Web 2.0 tools are terrific tools to use with students, but students need to be good net citizens before using these in the classroom. I believe that being safe online is a MUST and parents need to be aware of the uses and abuses online. Teaching your child appropriate behavior online is important and just like in anything else, this should not be the schools sole responsibility. The district or school should offer parents online safety workshops in collaboration with the ITRT and technology committee in the school.

Teachers must also be informed and knowledgeable users before students dive into the world wide web. Resources and tools need to be relevant to the objectives and teachers should be able to navigate through them so they can model proper behavior online. With the web constantly changing, it’s important to talk to children about how they use the Internet and “what if” scenarios, so they know how to properly handle them.

I particularly like this webquest designed for 6th graders. It is very creative and breaks down netiquette and specific roles of student users. Kids learn how to be safe online in a collaborative way!

http://coe.nevada.edu/slefevre/playsafe.html

Terrific Internet Safety websites:

http://www.connectsafely.org

http://csriu.org

http://www.staysafeonline.org

http://www.netsmartzkids.org