As teachers, we have a serious responsibility to keep our students safe online. This is the first of several entries that will provide background, suggestions, and tools for safe internet participation for children. Like most adults, our students do not necessarily consider the potential consequences of posting personal information online. While we cannot control what they choose to do at home, we can supervise their internet use in school and teach them about how to make safe decisions. There are so many tools to make learning meaningful and fun - we just want to be sure they're safe, too!
One important way to protect children is to guard their privacy by using a code name or ID for their internet use. This strategy allows the children to have an online presence through which they can share their work publicly without being personally identified by strangers. One way to manage this is to assign unique code names to students so that you know who they are, but others will not be able to identify them. Their online ID should include a code first and last name because most websites require both names to register.
Once the online ID is chosen, start students off by registering for a free gmail account in that name. This will be the email account they use to communicate with you, and it will be the account they use to register for other online sites and tools. It will also give them access to the google tools we've discussed in earlier blog entries such as google docs, forms, and presentations. Since many sites require that users be at least 13 years old, it is best to have the students register at home with a parent or get a signed note from a parent requesting that the student get help at school. You will want to keep a record of the permission form, the student's code first and last names, and their password. (This will also be useful when the student forgets the information...) Make sure they know that you and the parent have the account information and that you may check it at any time. Teach that these accounts are for school use and will be monitored according to school policies. To finish up this initial registration process, ask the students to send you a confirmation email from their new account that includes their real name and account password. It's a great way to confirm that they've followed the directions correctly and that their real name is not connected with their account in any way.
When your students have completed this initial registration and confirmation, they're ready to get started with so many exciting tools! Coming soon - xtranormal, voicethread, and more!
Information about internet safety and concerns from American Academy of Pediatrics: http://safetynet.aap.org/
