or if they are in a chatroom...10 year old girls should not be involved with or hear 16 year old conversations.  Unfortunately, there is no way to keep this from happening online.  

 

PROBLEM  No parent supervision.  Parents aren't educated about these websites.  I didn't even know this kind of website existed for kids until I found her on it.  But really....I'm not even a mother...all it took was for me to ask, "Whatcha doin'?"  It's that easy...how can we make parents understand that?

 

 

  Session #3 & #5-- Communicating How?  Safety Risks?  

Texting--cell to cell.  Has more risks than AOL.  Past messages can be deleted. Can easily text others. 

AOL-- 1 on 1 conversations online, a "now" conversation like texting, can be sent through cell phones as well, Digital Courage 

Email--continual conversation at your convienience, pictures, hackers, spam, email addresses sold/shared, (Important to teach younger children), free online accounts are easy to get and can be hidden from parents, viruses, ability to access Internet Protocol.

MySpace, Facebook, BeBo--social networks.  Don't know exactly who you're networking with. Profile vulnerable.  No sense of shame and appropriateness.  Kids don't view it as being public.  Conversations aren't age appropriate.  Not well monitored.  Digital Courage--hiding behind screen--not seeing other's reactions.  Able to say something they wouldn't normally say in person.  Future can be at stake.

Blogs--type of social networking.  Others can add to blogs.  Inappropriate comments if you choose not to filter/turn off.  Will give out too much information to everyone. 

Chatrooms--has rules and specific topic/point of view.  people can be kicked out.  not as popular now.  anyone/everyone can chat. 

Skype--Voice (internet/phone), video, order phone number and use to call land lines, can also do with AOL and MSN instant messenger. Prank calls.  Threatening messages.  Can't *69.  Will not show on caller ID.  Bullying. Stalking.  

Gaming Sites--tons of free games to play online, some have voice chats, can compete with people also on site

Message Boards--TooMuchInformation is given by students.   

 

 

 

Presentation Info.....

Culture of the Internet and Online Freedoms--China vs U.S. vs moderately controlled country. (sensorship, religious freedoms, personal freedoms)  

Focus on Internet-related laws in the United States and how other countries compare. Host a presentation for adults about Internet safety issues

 

Sessions 6-8   Risks and Legal Problems of Risks

how can we minimize the risks? What is an educators role?

Parents!  How can we educate parents and students together?

 

Social Risks:  How do teens get involved in it / with predators

Risk behaviors you've seen?  Sharing username and password with others therefore vulnerable to changes in page.  lie about age and for registry.  girls talk to older men.  popularity.  not all the truth even though it is a stretch of it.  Trying to be someone you're not.  Saying too much.  Being too free with information.  How is this dangerous? What are they leaving themselves open to?  Digital courage.  More likey to say/engage in behavior that they would never say to someone face to face and they don't even realize the consequence.  Strategy--communication!  consequences of courage.  Sexting--Tunkhannock--nude photos of themselves--other schools making rules for district to prevent.  Risk--camera phones--how can you stop that? Lock camera features.  call phone provider for pictures and text messaging.  verizon wireless.com to look at sent texts and photos--usage control.  Their phone on your terms.  content filtering....words, times, etc.  Locating/finding students home--strategy would be to prove how birds-eye map finder works. 

 

Legal Issues--requirements to teach web safety.  E-RATE--bill to allow high speed internet access at school level.  IU17 = 4 mill/yr in E-RATE funds in internet access.  Schools need to follow rules and regulations to obtain funds.  Verizon is being sued b/c young girl was sexually harrassed in social networking service obtained through cell phone.  Tunkhannock--13 year old boy will be tried as an adult for sexting.  harrassment leading to low self esteem/harmful acts/suicide.  Proof is very difficult due to the blame game.  You can lie as to whether or not you did it.  On your account--you're responsible.  Technology is being used when students log on for advertisement purposes--"Token ring"--online identification.  Guarantee it's a child--legally are we setting them up with targetted advertising. 

 

 

Ways to minimize risks....

educate students.  educate parents.  concrete examples of the negative results of misusing technology. 

self educate.  role-play and analyze.  guest speaker with real internet examples.  State Police.  Cyber Crimes.  Workshops on Cyber-Bullying.  Generating honest discussion.  Getting them to understand....It's not safe!  "I'm not going to be caught!  It won't happen to me! I'm invisible!"  Computers are such an isolated resource--therefore easier to get involved with risky behavior.  Educate parents--newletters, online resources, open house, make them aware of what students are capable of, workshops for parents, blocking cell phone properties.  What does it take to make reality hit?  Parents need to be a constant in the equation the whole time.   Who's responsiblility is it?  Time is so limited--should we fit it into the day?  

Parents are not taking responsiblilty of child's actions!  OUR SOCIETY IS OUT OF CONTROL! Character education programs.  Bullying Programs.  People who care need to get on board and do something--even when we already have busy schedules and don't see where it could fit in.  When using technology in the classroom--model safe practices--help them understand correct internet behavior.    #1 piece of advice to give parents to lower risks:  have the the computer in a common place!!!

 

 

Ten common questions about internet safety

Why Check history?  where've you been?  what sites have been recently visited.  history can be easily deleted.  ctrl h or favorites->history. 

How and why do I review tempory internet files? internet sites, images, sounds, movies, downloaded documents, etc. all on computer "the cash" when stored on hard drive it's quicker than coming through/across web.  Important b/c you can look through the temp. files if they've deleted history.  When to check? If there is something questionable in history.

How do I remove spyware?software hides on computer.  tracks where you go and sends it back to company; therefore, targetted adds.  When you get adds when you're not really on internet.  home page changes.  search through google, but it flips you to a difference browser.  Peer to peer software: limewire is a gateway for spyware//bit torrent--gateway of sharing peer to peer//myspace adds junk to your computer by just searching someone's site. 

Window's XP ---install Window's Defender for spyware.  Window's Vista has it. 

Spyware(capture and send back to parent company) vs Virus(meant to cause damage)  

How and why do I scan for a remove viruses? so confidental information isn't obtained.  avast.com /  malwarebytes.org will wipe out viruses

How and why do I use a firewall?  software that guards network from the rest of the world.  No firewall--computer completely at risk for being taking over by people on the internet.  Firewall makes it harder for a hacker to get into computer.  Routers and windows has firewall. 

How do I monitor and block incoming/outgoing files and information from the internet?  firewall and up to date programs

How do I adjust search engine settings?  go to advanced search on google click (+) in bottom left--turn on 'safe search' which will reduce images and what may show up in a search

What safety and security tools are available on a typical home computer?  windows shield--red in bottom right of computer.  let's you know if you are up to date with software. 

What are "updates" why should I install them? should keep window's up to date with automatic updates!  update a.k.a. patches.   Patches repair security "holes"in software that may be used by hackers to attack PC