Safe Technology Topics We Should Teach Children

As I mentioned in my "Thoughts on Technology" post, as educators, we need to keep up with the rapidly changing times. It is no longer sufficient to only teach kids how to stay safe when dealing with strangers they might encounter while walking home from school. We now need to teach them how to deal with strangers encountered online. Unfortunately, we also need to alert them to the other dangers that exist on the World Wide Web and with other modes of technology like cell phones. Identity safety, cyberbullying, cyber predators, dealing with innappropriate content, and safely using social networking sites are just some of the topics we should cover at an early age.


Since this would be a new addition to the health curricula across grade levels, I would form a committee of parents, technology education staff, teachers, and possibly students in middle or high school settings, to determine what issues need to be taught. I would also hold meetings for parents alerting them to the dangers that exist when using technology so that they can be aware when students are using technology at home.


Below are some links Technology Safety committees can use when planning lessons to instruct students and parents about safe and healthy technology practices. I have also excerpts of a video teachers can watch with their middle and high school classes about internet safety.

• K-12 Student Curriculum from Cyber Smart
  
• CTAP 4 Cyber Safety Project
• NetSmartz: Links for parents, educators, and students

excerpts from "Internet Safety: Pitfalls and Dangers"

Safety on Social Networking Sites



CyberBullies



Your Words and Pictures in CyberSpace