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Safety and Netiquette The Web is an open environment and like any open environment it has its positive and negative aspects. Just as young people are taught the conventions of crossing streets carefully and dealing with strangers in order to avoid problems on the main street in any town, they must be taught the general rules of etiquette and safety that allow them to avoid problems while using the Internet and Web. You and your students should adhere to two main safety rules: 1. Never give out identifying information to strangers (this includes posting information by filling out forms). If the class is creating a Web site, do not combine students' names with their pictures. 2. Do not believe everything you see and read. Keep in mind that a person may be "resenting" as something he or she is not. (A 50-year-old woman may use the screen mane "coolguy12" but it doesn't mean she is a guy, 12 years old, or even cool). In general, the same rules that apply to any correspondence apply to the Internet. The term netiquette has been given to the etiquette guidelines one should use when communicating online. These guidelines are especially important if you have your students participate in activities such as telementoring, in which student are working with individuals who are sharing their time and expertise. Shea (1994) provided ten such guidelines for communicating online: 1. Remember the human. 2. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life. 3. Know where you are in cyberspace. 4. Respect other people's time and bandwidth. 5. Make yourself look good online. 6. Share expert knowledge. 7. Help keep flames (online derogatory or insulting comments and general personal attacks) under control. 8. Respect other people's privacy. 9. Don't abuse our power. 10. Be forgiving of other people's mistakes. From "Making the Most of the Web in your Classroom, A Teacher's Guide to Blogs, Podcasts, Wikis, Pages, and Sites," by Timothy D. Green, Abbie Brown and LeAnne Robinson Ethical issues for teachers and students on the web "Character is what you do when no one is watching." So it is with the Internet. Be a good cybercitizen. The most common ethical issue is the unauthorized downloading of games and software. The second and just as important in an educational setting is the misuse of intellectual property or copyright violations. You must establish a culture of proper use on the first day you introduce your students to technology. The online and offline world are not separate. Make direct comparisons between what students do on the Internet and how they behave in their daily lives. Reinforce proper behavior. Check out http://www.cybercitizenship.org/ Tools for teaching cyber ethics http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech055.shtml Rules in cyberspace http://www.cybercrime.gov/rules/kidinternet.htm |
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