Resources for Promoting Online Citizenship

The following resources help educators, students, and parents extend their knowledge of online safety, security, privacy, and citizenship.

• The International Society for Technology in Education (http://cnets.iste.org) has developed National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for administrators, teachers, and students. Standard Six of the NETS for teachers describes the social, ethical, legal, and human issues related to technology use.
• Safeguarding the Wired Schoolhouse (www.safewiredschools.org), a project of the Consortium for School Networking, offers resources to help educators understand the issues involved in managing Internet content and create positive online experiences for students.
• i-SAFE (www.isafe.org), “a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to educate and empower youth to make their Internet experiences safe and responsible,” provides a free online professional development program for educators, law enforcement personnel, and community members, as well as a free K–12 curriculum for students. Students can become “i-Mentors” and educate their peers about online dangers.
• Parents Guide to the Internet (www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet), posted by the U.S. Department of Education, includes a Tips for Safe Traveling link that recommends steps parents should take to guide their children to appropriate activities on the information superhighway.
• SearchEngines.com provides a page addressing Child-Safe Searching on the Web (www.searchengines.com/kids) designed to give parents an overview of safe searching and provide information about available defense methods, such as kids' search engines and browser controls.
• CyberSmart! Education Company (www.cybersmart.org) provides a free K–8 curriculum, copublished with Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, that contains 65 lesson plans with student activity sheets, posters, and information for parents. The curriculum addresses such topics as Internet safety, manners, research, and advertising. The company also provides fee-based training resources for educators.
• NetSmartz (www.netsmartz.org) is an interactive Web site with entertaining activities that teachers can use to educate students about how to stay safe online. This site was created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
• Surfswell Island: Adventures in Internet Safety (www.disney.go.com/surfswell) provides a series of interactive games, featuring Disney characters, that teach children about issues of online privacy, virus awareness, and online manners. The site includes a parent's guide and a teacher's guide.

 

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