Mr. B's Career Web
Career clusters, activities, online resources,
entrepreneurship, and MORE!
School Matters
Help a child succeed in school, resources
for kids, families, and teachers
BreitLinks
A collection of education-themed resources
for kids, families,and teachers
Internet Safety
Kids love computers - what a powerful tool to engage young
learners! The Internet is full of great sites that help kids learn.
Let's let our children use this to help them get ready for school. We need to teach children some basic ideas on how to use the Internet
safely. Here's a slideshow that shows how. Just click the
RIGHT ARROW BUTTON to advance through this slideshow and see this lesson.
The Internet is a
wonderful place to play, learn, and work. It helps us be connected with
the world. We can use the Internet to make friends. Is it always a safe
place? It is important to be careful anyplace you go - it is important to
be careful when online.
Learning new
technology is an important skills. Learning to wisely use new technology
is even more important. It is important to protect yourself and others
when using the Internet.
What are some of
the issues? One can find all types of people, information, and viewpoints
online. There are good people on the Web, but there are also criminals
and scammers. There are also different types of computer viruses, spyware,
and and malicious software. Like visiting anyplace else - BE CAREFUL!
Safe surfing means
protecting yourself and others from inappropriate:
Content
Inappropriate pictures and illustrations
Racism and hate
Inaccurate and misleading information
Contact
Threatening IM and emails
Abusive relationships
Commerce
Invasion of privacy
Advertising disguised as nonbiased facts
Scams and other forms of theft
Don't Give Out
Personal Information
Be careful what you
put online - once its on the Internet, there is no taking it back. People
can save data or files and much of the Internet is regularly cached and
archived. It is possible to find things that have been posted and then
removed.
Don't put anything that personally identifies you online:
Full or last name
Home address
Email addresses
Cell phone numbers
City or town of residence
School
Place of work
Favorite hangouts
Name of teams and clubs that you participate in
Photos that are easily recognizable
Passwords
Credit card numbers
Social Security number
Mother's maiden name
Parent's place of work
Most of us are
careful of people that we meet in parks or other public places - use the
same care when online. Remember, people can pretend to be anyone they
want to online.
Be careful with the
statements you make online too. Remember, anyone can save anything. The
Internet is regularly cached and archived. Don't we all know what it is
like to say something and wish we could take it back? Once something is
posted on the World Wide Web, it could theoretically be there forever.
There are cases of
people being denied jobs or promotions because of something that they
posted online. Why take a chance? Don't make statements online that
could be offensive, insulting, or indicate a strong dislike of different
people, places, ideas, or organizations. These types of statements could
come back, perhaps even years later, and become problems.
Use a little
thought and common sense when using the Internet. Assume that the
computer you are using can always be identified. Be careful visiting
Websites that have many pop-ups and advertising gimmicks. Be sure to
always use firewalls and virus protection software. When in doubt, DON'T
CLICK!
Don't sign up for
free services and email lists without having a good reason - and even then
- only if you know the site to be trustworthy. When buying or selling
anything online, make sure everything is fully verifiable. Remember,
people get ripped off even on eBay and other popular trading Websites.
Don't open email
attachments from strangers. In fact, it is a good idea to never open an
email attachment unless you are expecting it. Don't download programs
unless you know what you are doing and have good reason to trust the
source.
It is much easier
to be careful when surfing than it is to straighten out the problems from
carelessly using the Internet. The Internet is a great resource, but like
anywhere else you go, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!
Staying safe online
involves being careful and thinking about what you are doing and what
information you give out.