Ad4dcss/Digital Citizenship

CNET's Guide to Online Safey for Parents & Kids. The Web can help kids learn, communicate, and socialize, but it also exposes them to risks. Helping a child develop sound instincts for exploring the Internet safely is a challenge--find out what you can do.

Do you use strong passwords? Password Checker can help you to gauge the strength of your password. It is for personal reference only. Password Checker does not guarantee the security of the password itself.

The Acceptable Use Policy should state that written parental consent is required before any student is given access to the Internet or to electronic mail. There needs to be a signature form for parents and students to sign indicating that they have read, understand and intend to abide by the school's Acceptable Use Policy. Sample permission forms are included for elementary, middle and high school.

This page contains resources related to K-12 blogging, including good example blogs to show people.

Links to tips and other articles.

Nigerian Scam Letters: 542 different examples!

From Andy Carvin's PBS Blog. Many advocates of filtering policies insist than an educator may ask to have a site unblocked when it needs to be used in the classroom. But very few teachers have the ability to either get this done promptly by the filter's administrators, or the authority to do it themselves.

The Copyright Police are checking student multimedia projects for possible copyright violations. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and violators will be prosecuted under the federal law. The Copyright Police are having some difficulty checking leads because there are so many students creating multimedia projects. You and your group have been hired by the Copyright Police to monitor multimedia projects created in our school. The Police Chief will give you information about a multimedia project to investigate and provide some Copyright Guidelines for your group.

The Copyright Police are checking student multimedia projects for possible copyright violations. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, and violators will be prosecuted under the federal law. The Copyright Police are having some difficulty checking leads because there are so many students creating multimedia projects. You and your group have been hired by the Copyright Police to monitor multimedia projects created in our school. The Police Chief will give you information about a multimedia project to investigate and provide some Copyright Guidelines for your group.\n

This is a gem from UK for "users, teachers, leaders and managers" of educational ICT. As members of ad4dcss are, like it or not, leaders (with all that entails) I think we will find much helpful here. Also this is home of the e-book, "Coming of Age" and soon to be released "Coming of Age 2.0" that are just slightly relevant.

Model acceptable use policy from the U.S. Dept of Justice. Covers issues like copyright but does not address cell phone usage or cyberbullying.

"Technolust" -- a disorder affecting publicity-obsessed school administrators nationwide that manifests itself in an insatiable need to acquire the latest, fastest, most exotic computer gadgets, whether teachers and students need them or want them. Technolust is in its advanced stages at T.C., where our administrators have made such a fetish of technology that some of my colleagues are referring to us as "Gizmo High."

A general site for parents dealing with all areas of children's health, including Internet Safety.

David Pogue write in The New York Times, "As my own children approach middle school, my own fears align with the documentary's findings in another way: that cyber-bullying is a far more realistic threat. "

Steve Hargadon writes: 'We've spent the last ten years teaching students how to protect themselves from inappropriate content - now we have to teach them to create appropriate content.'

Written for Mankato (MN) Area Public Schools.