Internet+Safety

Internet Safety: A Teacher's Perspective
Everyday teachers and students alike face the legalities and challenges of Internet use in the classroom. Any classroom with an Internet connection faces a myriad of challenges from illegal copying and file sharing to network security and virus threats. These are all issues that can be addressed through policies implemented by the school that lookout for the best educational interests of the student.

A Safe and Secure Environment?
Due to its very nature, the Internet is NOT a safe or secure environment. The Internet is a continually-changing medium where individuals can have freedom of expression, share new educational discoveries, and demonstrate new educational software. To this end, it represents great potential in education as a means to the free exchange of ideas and learning tools. However, there is a dark side of the Internet that provides the right environment for anonymity, vulgarity and danger. School administrators and technology managers know that to balance the opportunities the Internet provides with the risks its poses requires a formal and decisive plan for technology use in the school. The following methods describe the various ways administrators attempt to keep a handle on the risks of Internet usage.

Acceptable Use Policies
One common way of combating the dangers of the Internet is through signed written statements or more commonly known as Acceptable Use Policies (AUP). Typically, the AUP outlines the privileges of computer use and/or Internet access for students and teachers in the school, as well as some guidelines and penalties for violations of the agreement. Most AUPs also include both a definition of what is and is not acceptable use and a disclaimer releasing the school from certain liabilities.

The AUP will outline the school district's philosophy regarding technology in education. Usually this is followed by a statement on how students may access the Internet. There are subsequent sections regarding the subject areas what is not allowable like copyright violation or threatening speech. AUPs also outline the privacy rights of the students, faculty and staff and how those rights maybe superseded in the areas of safety and network maintenance.

Finally, the AUP will have a signature section that can be filled out by the student, faculty or staff member of the school district. By signing the AUP, the parties acknowledge they understand their rights of usage and how those rights may be terminated for any misuse or action that violates school Internet guidelines outlined in the AUP.

Firewalls and Network Safety
School district network administrators install software programs that monitors the types and kinds of information transmitted to and from the school's networks. This software is commonly referred to as a firewall. Firewalls prevent certain types of information, files, and programs from crossing into or out of the school's computer environment. This is a preventive type of network security.

Firewalls are often used to prohibit teachers or students from downloading free software, submitting certain information online, or opening e-mail attachments. Downloads and e-mail attachments can deliver viruses that can impair computer systems. They can also compromise the security of a school network, leaving students' and teachers' personal information like names, addresses, and other private information open to hackers and other illegal bodies.

Filtering Software
Filtering software is an additional step that school network officials use to protect students from sources of inappropriate online information. The software restricts access to websites based on keywords found on the web page or in the web address URL. This offers some degree of protection, but some owners of these sites provide innocuous sounding copy or URLS to circumvent filtering software. Filtering software can also inhibit legitimate web searches employed by students. For example, students may not be able to visit legitimate web sites that feature sensitive keywords.

Web Publishing Restrictions
Internet safety goes beyond the scope of what can be accessed online. It also explores what can and cannot be published on certain message boards and social networking sites. For example, certain types of student information like names or photos may be restricted from being published online. Certain types of information may require parental permission before they can be shared to a larger audience. If any questions in this area arise, the district technology coordinator should be consulted regarding the exact policy for this subject.

Teachers as Role Models
Teachers serve as role models in the classroom and online as well. Teachers should work collaboratively with parents to effectively teach students the proper use of the Internet. Class discussions about these issues should have greater emphasis considering their importance. Teachers have the ability to shape how students use online resources as educational tools.

Additional Resources:
[|iSafe.org Acceptable Use Policies] [|Common Sense Media] [|FBI.gov A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety]