Instructify

BY BILL FERRIS

I don’t know what I did to get on the Federal Trade Commission’s radar, but I’ve gotten a bunch of email from them lately. So far, it’s all been good — the first email was for YouAreHere, a cool site that tells kids how to be savvy consumers. Now they’ve sent me Net Cetera, a handy guide for good online citizenship.

Net Cetera deals with the benefits and hazards of P2P file sharing, privacy issues, identity theft, phishing, spamming, cyberbullying, sexting, and other cleverly named vices unique to the internet. (more…)

A new site from the AdCouncil is designed to help communicate with teens about the problems associated with “Cyber pressure.” Times are certainly different for teens now than they have ever been before, thanks to technology being as accessible and popular as it is. Thats Not Cool is a site that helps teens find ways to respond to pressure brought on by their peers through texting and social networking. What’s more is that the site is clever, funny, and engaging, without being overly preachy or authoritative. Specifically, the topics covered are such things as “textual harassment” (harassing cellphone messages from a significant other), “Pic Pressure” (requests from a boyfriend or girlfriend to send lewd pictures) and  “privacy problems” (which is about what it sounds like, especially when it comes to social networking).

The site has some great content, including cute sock-puppet starring videos that are designed to tell both sides of the story, which allow viewers to make decisions of what choice the subject should take at the end. There are also “Callout Cards,” which are badges and graphics that site visitors can take and paste onto the profiles of someone who may be harassing them. It allows teens to take matters into their own hands before they escalate too far, and to educate them about the perils of peer pressure and disrespect.

As cheeky as the site is, there is a lot of merit to the AdCouncil’s initiative, as it affects teens in a way they haven’t had to deal with in the past. There’s even a section for teens to get further help if they need it. Let your students know there’s assistance out there on the web if they are being pressured to do things they aren’t comfortable with, or if their friends are harassing them in ways they can’t relate to adults. For a site that’s called “Thats Not Cool,” this site is pretty darn cool. -JEREMY S. GRIFFIN

Thats Not Cool

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BoostUp

With all the hubbub about cyber-bullying going on in schools, it’s easy to forget that face-to-face bullying is still alive and well. Where there’s a cafeteria, there will be a bigger kid demanding a smaller kid’s lunch money. Help crack down on bullying online and offline at your school next week during Bullying Awareness Week 2008, November 16-22.

Don’t let the title fool you — Bullying Awareness Week asks educators to get personally involved in stamping out bullying, as opposed to just being aware of it (which makes sense, since nerds, dweebs and weaklings everywhere have been pretty aware of bullying for some time, and that hasn’t solved anything). The BAW website has several ideas on how you can make a difference, including conducting anti-bullying workshops, involving community leaders, and recognizing/rewarding students who actively work to make their schools safer.

For more information, check out their website, or listen to this public service announcement. By observing Bullying Awareness Week at your school, you can help make it a safer, friendlier place. -BILL FERRIS

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Teach students Internet safety with iKeepSafe.org

Stranger Danger! Children are taught at an early age how to recognize a stranger in their community and how to respond appropriately. However, in the 21st Century our students are socializing in more communities, on and 0ffline, rather than just with their local neighbor. As many more of our students are becoming active participants in the community of the World Wide Web we need to teach them safe ways to interact without shutting them down.

iKeepSafe is a website full of ideas on how to keep our students safe online. They focus on the three main dangers students will face: inappropriate contact, inappropriate content, and inappropriate conduct. They provide great resources for parents on hot topics such as social networking and cyber-bullies. For educators, iKeepSafe has resources that can be customized to align with your state’s laws. The site also includes game simulations for students to put into practice what they have learned to keep them safe.

This site would be great to introduce to your parents during an open house or a family reading night. So the next time you are teaching your students safety rules, don’t forget the global community. Remember, as parents and educators we have a responsibility to our students to keep current, keep communicating, and keep checking! -MONIQUE ST. LOUIS

iKeepSafe