Top 7 Internet Safety Sites for Kids

The internet is changing our classrooms!  No longer are we limited by the physical structure of the building we teach in.  Instead the internet has opened up the teaching and learning environment to the rest of the world.  The ability to rapidly communicate and interact with others, inquire and find sources of information about anything, be independent or cooperative, and support higher-order thinking skills through creating and constructing projects such as interactive posters, videos and voicethreads* is exciting, but also requires us as teachers to think about Internet safety.  So, as you head into your classrooms this fall, get to know your students and begin developing your rules and routines, I encourage you to think about Internet safety and what your students need to know.  

My top 7 Internet Safety Sites for Elementary Students are:  

http://pbskids.org/license/

1. PBS Kids, Get Your Web License provides students with a Web Licenses once they have completed a series of questions on a variety of topics related to internet safety. The questions are interactive and provides the students with immediate feedback on their answers, giving them the opportunity to "try again" if a mistake is made.  The Web License is printable and only available once all questions have been answered correctly.

http://home.disney.com.au/activities/surfswellisland/

2. Disney's Surf Swell Island is a quiz-driven adventure game.  Internet safety information is presented to users in a series of games, each featuring well-known Disney characters and focusing on an area of concern; privacy, viruses, or netiquette.  Each game is followed by a mini-quiz reinforcing the area presented in the game.   

http://www.ikeepsafe.org/

3. iKeep Safe is a site that provides teachers with an amazing Internet Safety program covering all of the basics including: keeping children safe online, how to handle cyber-bullying, balancing real life with screen time, and dangerous downloads.

http://www.infinitelearninglab.org/

4. Internet Safety with Professor Garfield is an easy to navigate site (especially when you follow the quick start guide) with printable lessons (available under teacher's materials) on online safety, cyberbullying, fact or opinion and forms of media.  Each lesson includes a watch (video), try (game) and apply (quiz) section.   

http://www.netsmartz.org/index.aspx

5. NetSmartz teaches internet safety with engaging characters, songs, videos and interactive games.  The topics presented include knowing the rules, chat abbreviations, dangers of sharing personal information, viruses, passwords and what makes a good one, and cyber-bullying.  

www.hectorsworld.com

6. Hector's World is a site that helps students stay safe online and learn about digital citizenship.  Hector and his friends are engaging characters that face interesting and challenging situations in order to model the behaviour of good digital citizens.  The topics include Your Personal Information Online, Cyberbullying, and Computer Security.

http://www.covenantworks.com/

7. Internet Safety provides the user with links to many of the sites I have listed above as well as others.  There is information applicable to any grade level and its all in one easy to find location.  Got to love that!








Do you have a favourite site that I missed?  I would love to hear about it. Please share your experiences below.

*more on these later.  But, I linked to my favourite sites for those who are interested. :)

Hector's World

http://www.hectorsworld.com/island/index.html

Hector's World is a New Zealand educational initiative targeted at helping 5-11 year olds stay safe online and learn about digital citizenship.  Hector and his friends are engaging characters that live in the magical world of Silicon Deep.  They face interesting and challenging situations in order to model the behaviour of good digital citizens.  The topics include personal information online, cyber-bullying, and computer security and are presented through videos episodes, mp3 music files, puzzles, games, and downloadable storybooks that provide opportunities for students to be safe and ethical users of digital technologies.  

Tips for integrating Hector's World into your classroom:  Begin by taking the 10 minute guided tour for teachers of the site.  This helps with navigating and understanding the layout of the site and all of the different options available for teaching and learning.  Hector's World provides educators with excellent lesson plans (developed for 3 different age levels) on each of the episodes under the topics presented.  The lessons begin with engaging videos that would be great presented to students using a projector or interactive white board.  The downloadable material can be printed and used in the classroom without the need for independent use of a computer.  This is a nice option when computer times are limited.   A resource for planning a Digital Citizenship Week is also available and would be a great addition to SMART Week.  Digital Citizenship certificates can be printed in colour or black and white from the site and posters are available to order from the Netsafe Contact Centre.

Also, take time to install the Hector's World Safety Button on the computers used by students.  Hector's World safety button is a button children can click on to cover the screen with a beautiful underwater scene if something on-screen upsets or worries them.  Send home the parent newsletter provided on the site with information about the button for  parents to install on home computers.  

iKeep Safe

http://www.ikeepsafe.org/

 iKeep Safe is a site that has partnered with D.A.R.E to provide parents and teachers with an amazing Internet Safety program.  This is a well-rounded program, designed for kids ages 4 - 10.  It covers all of the basics including: keeping children safe online, how to handle cyber-bullying, balancing real life with screen time, and dangerous downloads.  Students learn about these concepts through a wide range of tools and along side fun, engaging cartoon characters.  There are videos, printable books, colouring sheets, games, worksheets, discussion guides, and lesson plans available to help teachers communicate the information to students.*  This program is the perfect way to introduce internet safety to students and reinforce it throughout the year.

Tips for integrating iKeep Safe into your classroom:  iKeep Safe is a perfect place to start teaching students about Internet safety.  Watch the Faux Paw cartoons together as a class on a projector connected computer and read and discuss the books.  Teach the lesson by having students complete the free downloadable worksheets or play an interactive game online.  Then send home a family assignment and have the students discuss internet safety with their parents.  Let's get the parents involved and working as hard as we do at keeping their kids safe.  


* these links are just a sample of what is available in each of the categories on the Faux Paw site

Disney's Surf Swell Island

http://home.disney.com.au/activities/surfswellisland/

Disney's Surf Swell Island is a quiz-driven adventure game.  Internet safety information is presented to users in a series of three games, each featuring well-known Disney characters and focusing on an area of concern; privacy, viruses, or netiquette.  Each game is followed by a mini-quiz reinforcing the skills presented in the game.   The site also contains a teacher and parent guide with recommendations for different ways to use the site for Pre-K - Grade 6.

Tips for integrating Disney's Surf Swell Island into your classroom:  Disney's Surf Swell Island would be a  fun way to address the very serious topic of Internet Safety.  This site could be used in a computer lab setting with students working through the games and quizzes at their own pace or in a large group setting on a projector connected computer.

Get Your Web License

http://pbskids.org/license/

PBS Kids, Get Your Web License provides students with a Web License once they have completed the 'road test'.  The 'road test' is a series of questions on a variety of topics related to internet safety.  The topics include meeting people, surf time, passwords, privacy policy and more.  I like this site because it is simple.  There are no advertisements or other links to distract students.  And the quiz is interactive and provides the students with immediate feedback on their answers, giving them the opportunity to "try again" if a mistake is made.  The Web License is printable and only available once all questions have been answered correctly.

Tips for integrating PBS Kids, Get Your Web License into your classroom:  Get Your Web License would be a great way to review internet safety practices with your students.  The quiz could be done in a computer lab setting, with each student or pair or students working through the questions at their own pace or as a whole class on a projector connected computer.

Internet Safety with Professor Garfield

http://www.infinitelearninglab.org/

Internet Safety with Professor Garfield is an easy to navigate site (especially when you follow the quick start guide) with printable lessons (available under teacher's materials) on online safety, cyberbullying, fact or opinion and forms of media.  Each lesson includes a watch (video), try (game) and apply (quiz) section.   There is also a great printable parent letter that can be sent home with tips and links that parents can use at home.

Tips for integrating Internet Safety with Professor Garfield into your classroom:  Professor Garfield provides a great option to begin teaching students about Internet Safety and would be a great addition to an internet safety week.  The videos are engaging and fun, I mean who doesn't love Garfield.  Students in Grade 3 - 5 could easily navigate the site and activities online, making this a great independent or small group activity in a lab setting.  For the younger students, watch the videos on a projector and during the try and apply sections discuss and choose the answers together.  An Internet safety certificate can be printed at the end of the unit along with posters for your classroom to remind students how to stay safe online.

NetSmartz

http://www.netsmartzkids.org/indexFL.htm

NetSmartz teaches internet safety with engaging characters, songs, videos and interactive games.  The topics presented include knowing the rules for online useage, chat abbreviations, dangers of sharing personal information, viruses, passwords and what makes a good one, and cyber-bullying.  There are activities on this site for K-12 students and there are links for parents and teachers with information about how to use NetSmartz, real-life stories, Internet safety news, statistics and more.  

Tips for integrating NetSmartz into the classroom: NetSmartz can be presented to a large group of students using a projector and following an activity card.  Activity cards are lesson plans that include a variety of activities including worksheets, discussion questions, art projects, writing activities and cooperative learning techniques, and take about 20-30 minutes to complete.  NetSmartz is also a great site to bookmark for students in the lab and allow them to explore it independently.  There are no links to outside sites, so NetSmartz really is safe and easy to use.  Allowing students to explore NetSmartz often will help reinforce the important Internet safety skills presented.  Also be sure to check out the supplemental materials  for printable certificates, web licenses, rule posters and more.