Internet Safety Resources for Parents of Teens

I recently put together this list of online resources for parents of teens. Parents need to be educated about safe Internet use too. Plus, then parents can work with educators to teach our students safe Internet use at home and in school.

Enjoy!

1. Web site: NetSmartzTeens
   http://www.netsmartz.org/netteens.htm
   Comprehensive site is geared towards parents/guardians, educators, law enforcement officers and teens. It includes lessons, videos, links and more to help educate, engage and empower students in understanding how to be safe online. Of particular interest to parents are the real-life stories told by teens who have been victims of Internet exploitation. The Web site is created by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

   Also check out NS Teens comic and video collection at http://www.nsteens.org

2. Web site: SafeTeens.com
   http://www.safeteens.com
   This Web site, geared towards teens and their parents, is a collection of articles about staying safe online and protecting your privacy. It is operated by technology journalist Larry Magid and also includes links to other resources on the Internet.

3. Web site: Stop Cyberbullying
   http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html
   This site, created by WiredKids, Inc., teaches children, teens, parents, caregivers, teachers and law enforcement what cyberbullying is and how to prevent and take action against it. Information can be printed and handed out to parents and students.

4. Article on the Web: “Internet Safety: Safe Surfing Tips for Teens”
   http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/internet_safety.html
   This article from KidsHealth.org offers teens tips for smart surfing and dealing with cyberbullying and online annoyances. The underlying message to teens here is to protect themselves while surfing online.

5. Web site: Parenting Education: Internet Safety
   http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/parent_internetsafety.php
   This Web site, created by Love Our Children, is a tool for parents who want to learn how to keep their children safe on the Internet. The resource includes internet safety and cyberbullying facts, plus rules to teach your children and a cyberspace dictionary. Also includes links to other resources on the topic.

6. Net Cetera: Chatting With Kids About Being Online
   http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/net-cetera.aspx
   Created by OnGuard Online, this guide encourages parents to reduce the risks of Internet use by talking to kids about how they communicate – online and off – and helping kids engage in conduct they can be proud of. The guide is in PDF form and can be ordered in bulk for use in schools.

7. Report: The PointSmart.ClickSafe. Report
   http://www.pointsmartreport.org/
   The Internet Task Force Task Force recommendations for best practices for child online safety. Specifically, the report recommends that “children need to learn how to use technology efficiently, effectively, and ethically so that they can participate fully in social, economic, and civil life in the digital age.”

8. Web site: MySecureCyberspace
   https://www.mysecurecyberspace.com
   This Web site is a free educational resource created by Carnegie Mellon University to empower Internet users to secure their part of Cyberspace. This site includes resources, case studies, statistics and trends, plus articles to secure your part of Cyberspace. Of particular note to parents, is the Family Room (http://www.mysecurecyberspace.com/articles/family-room.html), which includes articles and recommended sites to help families use safe computer practices at home.

9. Video: NSTeens: Post to Be Private
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUjrUXFaNkU&feature=related
   This video shows teens just how easy it is for creeps on the Internet to see what you post on your Facebook or other online profiles. Setting your page to private is smart, and a step in the right direction – but who's on your friends list? Don't give just anyone access to your world

Collaborating with the School Librarian without having to leave your classroom

Collaborating with the School Librarian to create a strong lesson without leaving your classroom

A professional development workshop with Emily Gibson

THE SITUATION:
You need computers and the Internet to teach an upcoming lesson.
You know you need access to the school library to provide your students with these resources.
You think there might be other tools available to transform your lesson.
You want to work with the school librarian to find out what resources are available and to teach those resources to your students.

BUUUUUUT … you have a very busy schedule with packed classes, planning and lunch duty. It’s just so hard to get out of your classroom, let alone make time for a face-to-face planning session with the school librarian.

You still, however, want to be able to work with the school librarian to ensure that your students are able to really understand how to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use the information being taught.

SOOOO … How do you collaborate at the highest level with the school librarian without leaving your classroom? EASY AS … 1, 2.0 … Web 2.0 that is! By leveraging the following Web 2.0 tools, you can collaborate 24/7 with your favorite school librarian without leaving your classroom or planning any face-to-face meetings. Who wins? YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS! Oh, and there may or may not be something in it for me too. So, let's leverage some of the applications below and plan that lesson.

1. Communicating with each other
   Email and Gtalk are the best way to reach me. I check email frequently throughout the day and I’m usually on Gtalk from 7 am to 3 pm and then again from 8-11 pm. While the online applications described below are fantastic, I do understand that for ease and comfort we’ll likely email throughout the entire process.
   
   
2. Choosing our Standards and related Performance Indicators
   When you know what PI you’d like to meet, please email me and we can get stared. I’ll email you back with some thoughts on the Information Literacy standards that I think I could teach along with your lesson.
   
   
3. Defining the learning task by brainstorming
   Bubbl.us – allows us to create a shared mindmap online. You add your standard and I’ll add mine and we can see where we overlap and create an activity from there.
   
   
4. Determining the criteria for assessment / creating an assessment tool
   Because we will both be teaching critical skills during this lesson, we should both assess the students’ learning. Let’s share log-in information and both add our ideas to one of the following assessment tools:
   Rubistar Rubric Generator
   Project-Based Learning Checklist Creator
   Easy Test Maker
   SurveyMonkey (instead of face-to-face conferencing, how about an online survey?)
   
   
5. Developing an instructional procedure connected to the learning task and assessment – Writing a lesson plan
   Lesson Plans 4 Teachers – some great templates we can start with
   GoogleDocs – upload the template and hop in to edit the plan
   
   
6. Sharing our online resources
   Del.icio.us – add, share and store Links to be used in the lesson
   Flickr – share and store photos for the lesson
   PBWiki – share everything all in one place
   
   
7. Scheduling library visits
   Google Interactive Calendar – add your class to the library’s online schedule
   
   
8. Other cool tools to collaborate
   Jing – ask me a question orally using online visuals
   Vovaroo – or without visuals
   AwesomeHighlighter – allows you to highlight and annotate online Web sites

Professional Development Anyone? Google for Teachers - Free Guide

This Free 33-Page Guide, "Google for Teachers" seems to be everywhere today. I've read at least three blog posts about it in my GoogleReader and one of my classmates just posted about it in our online discussion forums. I'm going to check it out now. Share it with your teachers as a great professional development lesson.

I also found this great Google resource for us edumacators too.
http://www.google.com/educators/index.html

THE Journal: Library 2.0: Enter the Teacher Librarian Enthusiast

Here's a great feature by Natasha Wanchek over at THE Journal about trends in school libraries. It's definitely worth the read.

Technology Trends
Library 2.0: Enter the Teacher Librarian Enthusiast

"What will the new school library look like? In this first installment of our two-part library tech series, we explore the evolution of the school library--and the school librarian--and look to the opportunities that await once some basic challenges are overcome."

More

Favorite Web Apps for Educators

What are my top 5 favorite online apps for educators? This is a very tough question. I think I'll base this on my daily habits and use of online apps as an educator. This means that there might be some FANTASTIC apps out there that could be used to transform a lesson, but I'm just going to list the apps that transform my teaching abilities.

In no particular order:
1. GoogleReader for RSS: I'm subscribed to some pretty awesome blogs and news sites so my Google Reader keeps me up to date on the latest and greatest Web apps and education news. Well, the news isn't always so great these days.

2. Gmail: Email is the best collaboration tool out there! No question! 24/7 access to your co-teacher.

3. Wikispaces: Because updating a school library Web site is still not as simple as it can/should be, many schools are adapting to the use of Wikis. Why not, right? It's a place to share links, text, photos, news and more - all in a timely manner. Plus Wikis are a great collaboration tool and are easy enough for high school students to edit themselves.

4. Del.icio.us: Because I need virtual access to my favorite online links from anywhere I log in. Now if only I could remember my login information from computer to computer.

5. Jing: While I have rarely used it, I have to include Jing simply because of the extreme value I see it having for educating others. Jing allows you to record voice to go along with screen captures of online lessons. For example, the school librarian can record an online tutorial of GoogleDocs, including live screen shots and an audio lesson. Genius!

I'd also like to share my favorite list of online applications for education: Technology and Education Box of Tricks.

eReaders: Way of the Future or Just a Nice Convenience for Some?

It's all the buzz in the library planning world? Do we buy more books or should we budget our money to put eReaders in the hands of our students? I'm conflicted on this one. I think the important question isn't how do we get our students the latest and greatest technology - it's how do we get our students what they want/need to become better learners?

And the answer, my friends, depends on the school itself. Last semester I observed at a very technological advanced high school. The students are ready for some sort of eReader. The school librarian is working to meet their needs by developing a structured roll out of eReaders for her students.

This semester I'm observing at a K-8. From my observations and understanding, these students do not have any want/need for eReaders. Yes, I just saw an 8th grader walk into the library with a pretty hefty backpack. But, I also just checked out two early novels to a fourth grader who couldn't wait to dive in. I don't think he would have been as excited if I was uploading the books to his eReader.

My other thought is, even with eReaders, we still have the challenge of providing our students with current, accurate information. Isn't this best done though the use of up-to-date, well-researched articles found in electronic databases. But, I suppose with textbooks, it is easier to update our content using an electronic version as opposed to a ridiculously expensive textbook.

I just discussed the idea of eReaders with another librarian and she brought up a good point about eReaders for use with students with language-based-learning disabilities. Having electronic versions of text allows students easier access to text to voice options. This can assist students who are better audio learners and struggle with reading comprehension otherwise.

On the plus side, Follet is coming out with new education-based eReaders that will have some text-to-type features built right in. I believe that the company is trying to make it easier for schools to make the transition. For example, with the purchase of one ebook, 6 students can "check out" the book at once. I guess that's like 6 for the price of 1.

Just some food for thought... I won't be jumping to buy myself an eReader anytime soon. But it just doesn't fit in with my lifestyle. But, there are some good points for the adoption of eReaders in education.

Christmas and Winter 2010

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