1. The document discusses various online safety issues that parents should be aware of, including inappropriate contact with strangers, oversharing personal information, cyberbullying, and exploring inappropriate content. 2. It provides tips for parents such as keeping computers in public areas, developing rules for internet use, monitoring browser histories, and discussing responsible and ethical online behavior. 3. Several types of online risks are outlined like social media, blogs, chat rooms, and networking sites, and suggestions are made for dealing with cyberbullying incidents.

1. The real impact of technology will be the issues that are raised rather than the tools it gives us- Derek Bok

2. Sites for exploring Chapin curriculum pages PBS Kids and PBS parents Starfall Yahooligans Cool Sites Exploratorium Cool Sites Reference Desk

3. Girls and Computers The importance of techno-ease Computer as tool The Gaming generation Empowerment Plan B

4. Today Show Moral When asked if they had been approached online in an inappropriate way, all raised their hands “yes.” When asked if they had informed their parents, no one raised a hand.

5. Surfing the Web- Be Proactive Take time to see what your children are doing online- what are their primary destinations (see www. miniclip .com ) Keep up with technology. Let them teach you about the internet Surf sites with them to discuss appropriate uses and sites Keep it public Help them assess the value and accuracy of sites See www. martinlutherking .org

6. Safety Concerns Go over Kids’ Rules Post Safety Rules by the computer Work with them to develop critical skills: Internal Filtering and Blocking Learn how to examine your Web browser’s “History” files, or cache. Even if you don’t do it, make sure your children know it’s possible for you to know where they’ve been. Look around your desktop, start menu or applications folder for suspicious programs.

7. Don’t Fence Me In Children need to be fenced in Create a safe list of favorites Investigate kid-safe index pages and search engines Kid Safe Search Sites

8. Discuss Responsible Behavior Offline vs. Online Behavior Talking to strangers Giving out personal information Instigating fights Rudeness Being unkind to peers, to teachers, to family Bullying

9. Trouble Zones Blogs Majority of bloggers are teens and young adults. 90% of those with blogs are between 13 and 29 years old; 51% are between 13 and 19 4.12 million blogs -June 2004 A public journal, linked to others Some reveal too much information, turning an event into a public posting An Actual blog teens tended to reveal more personal details on blogs than in chatrooms and forums “ a kind of invisible high school that floats above the daily life of teenagers” --New York Times

10. Blogs to consider Blurty Xanga Livejournal DeadJournal

11. Trouble Zones Chat Rooms Create an alias with your child. Many spammers use names they can easily collect from a chat room. Enter a chat room with your child. Remind children that chatrooms are “public places;” Reinforce basic rules. Do not let your child chat in unmoderated chat rooms. Get to know your children’s cyberfriends. www. chatdanger .com

12. Trouble Zones E-Mail Be aware of all your child’s e-mail accounts; free Web e-mail may allow your child to have other of e-mail accounts you don’t know about. Tell them to keep passwords private Stress Kindness The Read it Aloud Rule

13. Trouble Zones Cyberbullying Cyberbullies can and do use e-mail to send harassing and threatening messages Steal passwords to protect themselves Bash Boards, Instant Messages, Blogs Cyberbullies can create Web sites that mock, torment, and harass others Text messages on cell phones or picture phones - so even less parental control

14. Trouble Zones Cyberbullying An interactive world away from adult supervision Home is no longer a refuge from cruelty or peer pressure Anonymity means freedom from responsibility or empathy

15. Trouble Zones Cyberbullying Response Keep a record of all e-mails or Internet Messages Tell someone Don’t reply and don’t reply in anger Change e-mail address if possible or Block the sender

16. Trouble Zones Social Networking Sites Personal Profile Pages--www.myspace.com Students list personal information including school, friends, interests, etc. Some go beyond: inappropriate photos, frank sexual discussion, leaving messages on other pages

17. Other Issues Plagiarism Time Wasters Gender Matters- What do websites teach

18. Another Harvard President: “Girls might be inherently less able in Math and Science than boys” ---Let’s use technology to prove him wrong