I think it's integral when incorporating ICT in the classroom to ensure students have a fundamental understanding of associated risks involved, particularly when working online. These include:
1) Harassment on the Web- Children may experience bullying through email and chat messages.
2) Viruses and hackers- Without the strong protection systems in place, data of a personal or delicate nature may be retrieved without the users consent.
3) Financial risk- Children may be tricked into providing a parents credit card information.
4) Exposure of explicit and harmful material: Children may come across or be lead into sites of a pornographic, violent or offensive nature.
5) Revealing private information: Children may be enticed into filling out online forms and providing information such as email/postal addresses and contact numbers that may be abused in various ways.
As well ensuring computer systems used in classrooms are protected using filters and anti-virus software, the teacher's role in facilitating ICT activities and monitoring students working online is integral. The following two websites may be used in educating students on how to behave online and the risks involved:
CyberSmart: A government website that provides links to online education activities for various age groups. Once you specify the age group, click on 'fun things to do'. Resources include a quiz that analyses how 'cybersmart' the student is and an interactive informative feature (CyberQuoll for kids and CyberNetrix for teens).
http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/
Netty's World: A website aimed at children between 2-7 designed to educate how to be safe when using the internet. It provides an interactive environment as students progress through 'Netty's Net Adventure' relaying important internet saftey messages along the way.
http://www.nettysworld.com.au/
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
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