Overview of Internet Safety Workshops and Material

Purpose:

The goals of the Internet Safety workshop include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Integration of Internet safety into the community
  • Define roles and responsibilities for the children, parents, teachers and adults
  • Identify safety measures, including any that already exist and educate the community about the do’s and don’t of safe internet use using the training materials.

Operationalizing the Internet Safety Workshop:

  • In the morning of Day 4 in the field, hold a one hour-long Internet Safety workshop for the adults of the community. This workshop will include a slideshow that discusses general Internet Safety tips and will be followed by a discussion with the adults of the Community on how to set up safety measures on the Hello World terminals.
  • In the afternoon of Day 4 in the field, hold a one hour-long Children’s Internet Safety workshop. This workshop will include a presentation on Internet safety and tips of how to stay safe online and will end with a game on Internet safety. If necessary, this workshop can be repeated later in the day to reach out to more children, who were unable to attend the first workshop..

General Description of Internet Safety Workshops and Materials:

The workshop on Internet Safety will be two-fold. One presentation is focused on providing an introduction to the issue, as well as tools on how to stay safe when using the Internet. The other presentation will focus on informing parents and teachers about safe Internet use and how they can help their childrento safely navigate the Internet. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on howto set up the framework for what is acceptable use of the Internet for the entire community. Below is an outline of some major categories that all Internet Safety information sessions should address and a list of valuable resources that can be shared with the community:

Summary of important points to cover in the workshops regarding personal safety, information and activities on the Internet:

  • Children must understand that people are not always who they say they are. They should never give out personal information without an adult’s permission. Children should recognize the various forms of cyber-bullying, and know what steps to take if confronted with bullying or threatening behavior.
  • Bullies use Internet tools, such as instant messaging and the Web to harass or spread false rumors about others. Children need to be able to identify and speak to a trusted adult (parent, teacher) about these potentially dangerous situations.
  • Children need to realize when an Internet encounter may be questionable and how to protect themselves when this occurs.
  • People in chat rooms, instant message “buddies,” or those who visit a blog may not be who they appear to be. Children should learn to recognize when someone is potentially dangerous.
  • Children need to know what to do and who to ask for help when they encounter a person or site on the Internet that is offensive or threatening to them.
  • E-mail can cause malicious code infection problems for a computer or network. Users should not open e-mail or attachments from unknown sources.
  • Children and users need to know which information is safe to share with others online, which should never be shared, and why sharing it could put them at risk.
  • All users should know the potential dangers of emailing, gaming, downloading files, and peer-to-peer computing (e.g., viruses, legal issues, harassment, sexual predators, identity theft).
  • Some games may contain pornographic and/or violent images. Children need to talk with parents about what is acceptable.
  • Children and their families as well as the community as a whole should discuss how to identify acceptable sites to visit and what to do if an inappropriate site is accessed. It may be useful to give an overview of Web advertising techniques and raise awareness that not all sites provide truthful information.
  • Sexually explicit material or violent images can affect children negatively.
  • Internet information may promote negative attitudes, such as hate or intolerance, and dangerous or illegal activities, such as self-injuring behavior, gambling, and illegal drug use.

List of Training Materials:

  1. Children’s Internet Safety Presentation and Animation

For the full presentation on Internet Safety for Children, please refer to the slide deck titled “Introduction to Internet Safety for Children and Young Adults”.

  1. Adult Internet Safety Presentation

For the full presentation on Internet Safety for Children, please refer to the slide deck titled “Internet Safety – Overview and Discussion”.

  1. A brief SMART framework checklist that can be posted on the Hello World terminal is provided at the end of this document courtesy of Childnet International.

List of Online Resources and Games:

  • Ikeepsafe Games and Information:
  • Cyberbullying advice:
  • Microsoft Animation on Internet Safety:
  • PBS Online Game to promote safe Internet use:

Checklist of SMART framework from Childnet International: