Parents Want to Know

Government Creates Anti-Bullying Site

2011-04-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeMichelle Obama has called for a conference to discuss the problem of bullying in our country. "The conference was an outgrowth of an effort among six cabinet agencies that began last August with a session at the Education Department to promote cooperation between government and nongovernment players, including the National PTA and MTV" stated by NYTimes article.

The conference included parents of two youngsters who committed suicide because of bullying. This website, StopBullying.gov was a direct outcome of the discussions that occurred during the conference. Offering a place to find information for parents teachers and students is at least a start of helping those who have become targets for bullying. There are articles on cyberbullying, advice for stepping in as a teen or adult to assist victims, and other helpful hints.

Glee's Jane Lynch Promotes Online Safety

2011-01-11T08:01:00.000-08:00

Image by rmom352 via FlickrThe electronics company LG and Jane Lynch from Glee have teamed up to promote safe texting. The website offers some helpful hints for teens and safe use of texting, for parents to manage their teens texting account, and ideas for general use. There are some short stories about different situations along with suggestions for dealing with problems.

Image from AT&T ad in Philadelphia Airport.

Is GPS Tracking Your Kids?

2010-11-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

Today's cell phones have many great options for your family's use, but one maybe causing your kids some trouble, GPS. If you have intentionally turned on the GPS for your child's phone, then be sure you have set it to the most strict settings so only you can reveal where they are located. Some teens have set their status to coordinate with their GPS cell phone location as in the app FourSquare to tell their friends where they are currently located. That might be fine for family use, but not for non-family use. Read this site, Common Sense Media to learn more about GPS tracking and cell phones.

Image from Apple.com

What Would You Do If...

2010-07-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

Common Sense Media has some wonderful resources for parents about movies, media and this month an article about online safety. I would recommend that you bookmark or subscribe to this site to get current information about mainstream media and how if can connect to your kids.

Formspring

2010-05-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

You can now leave an anonymous post on someone's FaceBook page by using a new third party tool called Formspring. Read here about how Formspring works. It is my understanding that a person must know your Formspring name in order to leave comments. However, if your settings are set to "allow anonymous comments" you should change it right away.

More information can be found here.

Pennsylvania Legislature Links

2010-05-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

Image by hmarsh70 via Flickr

Here is a link to the legislature's documents for their support of anti-bullying laws and declarations for the state of Pennsylvania.

PA Aniti-Bullying Law

2010-05-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

In a recent article review I noticed that the group bullying police.com followed the progress of each state's ability to pass an anit-bullying law.

The Center for Safe Schools offers parents, teachers and others many resources for anti-bullying programs or suggestions for helping a teen who has been a victim.

Bullying and Cyber-Bullying Featured in Latest Issue of The Challenge Newsletter

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools dedicated its most recent edition of The Challenge Newsletter to bullying and cyber-bullying, including the following topic areas: The School Bully in Cyberspace; Dr. Susan Limber Discusses Bullying in The Digital Age; What Can Schools Do About Cyber Bullying?; Empowering Students to Speak Up About Cyber Bullying; and Lawmakers Help Educators Take Aim at Cyber Bullying. The newsletter is found online and is available for download at: http://www.thechallenge.org/index.htm. (This text is from the website in it's entirety).

Over 500 Pennsylvania law enforcement officers have received certification as PKO instructors. To determine an officer’s availability to present this program in your school or community, visit www.safeschools.info or www.center-school.org/pko. For more information about the Protecting Kids Online initiative contact Don Smith, Safe Schools Coordinator at 717-763-1661, ext. 103 or at: dsmith@csc.csiu.org

Background Check Yourself

2010-05-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Image by alancleaver_2000 via Flickr

A friend emailed me very concerned about this site: spokeo.com. If you type in your name, you can find some simple demographic information. Upon further review I noticed that I could purchase additional information for a small fee, $2.95 being the lowest cost. So go ahead search for your information, or a family member, or even the Vice-President, Joe Biden!

Facebook Privacy Settings

2010-04-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

Image via CrunchBase

This recent article in the NYTimes explains Facebook's new privacy settings and recommends how you should proceed. It is worth the read if you don't want your information distributed to third party vendors.

New Report About Teen Texting

2010-04-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

The Pew Internet & American Life Project released results of their research about the habits of teens texting. The statistics are staggering. Just ask any parent of a teen who has racked up a texting or cell phone bill of over $400 in the first month. That's because parents fail to pay the additional $5 for the unlimited texting service. It is worth the cash outlay to keep your blood pressure down when that first teen cell phone bill arrives.

How to use FaceBook

2010-04-22T06:10:00.000-07:00

Image via CrunchBase

I came across this tutorial about how to use FaceBook for those who would like to understand how this thing works. If you prefer the video type of learning, simply enter FaceBook Tutorial into your favorite browser and select from a variety of videos. Be careful, these are not always the highest quality of people and information. Here is a link for some FaceBook tutorials from YouTube.

Take Down Those Facebook Pics

2010-04-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

Image via CrunchBase

Did you know there are ways you can disconnect from photos on Facebook that are "tagged" with your name? This article from Common Sense Media explains 5 ways to get rid of those Facebook photos that someone has put online.
This site also has some very good tips about movie ratings, the new iPad and other technology devices that are used today.

Internet Safety Games

2010-03-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

Image by paul.klintworth via Flickr

Teaching kids about safe browsing or keeping personal information is sometimes far fetched. If they don't know anyone who has had a problem, then they don't get it. Try using this site with your pre-teens to give them some simple simulations or games that use the correct terminology for being safe online.

Anti-Bullying Site for LGBT

2010-03-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

Image via Wikipedia

I came across this site of tips for anti-bullying activities and suggestions. In addition this site offers advice that schools can take to support students who are LGBT(lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans-gender). There are handouts and suggestions on many of the pages of this site for parents and students as well. There are also resources for suicide prevention as well.

Verizon Family Finder

2010-03-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

If you have Verizon Wireless then you can get a service for $9.99 per month that will track a phone in your family circle. If you want to keep track of where a teen is visiting, then you would download and activate the app on their client phone. You can set it up to send you a text when the client phone goes out of the set zone. You can set it up to text the client phone to receive a text message. You set the message on the client phone: "Hey you have gone too far from our agreed location. Call me right now."
In addition, you can set arrival and departure texts for when they arrive at school or arrive at home each day. OR you can get to the client phone with turn by turn directions with the GPS app.
You can follow all of this on your Verizon Wireless phone or on the Internet web site.

MTV Shows - Sexting in America

2010-02-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

Image by rmom352 via Flickr

The show is airing on Valentine's Day evening at 9:00PM. It is not unusual for MTV to show programs like this as a public service. This is a problem that is not going to go away as new teens get hold of their first phone and want to be accepted by others. Perhaps if you missed the show,you can find it on the internet somewhere after it is shown. More information can be read at this site.

Be Aware of this Site

2010-02-10T18:04:00.001-08:00

Can you imagine that someone created this game, Papermint, and thought it was a good idea?! Rather than describe this despicable idea, I will give you the link to read about it for yourself. Make sure you tell your friends and your friends friends to check their computers for this one!

Story here. No picture appropriate to accompany this post.

FCC Parent Place

2009-12-18T06:05:00.001-08:00

If you have not visited the FCC Parent's Place portal, it is worth a visit. There is information about television shows, Internet Safety, obscenity and profanity, obesity, and more. I did not know that there were ratings for television shows. I guess I have not noticed or even know where to look.

Nutrition and obesity is a hot topic for today's teens and this site offers good nutrition information and several links to pursue. If that doesn't help your teen, have them watch the movie "Super Size Me".

In addition, there are hints about how to block certain television channels on your home tv. You may want to double check with your cable provider to be sure this method works on your cable system.

More than anything, read, stay involved, check what they are doing and keep the computer in a public location in your home.

Image from: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june07/fcc_5-02.html

Video Games for Christmas? Think again

2009-12-05T07:20:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

This season you may get requests for several video games. Before you go and purchase those requests, you may want to read this article about the "Cool Games for Kids". This is a review of popular games and describes the action and gore level. There are some additional hints for better choices at the end of each description.
Included is a list of CommonSense Media's 10 most violent video games. Be sure to read that list carefully. Print the list, so you can have it handy to ask others if they allow their kids to play them when your children are going to be at that home. I have to agree with some of their choices. I have watched my kids play games with their friends at my house. Some of the bloody stuff was too much for me. Teens are desensitized to the violence and that is what bothers me the most. When I hear that machine gun bursting, it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

My son and his friends are over 18 and like to play other games as well, Spore, Restaurant in Facebook, map maker from Call of Duty, and other map maker options. I have seen these kids play paintball, airsoft and make videos for fun. They are not violent kids, but they ARE desensitized to gore. Care should be taken in previewing the type of videos kids watch. The recent popularity of horror or gore movies gives me chills. I can't even watch the trailers. I am truly worried about this teen generation and their attitude toward death, torture, and violence in song, games movies and other media. Only time will tell the effects on our kids. The articles below contradict each other, but worth the read.

The Safe Eyes Team

2009-11-18T04:46:00.000-08:00

Image by Steve Rhodes via Flickr

The Safe Eyes Team has a new newsletter out with suggestions for monitoring your child's iTouch or iPhone, a Best of the Web section, and some other links of interest to parents and teachers. One of the sections includes "5Tips for Parents" for keeping a web safe home. A link to their Internet safety blog features a story for top ideas for parents about Facebook.

You can subscribe to this blog and the site so any new updates will automatically be sent to your mailbox! Things on the Internet change frequently, so you may want to subscribe right away! You can subscribe using the RSS feed button, Facebook, or follow their comments on Twitter.

Locking an iTouch or iPhone Parent Control

2009-11-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

This article is from Google knol a new service. It is a guide to setting up parent controls on the iTouch/iPhone devices.

http://knol.google.com/k/suren-ramasubbu/how-to-setup-parental-controls-on/2hrtmvjs09ng1/3#

This is important to all of us since the rise of Internet porn is easily accessible on the iTouch if it is connected to WiFi network, and free WiFi is everywhere. The review also mentions an app called Mobicip which acts as a filter for access to certain sites/movies/music (EXPLICIT)/ and TV Shows with ratings.

Common Sense Media

2009-08-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

Image by shapeshift via Flickr

A national poll on teens and networking reveals that "51% of students check their social network at least once a day. Also, 12% of teens have an online presence that their parent do not know about." The tide is turning because it is not all inappropriate interaction. The study reveals that students join online study groups, sign up for a charity or cause to support by volunteering, create invitations and communicate with their peers.

Not only are their tips for parents about tens actions on the internet, but some signs to look for if your teen is cyberbulling others or using technology to cheat at school. There is a lot of good reading and you may want to subscribe to this site for updates in the information.

Teens and Social Media: Common Sense Media

Is It Safer Online for Teens?

2009-04-02T07:20:00.001-07:00

According to a published report in ecampus news, the advance of better detection software as well as better law enforcement work, has resulted in more perpetrators caught for illegal online activity. The article states that better police work and public information has resulted in more arrests for child solicitation. The article also noted that these solicitations occur less frequently in chat rooms and more frequently on social network sites.

Watch this video from NECC. It is a discussion panel explaining the current research and statistics about student Internet use. In addition there is a short segment from the state of Virginia's Department of Education, Lance Nugent. Virginia is the first state to REQUIRE Internet safety programs for grades K-12.

Researchers stated that the factors that increase the possibility of sexual solicitation are: posting a photo, filling in a profile, being female, using the Internet to flirt. it does not matter if you post your city, school, or your interests. Anastasia Goodstein, from YPulse website, encouraged the audience to teach about appropriate use of Internet or cell phone. We should encourage good ethical behavior is important whether you are face to face or talking online.

Article: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=58005
MacBook image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35490662@N07/3400666461/
Book from: http://Amazon.com

Facebook Owns YOUR Stuff

2009-02-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

Image via CrunchBase

Most of the time people click the "Terms of Agreement" button "I agree" without reading the actual terms. Most of the time there is little to concern you as a consumer, but in the case of most social networks such as MySpace, Xanga and FaceBook, THEY own the content you post. All the photos, text, music and illustrations you put on your page or a friend's can be republished by the network without your permission and without attribution or royalty. Here is a story about the agreement from Facebook.

Several New Studies

2008-11-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

A recent study by the McArthur Foundation concludes that teens believe that their time online using social sites is very important to their peer relationships. Teens connect with their friends online rather than talk on the phone and in some cases rather than hang out together. Because of the Internet, teens have friends from great distances they have met through online gaming sites, or social sites. They are very content to leave comments for one another on their MySpace or Facebook pages as their form of communication.

As posted before, the Pew Internet & American Life Project has done extensive research on several topics of teens and online activity. "Teens and Video Games", "Networked Families" and "When Technology Fails" are a few of the research topics you can read at their site.

New Site for Harassment

2008-11-18T17:42:00.001-08:00

Image by
Kevin K. Photography
via FlickrThis article from the University of Delaware shows the danger of commenting without regard for someone's feelings or the truth. Since I do not know the truth of the entire story, the concern from my point of view is that students can post absolute lies on several sites and destroy someone's reputation, career, or mental well being. Visit this link to read the story from November 18, 2008.

Kids, Safety, Online Identity

2008-10-17T06:57:00.001-07:00

From the iSafe.org community:
"What does the upcoming Presidential Election have to do with students learning an e-Safety lesson? i-SAFE has just launched a new curriculum unit that features an activity which encourages students to vote for the candidate of their choice.

Check out the new unit – Online Identity and You – for middle and high school levels, available for download in the Online Personal Safety curriculum module. In addition to comprehensive standards-based curriculum on topics related to online personal safety and identity concerns, the materials provide step-by-step guidance on how adults and students can become verified and create online profiles that provide better levels of safety. Verification with identity.net will enable students to:

Learn about the importance of maintaining “levels of identity” online in order to be safe and secure in Internet activities and communications
Build and use safe online profiles
Engage in safe and secure online activities and contests

That’s where the voting for President comes in. But you’ll need to ACT FAST. Direct your students to www.identity.net and register, and then go to www.iRULEit.com, where they can cast their online ballot today! This special voting activity for students ends on Election Day, November 4th."

Requiement to Teach Internet Safety???

2008-10-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

According to an article in the eSchoolnews.com newsletter on October 13, 2008, school districts who receive eRate funding may be required to teach their students about online safety. The bill titled "Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act" may be put off since it's sponsor from Alaska is under investigation. Even if the bill passes, the likelihood of it being funded is rather slim considering the current state of the economy, regardless of who wins the election.

Are We Doing Enough About Cyberbullying?

2008-08-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

This is a simple link to a post created by Pat Hensley, a fellow educator and blogger. Take a moment to read her post, but don't stop there because there are some good follow up comments that deserve your attention as well.

iPod Touch Can Send and Receive Messages

2008-07-17T18:55:00.000-07:00

I was not aware of this until I went to the Apple Store and played with an iPod-Touch: You can have live wireless Internet if you are in an area with WiFi. I thought that was just for the iPhone. Well I must tell you that I was hooked and plunged in to the purchase. I love the applications, the way you manage the settings, the touch screen, it is all great. I was a big fan of wireless PalmPilots, but the screen was too small for me (sorry over 50). But this larger screen is just about as small as I want to get! Even my Classic iPod screen is too small. This is just right.

It leaves me to mention that if your child has one of these, they can use the Internet at a friend's home, the library, some malls, walking down the street, anywhere. Yes anywhere they can get unsecured Internet access. Be sure you are involved in what they are doing with that access. Ask them to show you how they use it, where they use it and what they are doing. Sit at the computer and have them teach you how to download Apps to their new device.

If you do not know how to text message, I suggest you get in to it right away. Teens prefer to text and you are more likely to get a response if you text rather than phone. Of course this depends upon your child and their preference. I think I will add the texting plan to my phone in September. I have two teens who want rides home or here and there, and sometimes I stay after school for something too and want to inform them.

Image from: Apple.com

Playing Handheld Devices

2008-07-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

On the Today Show this morning: Dangerous Games: Predators Using Gaming Consoles by Natalie Morales. This story reveals how predators are now using online gaming to lure their young victims into a deceptive relationship. They are using the chat option in handheld gaming systems such as PSP, NintendoDS, and the gaming systems connected to online players. This can be done ANYWHERE there is wireless access. NintendoDS has PictoChat that does not even need a wireless Internet, just a wireless message about 100 feet from each other. Kids can go outdoors with this device and get on to a neighbors unlocked Internet and bypass your home security/filtering software.
Bullying is on the rise through theses devices. Kids use them to seek revenge on classmates or initiate harassment. Students who spoke on the show told that they know kids who have been approached on the Internet by strangers this way. The are also aware of students who have been bullied or harassed.

Tips:

Know who you can trust, what brands are responsible
Ask before you buy a device, can they communicate with others can other communicate with my kids.
Set ground rules for using the system, at home, at a friends, in public.
Learn safe practices and talk to your children about it.

Seduced by the Internet on Oprah

2008-07-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

Oprah had a re-run of a program about Internet pornography today. The story involved a teenage boy who had a pornography business using his web cam from the family home. There is much more to this story including how a reporter investigating something else stumbled upon this and vowed to help the boy out of the business. Read the story HERE.

Instruction Required by Virginia

2008-07-04T16:22:00.000-07:00

The state of Virginia has required Internet safety instruction to every k-12 student. There is no specific curriculum just yet, but most districts have elected to use the iSafe program. If you have not visited this site, you should. There are great resources provided for parents, teachers and students and it is FREE.

Good Morning America Tips

2008-06-19T05:25:00.000-07:00

Good Morning America had a segment today about keeping your child safe when they use Facebook.com. Visit their site to see the whole story. Sometimes these stories are only posted for a short time.

Cyber Bullying Laws Proposed

2008-05-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

Federal lawmaker targets cyber bullying
Bill would punish those who threaten or harass others online
From eSchool News staff and wire service reports

Prompted by outrage over a Missouri teen's suicide after an internet hoax, United States Rep. Kenny Hulshof on May 22 introduced a bill that would impose federal criminal penalties for cyber bullying.

Hulshof, a Missouri Republican who is running for governor of that state, said the measure might prevent more tragedies like that of 13-year-old Megan Meier.

Megan killed herself two years ago after receiving cruel messages on a social networking web site from a fictional boy she met online.

Lori Drew, the mother of another girl in Megan's suburban St. Louis neighborhood, has been charged for her alleged role in the hoax under criminal statutes dealing with wire fraud. (See "Woman indicted in MySpace suicide case.") But no federal law deals specifically with internet bullying.

"The Megan Meier Act would give prosecutors the tools to protect kids from the most egregious of online predatory attacks," Hulshof said in a statement.

The effort in Congress comes a week after Missouri lawmakers approved a bill making cyber harassment illegal. The state measure revises Missouri law to cover harassment via computers, text messages, and other electronic devices.

Hulshof's bill would allow federal prosecutors to go after online messages meant "to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause emotional distress" to others. Those convicted under the measure would face a fine or up to two years in jail.

"This bill establishes a fair legal standard," Hulshof said. "It sets needed limits for online conduct while protecting free speech."

But Bruce Sanford, a First Amendment lawyer in Washington, D.C., questioned whether the federal proposal would pass constitutional muster.

"I don't even think that's plausibly constitutional," Sanford said. "Congress has a completely undistinguished track record of passing impulsively unconstitutional laws when it comes to new technologies."

He cited the example of federal laws trying to regulate decency on the internet, which have consistently been struck down when tested in the courts.

"It would be nice to think that Congress would act more intelligently when they try to regulate in an area of such constitutional sensitivity," Sanford said. "But their track record is they just don't. They pass bills that are politically popular but hopelessly unconstitutional."

Hulshof co-sponsored the bill with Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif.

Links:

Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif.

This article comes directly from http://www.eschoolnews.com
May 27, 2008

Google and Common Sense Media Join Forces

2008-04-17T17:40:00.000-07:00

Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use

2008-04-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

Directly from the CSRIU website:

"The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use provides research and outreach services to address issues of the safe and responsible use of the Internet. We provide guidance to parents, educators, librarians, policy-makers, and others regarding effective strategies to assist young people in gaining the knowledge, skills, motivation, and self-control to use the Internet and other information technologies in a safe and responsible manner.

Nancy Willard, executive director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, is a recognized authority on issues related to the safe and responsible use of the Internet."

Poll From March 27 Program

2008-03-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here are the results from our program:
Do your kids know more about the Internet than you do?

Totally Wired

2008-03-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens are Really Doing Online is a book by Anastasia Goodstein. The reviews are complimentary about the information she offers for parents.
Available through Amazon and other book outlets.

March 27, 2008 Evening Program

2008-03-25T17:53:00.000-07:00

Growth of the Internet
Statistics, Growth Charts, Pew American Life Research

What our kids are doing
Pew Foundation study on Teens and Social Media

What should we do?
From the Office of the Lt.Governor of PA Tom Corbett

What is ahead in the future?
YouTube.com, Virtual Worlds (Club Penguin, Whyville, SecondLife, Habo Hotel, CokeMusic)

Links to our Internet Safety page at CFPMS. This link includes a copy of the presentation given on March 27, 2008 along with many links for parents and students to become more educated about safety and Internet issues. I also included the PPT presentation that is used with 6th grade students in our school.

Can You Believe This One?

2008-03-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

"Video game glorifies bullying, say critics "
By Ben Leapman and Jasper Copping

Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 20/01/2008

A violent new video game which is set in a school and encourages players to act out assaults on pupils and teachers has been condemned by anti-bullying campaigners and teaching unions. The game, called Bully, features a shaven-headed pupil who torments fellow students and teachers at his school.

Players gain extra points by terrorizing other pupils with a range of physical and psychological abuse, including dunking children's heads in lavatories and firing catapults at teachers.

Critics said the game was "glorifying" school bullying and called for it to be banned."

--------------------------------------------------
An article titled "Violent video games feed unhealthy ideas to young kids" in the News Tribune.com in Tacoma Washington author Jack Thompson states:
"On CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Microsoft’s Bill Gates recently observed, “The cool thing about these games is that they transport you to a world you think is real.” Yet Gates, Time magazine’s 2005 Man of the Year, has allowed Microsoft to contract with Take-Two/Rockstar for release of the Xbox version of Bully – this after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded a study that has identified “bullying” as a growing problem in our schools."

REMEMBER: In the USA you vote with your dollars! Where are you spending it in the world of electronic gaming?

College Site: JuicyCampus Gets a Subpoena

2008-03-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

This college level gossip site has caused a lot of controversy and has been on the news all week. This site is full of hate, racial, sexual and malicious comments without regard to the effect of others. Quote from the eSchool News article: "JuicyCampus, a web site that publishes anonymous, often malicious gossip about college students, has come under fire from student groups at several colleges and universities who say it is ruining reputations. Now, state prosecutors in New Jersey have subpoenaed records from JuicyCampus in an investigation into whether the site is committing consumer fraud."

This is a case to watch in the news. Will anonymous bullying be allowed under the guise of free speech, or will it be shut down for libelous conversations? The best part of this is the fact that the students are the ones who want this shut down!

PA Laws for Bullying

2008-01-27T16:55:00.001-08:00

Here is the current law and it gets a rating of C+, check it out HERE. To see laws from other states and how they compare to PA, click HERE.

PBS Special: Growing Up Online

2008-01-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

Follow the links to good information about the show "Growing Up Online" by PBS. You can watch the show online, chat with producers and learn more about how and what teens are doing with their online activities.

Teacher Loses Job Over Myspace Photo

2007-12-30T12:03:00.000-08:00

This story has been around for a few months, but resurfaced again today in the New York Times. A student teacher was denied her education degree from Millersvile University because of a photo she posted on myspace.com and she captioned the photo "drunken pirate". The photo can be viewed on this New York Times page.

Another source of the article: http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=2029

Stacey comments to Lancaster newspaper

You decide? What would your school do? How would your parents respond to this article? Is it something to be concerned about, or a big deal over nothing?

Attorney General Tom Corbett

2007-12-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

Pennsylvania Attorney General, Tom Corbett is interested in educating our children about being safe online. He has established a task force to fight predators and you can help. Visit his website for information to help you become educated too.

http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/

His link for cyberbullying:

http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/press.aspx?id=1473

In addition, you can click on the link: Kids, Parents and Schools for more information.

Sign-up For a Newsletter

2007-12-27T16:03:00.000-08:00

There are several great resources that you can subscribe to for free including:

Cable in the Classroom- Media (There are several on this webpage)
Common Sense Media - scroll down a bit to find the links to Web Safety
iKeepSafe.org - Many resources and newsletter
Take Charge
Kidz Privacy - government website
FBI Parent's Guide
Cyber Security Videos

New Cyber-Bullying Video

2007-12-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

This site is getting great reviews from teachers who are showing the video to their middle school students. The links offer good advice. I don't think you can have enough advice on this topic! I will try to order this movie for our school and let you know when it arrives if you wish to view it.

Adina's Deck

If I Copy It....is it Wrong?

2007-12-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

In a New York Times article by David Progue, he writes about how the youngest generation views copying others material as just fine. There seems to be a strong feeling that anything that is produced, audio, video, written or otherwise is fair game if you can figure out how to beat the copyright schemes on the media. He offers several examples during a talk to college students about copyright infringement, but they don't see it that way! For the full article, click HERE.

Teens and Online Content

2007-12-20T06:44:00.000-08:00

According to a report done by The Pew Research and American Life Project:

"Think that user generated content is still only the domain of a relatively small few? Well a new study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds that the next generation at least is switched on and producing content.

According to the study, 59% of all American teenagers engage in at least one form of online content creation. Of those 35% of all teen girls blog, compared with 20% of online boys, and 54% of girls post photos online compared with 40% of online boys. Boys however like their video, with 19% of boys posting video online vs. 10% of girls.

Other figures from the study:

39% of online teens share their own artistic creations online, such as artwork, photos, stories, or videos
33% create or work on webpages or blogs for others, including those for groups they belong to, friends, or school assignments
28% have created their own online journal or blog, up from 19% in 2004.
27% maintain their own personal webpage
26% remix content they find online into their own creations

Interestingly the presumed dominance of social networking sites (such as Facebook and MySpace) amongst teens was not reflected in the study, which found that only 55% of teens online use a social networking site. The flip side to that is that the presumption that sites such as MySpace may have peaked may be untrue if 45% of teens aren’t using one of these sites already.

The full study is available here (pdf)."

Citation: Lenheart, Amanda, et al. "Teens and Social Media: The use of social media gains a greater foothold in teen life as they embrace the conversational nature of interactive online media." Pew Internet and American Life Project. 19 Dec. 2007. Pew Charitable Trusts, Pew Research. 20 Dec. 2007 .

Internet Safety Speaker

2007-12-13T11:08:00.000-08:00

Last evening, December 12, 2007, I had the pleasure to attend a program sponsored by my local school district about Internet Safety. The speaker was nationally recognized, Katie Koestner from Campus Outreach Services. Her talk not only educated the audience about the pitfalls of today's technology abuses, but scared many of them to go home and toss out all electronic devices!! Only kidding there, but it made me take a serious look at several things and you should too!

Where is your computer located?
Does your student have a cell phone with a camera? can it take video? Why?
Where is the cell phone when they go to bed? Where does it charge?
Have you ever seen the photos on your child's phone? the movies?
Do you have filtering and monitoring software for your home computer?
Do you have a laptop that your student uses? Where do they use it?
Have you ever sat and watched YouTube with your kids? Have them show you their favorite videos.
You should "Google Yourself and your kids" to see what information is out there on the web.
Teenagers listen to over 10,500 hours of music by the time they are 16. What is influencing them?

I found out that information your child posts on myspace.com or facebook.com or many of the other social networking sites actually 'becomes the property of the site"! That is why Rupert Murdoch has paid over $550 million for myspace.com - content! If you have a budding artist, songwriter, actor, or writer, and they post their material on their own blog, the company then owns it! There is no payout for their intellectual property, myspace.com just keeps it and can publish it for their own profit.

More Resources and Books

2007-11-22T07:13:00.001-08:00

Here are some statistics and resources for further reading:

The Internet Safety Resources for Parents

Articles to read

Texting Acromyns

2007-11-22T07:01:00.000-08:00

These websites were mentioned by Lisa Thomas-Laury in her special about teens and texting.

Teen Chat Decoder

NetLingo

Special Report by WPVI's Lisa Thomas-Laury

2007-11-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

(Article directly from website: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=special_coverage&id=5766274)

Decoding Text Messaging

An Action News Special Report

By Lisa Thomas-Laury

November 16, 2007 - Do you know what B-R-B means? It's text code for Be Right Back. It might come as no surprise that parents tell us it's difficult to penetrate the high-tech lives of teens. We cracked some of those text messages codes so parents are no longer left K-P-C.

"I say NVM for never mind if I changed or if I don't want to talk to them," said one teenager who spoke with Action News.

"ROFL...rolling on the floor laughing," explained another teen.

Parents, trying to figure out what a teen is texting, may end up feeling like their trying to decipher Morse code.

"I text during class, before school, in between classes, after school, before I go to bed and when I wake up," said 17-year-old Samantha Scott.

Scott said she uses lots shorthand in all that texting. What's more, her mother isn't aware of all the codes.

"I wouldn't know how to look for her text messages if I tried," said Samantha's mother, Dominque Bond.

"Learn how to text message and also how to respond to messages," said therapist Tim Barksdale.

Barksdale suggested if parents want to bridge the gap between themselves and their teens, then they have to familiarize themselves with the technology their children already mastered. Parents should also learn their children's texting codes.

Some of the most popular include: MOS. for mom over shoulder, and CD9, which is code 9 for unwanted parent or teacher.

Action News also found innocent abbreviations like LOL, for laughing out loud, and SLAP, which means sounds like a plan.

But, we also found others that would be alarming to parents.

"Like the number 420, which means let's get high or do you have any weed?" said Dr. Barksdale.

"And I'm curious if she knows that and now I'm going to ask her about that," said Samantha's mom.

So, we asked Samantha if she knew the code.

"No. I know at least at my school we don't really use codes like that," she said.

But lots of teens do use codes like that and also codes like A3. That's a code for any place, anywhere, anytime -- a reference to getting together to use drugs.

Although hesitant, Samantha did tell us the letters of a code used by some of her classmates that she thought might disturb adults. However, she would not reveal to Action News what it meant.

"LMAO, because it involves a cuss word," said Samantha.

We were able to decipher the code LMAO and determine the letters stand for laughing my **** off. There are many other codes for cursing phrases. Barksdale also said there are codes that have dual meanings. One is innocent the other is potentially dangerous.

"If you see PABG, that means "packing a big gun," said Barksdale. "So that could be a threat of a weapon or it could be something as innocent as playing a video game."

The best advice is to monitor your child's computer and cell phone use. Restrict it, but also become familiar with it.

"Embrace the technology, don't be scared of it," added Dr. Barksdale.

BTW (by the way) the code KPC meant Keep Parents Clueless.

(Produced by Cheryl Mettendorf)

National Crime Prevention Council Campaign

2007-11-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

There are many good links and tips on this site for dealing with bullies and online crime.

McGruff Fights Bullying Too!

2007-11-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

McGruff the crime dog has a website for kids and parents to learn how to deal with bullies. There are tips and games to get the message out to everyone.

Bullying in General

2007-11-08T10:04:00.000-08:00

The Ad Council has a series of public service announcements on many topics: bullying, childhood obesity, asthma, second hand smoke, and violence. Most are very short but to the point.
Log in and see: adcouncil.org/

Who is Reading Your Myspace or Blog?

2007-09-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

Kids may think their friends are the only ones that read their blog, but this short video demonstrates otherwise.

Posting a Photo Online is Like........

2007-09-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

This is a great illustration of how Internet photos can go around the web or other places!

Miss New Jersey

2007-08-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Miss New Jersey, Amy Polumbo has an online problem. She posted photos on her private Facebook account and someone is using these photos trying to cause her to drop out of the Miss America pagent. Read this story for the details.

Innocent Sports Photo Gone Awry

2007-05-30T11:04:00.001-07:00

Senior pole vaulter Allison Stokke has had her photo hijacked. Read this article by Eli Saslow in the Washington Post to see how a simple sports photo has caused this 18-year old her privacy. She has maintained her dignity through it all and has set many high school records in California. You Rock Allison, don't let them get you down.

Oregon Stomps Out Bullies

2007-05-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

House unanimous for squelching 'cyberbullies'

Behavior - Policies would be required on abuse with school-related new media

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

EDWARD WALSH

SALEM -- The Oregon House wants the state's schoolchildren to stop bullying each other electronically.

Taking on a distinctly 21st-century issue, the House voted 56-0 on Monday to require Oregon school districts to adopt policies prohibiting "cyberbullying," which it defined as "the use of any electronic device to harass, intimidate or bully."

The measure, House Bill 2637, amended an existing law that requires school policies outlawing more traditional forms of bullying.

The unanimous House passage of the bill reflects lawmakers' concern over how young people are using a growing array of electronic communication -- e-mail, text messaging and instant messaging, plus Web sites like MySpace and YouTube where they can post messages and videos.

"It's another tool to communicate and in some cases they don't use good judgment in communicating," said Kent Hunsaker, executive director of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators.

The Washington Legislature recently passed a similar measure, which Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign.

Neither law would apply to cyberbullying done at home. The Oregon bill refers to bullying acts "that take place on or immediately adjacent to school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-provided transportation or at any official school bus stop.

Noting that school administrators can't regulate students' use of electronic devices at home, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Cedar Mill, called the bill "just a small step." She said school districts should be encouraged to teach students "about the responsible use of the Internet."

Rep. Betty Komp, D-Woodburn, said the growing use of the Internet means that students can be harassed in numerous electronic ways "and it's just as harmful as person-to-person bullying."

"Some of us just can't keep up with it," she added.

The Legislature passed the original anti-bullying measure in 2001. Chuck Bennett, a lobbyist for the school administrators group, said interest in that legislation was strong but was less so for the bill adding cyberbullying to the list of outlawed practices.

Hunsaker said, "With the spread of the Internet, it is another thing that school administrators are dealing with. It comes up often. Everybody has their MySpace."

Both Bennett and Hunsaker said the 2001 law directing school districts to adopt policies against traditional forms of bullying appeared to have been effective.

"I think school districts take this stuff pretty seriously," Hunsaker said. "It's one thing parents feel strongly about. They want their kids to go to school and feel safe."

Edward Walsh: 503-294-4153; edwardwalsh@news.oregonian.com

To Catch a Predator

2007-05-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

I found this post on another educator's web page about the NBC Dateline Series: To Catch a Predator:
"This is VERY difficult to watch. Maybe you saw it on TV already. "To Catch A Predator" will shock you. Hopefully it will also scare you into talking with your kids about online safety. Maybe you should watch this WITH your kids.

The page is full of stories and videos of the confrontations they had with the ... "suspects." Start on the right side in the "As Seen on the Broadcast." Then check out those other links - if you can. Make SURE you watch The Legal Fallout section."

More resources

2007-04-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

Now that cyberbullying, predators, stalking and myspace are popular, there is a wealth of information appearing all over the blog-0-sphere. Here is another person's blog on stalking and some state laws.

Stop Cyberbullying Day

2007-03-28T10:45:00.000-07:00

This Friday - March 30th, 2007 - has been declared Stop Cyberbullying Day by Andy Carvin. Also check out some of the recommended resources:

Safer Internet Day
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
Stop CyberBullying

Saturday Night Live myspace.com Skit

2007-01-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

Leave it to SNL to create a twist on the myspace.com craze. In this skit, the mom thinks she is in a class to teach everyone about Internet safety! Try these two links to see the short video.
LINK1 LINK2 - Enjoy the laugh.

Tech Update

2007-01-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

Things have changed a bit since the blog started last year. The main change is the use of video sharing. YouTube is so popular, teens watch it instead of television these days! Cell phones and PSP devices can be used to surf the Internet. Many laptops and computers have built in cameras. At the right is the new device from Apple Inc. which will become available in June. It will have cell phone, audio and video capabilities, a camera, text messaging, email, a notepad, and mobile web access. Many of these capabilities are already available on different devices. Make sure you know what is available on your family's device and learn how to use them properly so you can teach your kids how to use them. The amount of spam or junk mail, including solicitation to subscribe to pornography, which will be sent to these devices, will be astronomical. Stay informed about the new devices.

Beginning

2005-11-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of new terms which have been created because of these new technologies so we begin with a short glossary.

Follow responsible safety practices yourself:

Install spyware and adware blocking software on your computer.
Make sure you have a working firewall.
Install anti-virus software and update it regularly.
Take advantage of spam-blocking tools offered by your Internet provider or e-mail software
-taken from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6928800/page/2/

"The average teen spends 13 hours a week watching TV 16 HOURS ONLINE!"
-Chuck Favata, Holland Middle School Teacher

Resources

2005-11-17T05:25:00.000-08:00

There are so many resources for parents and kids to learn about internet safety. The following list of URLs is a good place to start. Copy an address and paste it into your browser address window to get to the site.

PARENT BLOG
http://cfpmsparent.blogspot.com/

PARENT INFO WEB SITES
http://www.stopcyberbullying.org
http://www.wiredsafety.org/
isafe.org
http://www.netsmartz.org/
http://disney.go.com/surfswell/index.html
http://disney.go.com/corporate/legal/safety_tips.html
http://www.safekids.com/
http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/parents/
http://www.getnetwise.org/
http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm
http://www.chatdanger.com/mobiles/
http://www.childnet-int.org/
http://www.kidsmart.org.uk/
http://www.childnet-int.org/kia/
http://dragon.ep.usm.edu/%7Eit/capstone/tonette/internet1.html
http://www.answers.com
http://www.stfrancis.edu/cid/copyrightbay/fairuse.htm
http://www.childnet-int.org/music/

Good Kids Can Make Bad Decisions

2005-11-15T16:12:00.000-08:00

A parent and teacher can give today's teens a lot of information about safety on the internet, but students can make poor decisions while on the internet. Keep your kids safe by educting them about your home rules, just as we do about school rules for using the internet. Set time limits. Find a filter that will do what you want it to do.

Read the history. If you suspect that your kids have been to inappropriate web sites, you can quickly check by opening the history tab on the left side of Internet Explorer. You can see the list of web sites visited on each day listed. Don't be alarmed if you find something, middle school kids are naturally curious. The repeated visits to inappropriate sites is cause for further family discussion.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2005-11-15T11:58:00.000-08:00

Blogs - Students are writing! The topics need to be moderated, but the fact that kids want to write and be creative is fantastic. Encourage your child to create a family blog for all the members of your extended family to communicate with one another. It can be private, so the general public cannot enter comments. If let unmoderated, kids will put their phone numbers, and a lot of personal information about who they are and what they are doing. Some of the activities are fantasy life, some are real. Many students post their own photo or photos of friends. This is not a very smart thing to do.

IM - Teens are mostly worried about being accepted by their peers. Some are very shy and communicating by instant message may be the way they can easily talk to other students. The fun of IM is being online with several friends at the same time. When I surveyed my students, they confessed that they can IM 5 - 10 people at the same time! Be sure to know your students' password, so you can turn on archive. That will save the IM conversations and you can read them later if you are worried about what is being said. Also, you can limit the time your teen is online if you have AOL, and can set preferences to "only allow IM to people on my Buddy list".

Phone - If you have one house phone and basic service, then teens can monopolize the time if you do not set restrictions. We agree in our home especially to no talking at dinner time. That is our special time together and we do not answer the phone during that time. Cell phones and extended home plans offer many ways for kids to talk to their peers. Most are OK if you talk about the limits and set some rules.

Cell phones - First of all you must ask yourself "why does my child need a cell phone anyway"? Once you wrestle with that and the cost of the plan, know what you have agreed to. Basic cell phone coverage does not include text messaging. It is an extra fee per message sent AND RECEIVED. Once you teen discovers that mode of conversation, the phone will not be out of their hand. Find out what your cell phone plan is and communicate that and the rules for it to your child. Note that cell phones are not to be used during the school day and will be confiscated by the staff. If they are necessary, then they should be turned off and left in a students locker.

Picture/video phones -I can't think of an educational reason why any student would need a picture or video phone during the school day. The danger of these little gadgets comes when they are used inappropriately such as changing rooms, or taking video in a locker room and then posting it on the web.

Digital Cameras and camcorders - Kids are very knowledge about using this equipment for great purpose, family events, vacations, school projects, etc. The photos I have seen online of kids are appalling. Some are direct face photos, some are posed a specific way and others are totally inappropriate for public viewing.

PDA - If you have a PDA in your home or your students has their own and it connects to the internet, be sure to be in control of the passwords and install virus and/or filtering software there too. Very few students have pdas, but those that do in our school are not allowed to be connected to our network. For some students the pda is a good tool when monitored properly.

How do our kids communicate?

2005-11-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

Today's adolescent and teens are communicating in ways we never had access to at their age. They use chat rooms, IM, email, beaming from palm pilots or other PDAs(personal digital assistant) 3-way phone conversations, caller ID, call waiting, text messaging, blogging podcasting, video conferenceing, video mail and more ways are invented daily. Many students have access to digital cameras and camcorders at their home and take advantage of good use of this technology. As a parent and teacher I have decided to embrace these technologies at my home, setting restrictions as necessary. There are so many things to control, so have a conversation with your kids about the rules for things listed above. If you have any other ways kids communicate that are not listed above, add your input with the comment link below.

Digital Books

2005-11-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

Digital books can come in many different formats. They could be electronic to be read on your computer just like a word document, palm pilot, or read to you by the simulated speech built in to many computers. Another format is audio books whereby they are like music recording, only they are the spoken word of the book. Many audio books are read by the author, or celebrities. Audio books may be purchased online, or at book store chains like Boarders or B&N. The format is usually CD or cassette(boys there is an older technology!)

When researching digital media, you need to determine a few things before downloading:
-where will you play the download (iPod, computer, palm or pda, burn to CD to play in car or CD player, MP3 player)
-what software do I need(usually a free download too) to eread or listen to the audio book?
-how much room will it take on my reader/player
-how do I want to store the document(hard drive, burn to CD, download to MP3 player etc
-is there a cost?

There are many libraries that are making their classic works available for download for free. At the University of Virginia the top two downloads are: 1. AesopFables 4,656 downloads and 2.Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland (illustrated)4,212. There is a growing market for electronic books, magazines and older print material has been converted.

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/
http://www.free-ebooks.net/
http://www.digitalbookindex.com/logina.htm
http://www.ditext.com/etexts.html

Chester County Library Audio Books
http://www.ccls.org/downloadaudio.htm

Create your own eBooks:
http://www.ereader.com/product/detail/15000

eBook Reader Software for the Palm:
http://www.k12handhelds.com/ebooks#readers

Filtering software?

2005-10-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

There are many types of filtering software, and the one you use depends on the options you want and what you want to block. some of the more popular software can be found at:

http://www.cyberpatrol.com/
http://www.cybersitter.com/
http://www.netnanny.com/
http://www.surfcontrol.com/
http://www.softforyou.com/

Internet filter review:
http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/

Educate yourself
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers.htm

What is our curriculum?

2005-10-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

To get an idea of what our students are learning here at CFPMS go to:
http://cfpms.ucfsd.org/users/rmartin/inet/index.htm

Students will have an understanding of basic Internet terminology.
Students will be able to use keyword searching techniques.
Students will learn how to move information from the Internet to a work processing document.
Students will learn how to move graphics from the Internet to a work processing document.
Students will learn how to cite information they retrieve from the Internet.
Students will understand how to connect to their server folder and save work.
Students will know how to retrieve their work from the server.
Students will be Introduced to the concept of personal internet safety, privacy, cyber relationships, cyber citizenship, good citizen. cyber bullying and intellectual property.
Students will have discussions on copyright issues in reference to music, print and intellectual property.

After learning the above concepts:
-Students will apply their searching skills by creating a one page document about a state, national park, or president, with text, graphics and web citations.
-Students will be instructed on how to access their personal folder on the server
-Students will learn the rules about server folders
-Teach students how to copy/paste graphics onto a document with the ability to move items around the document easily.
-Students will use their knowledge of copyright to find photos which are legal to use in their project
Projects should be printed to the color printer for display in the classroom on their team.

Chat Rooms

2005-10-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Some sites like AOL say that their chat rooms are monitored. I do not know how they can monitor all of the hundreds of chat rooms they offer on their site. If you allow your student to be involved in chat rooms, then you should set parameters for chatting with others. Live chats are always risky since you cannot control who jumps in and attempts to communicate with your student or screen what they chat about. The best advice is NO to chat rooms until they are old enough to understand the implications of others interrupting their conversations with their friends.

If you are still unsure, just open Google and type in chat rooms and you will see many topics they can use. That should help you make up your mind.

Also be sure to share the following with your son/daughter:
• Never agree to meet in person anyone met online
• Never give out any personal information
• Never “Talk”/chat to an unknown screen name
• Never call on the phone anyone you have met online
• Never give out information to a CALLER
• Never give your school’s name
• Never fill the the profile
• Never tell your location - state, town, street - etc.
• Never “Allow People to Search for Me” in IM
• Never give out your email address
• Never put friends’ names in your profile
• Never talk P2P or send a file to a “screen name”
(ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A CABLE CONNECTION)

Where is your computer?

2005-10-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Many homes today have at least one computer connected to the internet. In your home, where is the computer located? Current experts say that the computer should be in a public area in your home where you can see the screen. Go in once in a while and ask what the student is doing on the internet and take an interest by asking them to show you something they have learned. Establish confidence in their decisions about using the internet safely.

Placing a computer in the family room, or basement family area is probably a good idea if that is where you spend most of your time. The key idea is supervision of the screen. You do not have to be POS(parent over shoulder), just across the room, where you can see the interaction of activity. I have known families to make their dining room into the computer room if they have more than one computer in their home.

Computers with internet access should not be placed in a child's room or in a room where there is no parental supervision. If you have a Palm Pilot(or other PDA-personal digital assistant) that has network access, put a password on it so kids cannot surf the web from the palm.

If you have X-box live connected to the internet, unplug the wireless connection at the X-Box when not in use.
Sit and listen to the conversations which occur while kids are playing X-Box LIVE. Even though your child may be playing with kids he/she knows, others can interrupt their game and say anything/uncensored to your child. Learn and teach them how to have private games.

Log in names or Buddy name

2005-10-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

My kids use AOL am I protected from unwanted sites?
Be sure to use the parental control section and make your children designated as kids or teen users to block certain sites.
My kids can get to Internet Explorer when I have AOL. DonÂ’t have Explorer on your computer, OR find out if you can block it from teen/kid use. I don't know all the exact settings for AOL, so if you have specific questions, call them or email them a question.

Get to know your child's login name and the screen name of their friends. Screen names are becoming more and more profane. Encourage your child to choose a log in or buddy name that will not reveal if they are a male or female, adult or child. If they love soccer, don't use soccerkid 2233, or soccergirl, use something like soccer2233, or soccerplyr2233. A combination of nonsense letters and numbers is best such as A34c7x14z0. Don not let your student use their year of birth in their buddy name such as soccer92. Of course using their name is totally inappropriate like Suzie92. This is the number one way online predators seek their victims. Changing your child's name to something generic would be wise.

We tell kids all the time not to communicate with strangers, but in the online world, they really do not always know who is there talking with them. Remember there are over 76 million users of the internet. Which means your child has access to all of them, but even more alarming, all 76 million have access to yochild. YouYou are the administrator of the computer. You need to have full access to all users and their passwords.

Sharing your toys?

2005-10-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

Sharing music is illegal in any form. Buring CD’s for a friend is a violation of copyright policy. Downloading music from the internet without paying for it can lead to trouble. Make sure your child has NOT set up your computer to be SHARED on the internet. If it is shared, others can access your computer files, music, personal information including any tax or bank files, or identification you have saved on your computer. I have read stories about people who are prosecuted for distributing music and receive big fines from the music industry.

The basics of copyright law allows you to make ONE archive copy of software for your own purpose. This is not to lend to others, or to give away. Technically, if you have two computers in your home, you need to purchase Microsoft Office(or other software) for each computer!

If your family has an mp3 player or an iPod, you can place your entire CD collection on the computer and transfer it to the player legally. There are many copyright web sites which can answer your specific questions about legally using your own music.

Glossary of Terms

2005-10-26T05:30:00.000-07:00

blog or weblog - online journal of a persons choice of topic (Xanga, myspace.com, livejournal.com) The blog page can have photos, music, text ramblings about their school day, home life, or fantasy life they can create. Weblogs can be a good thing when monitored. If your family is on an extended vacation and keeps an online journal, photos etc, you can share them with other family members at home. If a parent is traveling for an extended time, it would be another way to keep in touch with kids or family about what they are doing.

chat room - online access by membership to talk to other people. AOL has chat, Yahoo.com, most IM sites have chat.

IM - Instant Message - You must have a membership, which can be FREE, to send real time messages to others. You create a user name, do not use your real name, to communicate with others.

mp3 - a compression style which allows audio files to be transferred over the internet. You can also compress you own CD music into an mp3 format to burn onto a disc. At this rate, you can fit about 90 songs on a CD.

mp3 player - a small device which can play compressed audio files. iPod, Nano, iRiver, Zen, Creative are all examples of different types of mp3 players.

news aggregator or feed - this program allows you to subscribe to the rss feeds delivered by various sites. For example if you use NewsGator as your aggregator, you can insert the usatoday.com rss feed address and you will receive daily or hourly news updates directly to your computer.

podcast - An audio recording which is posted on a web site which may be downloaded and played on a portable music player or on the computer through iTunes.

rss - (Really Simple Syndication) designed for distributing information updates from your web page. If your web site has an RSS feed, then others may "subscribe" and get automatic updates of your information. For example, you may "subscribe" to any web site which has RSS at the end of the address bar, such as the usatoday.com illustrated here.

spyware - (from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware) Spyware is a broad category of malicious software intended to intercept or take partial control of a computer's operation without the user's informed consent. While the term taken literally suggests software that surreptitiously monitors the user, it has come to refer more broadly to software that subverts the computer's operation for the benefit of a third party.

Wikipedia - (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page)the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.
In this English version, started in 2001, we are currently working on 792,006 articles. Because anyone can edit the pages, some of the information may not be valid. Use this resource carefully.

Many of these definitions are taken from the NetSmartz page at: http://www.netsmartz.org/safety/definitions.htm#s

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