According to Roblyer and Doering (2012) there are five major pitfalls students face online. Understanding these pitfalls and learning how to avoid them is essential knowledge for every classroom teacher. They are:
Accessing Sites with Inappropriate Material
The internet is full of dangerous, amoral, hate-filled, pornographic, insulting, and innacurate sites. It has become incredibly easy to stumble onto inappropriate sites and odds are that students will chance across more than a few. Therefore, educators must teach students what is inappropriate and what to do when you come across a site you shouldn’t be on. Many schools employ firewalls or internet filtration software, but even with virtual defenses inappropriate sites can still slip through. Because of this, students must be taught how to handle these web pages. Just saying, “we have a filter, our students will be fine at school” is not enough, and those students will be lost at home when they find questionable material. This issue must be addressed in the classroom and students must learn how to quickly assess the appropriateness of a website.
Safety and Privacy Issues
The easiest way to maintain student safety online is to ensure the privacy of personal information. If students are taught to never give out personal information online, the dangers of being exposed to predators will decrease dramatically. As long as their name, address, phone number, and social security number are kept off the web, there are far fewer problems that students can run into. Additionally, students must be on the lookout for marketing and advertisements that are directed towards children. Problems can arise when students attempt to create accounts or make purchases online.
Fraud on the Internet
Websites and people on the internet are not always what they claim to be. Students need to be taught that the authenticity of a site should always be questioned, especially if things seem odd or out of place. Students should be taught to always check the URL and ensure they are on the site they think they are on. Additionally, students should be instructed on how to respond to pop-ups and advertisements.
Computer Viruses and Hacking
Along with the dangers that come from mysterious links and pop-ups, students should also be aware of malware, viruses, spyware, hacking, and other programs which may have a malicious intent. Students must be taught to check email attachments before downloading them, how to examine file types, and how to check the source of an email. Also, students should learn what signs to look out for when a computer is infected with a virus or malware. Finally, students should always notify a teacher when they believe suspicious activity is occurring.
Copyright and Plagiarism Issues
It has become incredibly easy to find, download, and steal a wealth of information in the blink of an eye. The temptation to plagiarize has never been higher and students must learn that it is never OK to take credit for someone else’s work. Putting this idea in place must be a two-step process. First is the actual teaching: informing students about copyright laws, telling them what is allowed and what is not, teaching them how to use citations, and so on. However, teachers must also remain vigilant in their checking of student work. Inevitably, some students will try to copy and paste material and if they realize they can get away with it, this unfortunate behavior may continue. Therefore, teachers must always check to ensure that student material is original and self-created.
Understanding these 5 pitfalls to internet safety is an important step in securing student safety. All teachers should have a plan in place for how to teach internet safety and what to do if a student runs into trouble. For additional reading and interactive safety sites for students, these pages may be helpful:
- Teaching internet safety to younger elementary students - http://www.edutopia.org/blog/internet-safety-younger-elementary-mary-beth-hertz
- BizzKid Safety guide for young students - http://www.bizzikid.co.uk/sosguide/safetyguidestart.html
- Science Buddies Internet Safety Guide -http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Internet_Safety.shtml
- Get Safe Online’s Guide - http://www.getsafeonline.org/
- PSA’s about internet safety - http://www.netliteracy.org/safe-connects/safe-connects-psas/
References:
Roblyer, M.D. & Doering Aaron. (2010) Integrating educational technology into teaching, 5th ed. Boston: Pearson
Wolpert-Gawron, Heather. (2012) The Importance of Internet Safety. Edutopia. Retrieved online from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/internet-safety-importance-heather-wolpert-gawron