And if SafeSearch were not enough,…Google has also launched KidRex, a search engine “for kids, by kids.”

We would welcome parent reviews on both these Google tools. Please feel free to post a comment by clicking on the Post a comment link below this post. 

Note:  All comments are moderated by 2WebWatchers (usually within 24 hours).

For the past three years, we have been facilitating district-wide Internet Safety workshops for teachers, administrators, and parents. After demonstrating how to “Google yourself,”* we frequently have participants pull us aside or contact us afterwords because they’ve discovered their child has posted either inappropriate information or way too much personal information on the Internet. They want to know how they can help their child remove detrimental material from MySpace, Facebook, and other social networks.

As alarming as it may be to find that your child’s digital footprint has taken a negative turn, there are, fortunately, options for undoing or lessening the damage:

• Start by contacting the website that is hosting whatever it is you would like removed. The content could be either by or about your child. Unfortunately, even if your child understands the potential impact of placing personal information on the Web, his or her friends may not. Either way most webmasters will comply with your request (it helps to request politely;-)

• If you would prefer to pay a third party do the searches for you, businesses such as Reputation Defender will “scour the Internet for all references to your child or teen – by name, photography, screen name, or social network profiles – and package it to you in an easy-to-understand report.” Typically, fees run from$10 – $15 per month, depending on your plan. Note: the EGUSD does not endorse any search vendors.

• Encourage your child to become involved with school, community, and national or even international organizations that he/she has an interest in – and that, in turn, will provide positive press – resulting in positive Google search returns. For example, a Google search on Cosumnes Oaks sophomore and independent filmmaker Tori Winslow will bring up (besides a number of Google twins) links that showcase her passion, talent, and commitment to producing documentaries to educate the public and promote an awareness of issues ranging from humane treatment of giraffes in captivity to common health concerns . The Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium, for example, features an interview with Tori about the value of filmmaking. The Gluten-Free NYC website promotes Tori’s Celiac Disease documentary. And the EGUSD website references her in a feature story spotlighting the winning entries for the district’s first annual Internet Safety Video Contest. Tori’s accomplishments are documented and searchable, which can be a good thing – especially if the audience includes a college recruiter or a prospective employer.

If you have questions about or suggestions for helping our students create and maintain positive digital footprints, please post a comment.

*To google yourself, go to Google at http://www.google.com/. Type in your full name, but in quotes – like this “John Doe.” Then click Google search.

Image copied (under Creative Commons Fair Use attribution) from http://www.flickr.com/photos/ildalina/2068892886/

A new bill, AB 678 (Hall) Education Technology,  extends the Chavez bill to require California school districts’  3- to 5-year technology  plans to include Internet safety guidelines and criteria that educates students and teachers on the negative impacts of cyberbullying and the responsible use by students of mobile communication technology. The EGUSD 2009-2012 technology plan clearly delineates the district’s commitment to continue our outreach to teachers, students, and parents on the safe, effective, and ethical use of the Internet.

If you would like to track AB 678’s journey through the Legislature, bookmark this link: http://www.aroundthecapitol.com/Bills/AB_678/.

One of the goals of the 2WebWatchers blog is to keep our EGUSD community at large informed of changes in federal, state, and district guidelines pertinent to the teaching of Internet safety. Another goal is to provide you with resources that can be used in K-12 classrooms and at home.  We have a new addition to our collection of EGUSD student-produced, award-winning Internet safety videos: Blog Safely.  This PSA was produced by 4th grade filmmakers in Lesley McKillop’s classroom at Prairie Elementary and received Honorable Mention at the recent SEVA Awards Night.

As always, we invite your comments and feedback.

Our presentation is an interactive, highly participatory conversation with the community at large. As always, we will share topics that have emerged from this training session here on 2WebWatchers. 

Sunrise Elementary will be the 5th and final Internet Safety training sponsored by an elementary school for the current school year.

2WebWatchers will be scheduling future regional trainings through Adult Education. We will advertise these trainings here on the blog, in school newsletters and on School Loop.

What is a phone bully?
Phone bullies use text messaging and social networking websites to harass, embarrass, exploit and intimidate other kids. This problem goes beyond the school day. The phone bully uses technology to spread his or her offensive messages, embarrassing photos and false rumors to a large group of peers very quickly.

What can kids do if they are being bullied via cell phone?
Become a detective!

If you are being bullied, it’s almost certain that you personally know who is sending the abusive text messages or calls. Think through your list of “friends” and ask yourself who might be doing this. Jealousy, envy and rejection are the most common reasons given for bullying.

Recognize when a message is inappropriate or potentially harmful. Keep a detailed journal, noting the date, time, and caller ID information and phone number (if there is one).

Most importantly, get immediate help from a trusted adult. Never ignore any kind of threat.

What can parents do if a child is being bullied via cell phone?
Sending inappropriate language or photos may violate the cell phone companies “Terms and Conditions.” Do not erase the messages or pictures on your child’s cell phone. Save them as evidence. Cell phone service providers can respond to reports of cyberbullying over their networks, or help you to track down the appropriate service provider.

Cell phone are an important part of teen social life. You have the ability to block text messaging capabilities through your phone service provider. Often times, simply blocking texting for several days will discourage the bully from sending further harassing messages.

Given that your child most likely knows the bully, on way to uncover his or her identity is to change the cell phone number and advice your child to share the new number with only one person at a time.

If you believe the threats are serious, please contact the police.

Resources
thatsnotcool.com – Your cell phone, IM and social networks are all a digital expression of who you are. When someone you’re with pressures you or disrespects you in those places, that’s not cool.

Be Web Aware - Challenging Cyber Bullying – Cyberbullying and the law, The role of Internet service providers (ISPs) and cell phone service providers, taking action.

This workshop includes background information about Web 2.0 technologies, such as blogs, wikis and social networking – including tours through MySpace and Facebook. The workshop also addresses cyberspeak and cyberbullying.

2WebWatchers thought this would be another excellent opportunity to invite workshop parents to go live with their questions and comments.

Here are some questions we have for you:

• What brought you to the Internet Safety for Parents workshop?
• What are your current Internet Safety concerns at home and at school?
• What future topics would you like to see posted on 2WebWatchers?

We welcome all feedback and look forward to continued discussions on helping EGUSD parents assist their children on traveling the Internet safely, effectively and ethically.

As mentioned in previous posts, all comments on 2WebWatchers are moderated and will appear once they have been approved.  

This bill is in response to the escalating issues with cyberbullying nationwide. At middle and high school sites – and even elementary sites – school administrators and counselors are seeking ways to reverse this cruel trend.

EGUSD has brought together an Internet Safety Task Force to address cyberbullying. One of the main Task Force goals is to develop a district wide program that embeds the ethical use of the Internet into the K-12 curriculum, with an initial focus on grades 4-6.

Throughout the year, the task force and 2Webwatchers will be providing the Elk Grove community with resource links to educate our students on what digital citizenship means. For our first elementary level resource, we recommend reading advice on cyberbullying posted to the McGruff.org website. The Shrink the Cyberbully game is appropriate for students in grades 3-6.

For additional resources on cyberbullying, please visit our 2Webwatcher resource links (right hand side bar). If you have online resources you would like to share, please leave us a comment.

U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott and the EGUSD Board of Education recognized 27 EGUSD students for their work on their Internet safety videos. First place and honorable mention awards were given for Elementary, Middle and High School categories.

Based on the success of this year’s contest, we look forward to it becoming an annual event.

To view the winning videos, please visit the Spotlight story on the EGUSD website.

To say that social networking is popular with teens and “tweens” is an understatement. Kids love the many features available from sites such as MySpace that allow them to creatively express themselves (upload writing, images, video remixes, etc.), share, and keep in touch with friends. While there can be benefits to social networking, there are also potential dangers when posting information.

Parents can help their teenagers use social networking sites safely by learning more about websites such as MySpace.com or Facebook.com. The Internet Keep Safe Coalition (i-KeepSafe), a prominent Internet safety organization, and MySpace have teamed up to take the mystery out of social networking and Web 2.0 (read-write web) by creating a series of short videos. The topics covered include:

• Basics of Web 2.0
• Social Networking
• Social Networking Tools
• How to Set up and Protect a Profile
• How to Report Problems (cyberbullying, threats, online predators)

We encourage parents to visit – with their children – the iKeepSafe website at: http://www.ikeepsafe.org/PRC/videotutorials/myspace/index.html and view this excellent series.

Through the KidsBookBlog project, the students in both classes are taught blog etiquette and Internet safety. When asked what they have learned about Internet safety through their project, students identified Internet safety tips, cyberbullying issues and copyright fair use as key topics. Listen to their recent Internet Safety podcast recorded by 2WebWatchers (click on the blue arrow):

The students have worked very hard to create this blog and would love some visitors. You can check out their KidsBookBlog project at: http://kidsbookblog.edublogs.org.

*Note: Podcast music from Bert Jerred – http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/14756 – through Creative Commons for attribution-share alike.