Blog Assignment #12

For blog assignment number twelve, we were told to come up with our own assignment. This blog assignment took a lot longer to begin than any of the others. I couldn't think of the direction I wanted to take it, because my major, Elementary Education, covers a broad array of topics. After thinking about many different concepts, I finally decided on one that I believe will be the most beneficial. Using technology in the classroom is something I have been saying I want to do since blog post number two. Internet safety is something that is vital to cover when you're dealing with children using the Internet. So for this assignment, I will be teaching different approaches on how to be safe online.

When addressing Internet safety with students, a few things need to be taken into consideration. One, the transfer of handling "real life" situations to virtual ones. This is something that needs to be taught, it is not automatic knowledge for children. Second, while most "Stranger Danger" programs teach that strangers are scary, and want to hurt or abduct children, online occurrences are completely different. Not all strangers seem dangerous. Lastly, in "real life" students can walk or run away from a potential threat. In an online environment, the danger is inside a student's environment, and hard to escape without the necessary skills for handling these situations.

The assignment I have come up with is directed to elementary age students. With younger and younger students spending more time on the internet, it is crucial that we teach them how to protect themselves online. Most students know how to handle "Stranger Danger" face-to-face situations, but facing them online is a totally different subject.

Internet Safety Assignment:

1. Watch the Video, "Internet Safety."

2. Click on the "Hard Quiz" button at the bottom right of the screen, or click here "Quiz."
-Choose Online Quiz, DO NOT choose Paper Quiz.

3. Click on the "Activity" button at the bottom of the page, or click here, "Activity," and write down 10 SAFE websites.

4. Write in your blog post about Internet safety, and explain why it's important to be safe on the Internet.
-Questions to think about: What is a stranger? What do I do if a stranger contacts me online? What kind of things are okay to tell a stranger? What kind of things are not okay to tell a stranger?

Use proper sentence structure, and try to use correct punctuation. Write one paragraph or more. Tell me everything you learned about being safe on the internet!