1. Safety - It's VERY important to not just teach kids about safety but teach teachers "how" to teach this to our students. We have to explain it effectively. Kids need to understand what the old term..."ripple affect" means. We can teach all day long the "dos" and "dont's" in security; and, they will be careful in practicing such, BUT they don't truly understand the "long term" consequence of what can happen when "personal information" is online. For example: They will post something as innocent as, "Guest what! My family and I are leaving to Spain next week, I can't wait to return and tell you all about it" Well, this is exciting news indeed, who wouldn't want to share it with family and friends. However, kids don't think long term, now the whole world knows when the house will be empty!!!! Good luck with that!!!
Brain Pop video is a good start but what teachers say and how they explain is key...not the video alone.
2. Bullying - Let me start with this first comment! This is why my daughter (13 1/2) and my son (12) don't have an email address (yet) nor facebook nor anything that keeps them consistently-directly on line to the big world yet. They are too young to understand fully the conseqence of this type of powerful technology.
Kids have not experience the outside world yet so someone please explain to me how they will understand it when we tell them, "your talking to strangers" "you can't hide behind your computer" "they can find you" .
My own son has told me, (remember, he is 12), "Mom, how can anyone find me" "I won't put my home address" My short answer for now is, they may not physically find you (at first), but through online long term communication, negative or positive, they will lure you in emotionally" (just in case you didn't catch my point...after a long on line relationship with someone they think they now know, kids think they are friends now...the bullying has began)
We need to not only teach this to our students but roll play a "long term" experience of how kids are friends one day and not friends the next.
3. Positive Information - Just to show that I'm NOT against technology, this is a great tool in show kids how they can find great community experiences, volunteer hours, activities, college information, safety tips, etc.
If anyone is reading this, please help me find a good health lesson on teaching all three of these key points during my health fitness time. How can I incorporate tool #11 into a health lesson (remember, I have to keep them moving at the same time) :)
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but, words will never hurt me" (who ever started this should be...)
Words on line do hurt, look at the suicide rate due to on line bullying these days!!!!
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