Computer Safety
A Parent Checklist: 1. All children should be monitored when using the Internet...a child's bedroom is not a good place for an Internet connection. 2. Set up guidelines with your child about the use of the computer and the Internet. 3. Spell out an agreement so you child knows exactly what the rules and expectations are. 4. Check the brower history frequently to see the sites where family members are going. 5. Consider setting filtering and or blocking parameters. 6. Children should never give out private information, such as your last name, address, phone number, information about family members or financial information without asking a parent for permission. 7. Children should never give out information about their school without permission from an adult. 8. Understand how to navigate safely with browsers and portals designed for students. 9. Children should never agree to meet face-to-face with anyone they've met online. 10. If anything inappropriate (a picture, advertisement or email) or threatening comes on the screen, an adult should be notified immediately. 11. Children should never give out a password. 12. Children should never email a picture without adult permission. 13. These rules should always be followed at home, at school, at the library or at a friend's house. 14. Parents need to set a good example when it comes to using the computer and the Internet.
Links to Computer Safety Sites
1. Teaching children what to watch for when searching online http://www.netsmartzkids.org/indexFL.htm
2. Safety Land http://www.att.com/Common/images/safety/game.html
3. Shrink the cyberbully http://www.mcgruff.org/Games/cyberbully.php
4. Kids on the computer safety from the FBI http://www.fbi.gov/fun-games/kids/kids-safety
5. Internet safety from PBS Kids http://pbskids.org/webonauts/
6. Several different Internet safety sites from SurfNet Kids http://www.surfnetkids.com/online_safety.htm