Internet Safety

Today my school sent out a paper informing parents how important internet safety is and how it should not be overlooked.  Sometimes young children trust people they do not know very easily and with all of the different internet sites out there today that are so popular like myspace and facebook it is very easy for younger students to be tricked by adults.  Parental controls are very important to have in place on a home computer and in schools.  I know in our school almost everything is blocked but if you give the technology department enough time they can unblock a site so that it can be used for a class.  I was shocked, since I teach the second grade, when one of my students said that they have a myspace after seeing the internet safety paper I had them put in their folders.  It just goes to show how parents need to pay more attention to what their children are doing on the internet and what better way to rest assure that your child is safe then by choosing what they are allowed and not allowed to access on the internet.  The internet can be a great tool when used properly but children need to be taught just like not to take candy from a stranger to not talk to someone on the internet that they do not know.