Like students everywhere, our students are actively texting, posting to blogs, remixing, and uploading photos and videos – sometimes without the realization that once things are posted on the Internet, they can become archived permanently and are searchable by recruiters, future employers and anyone else out there with a computer.

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/

California Assembly members are proposing a bill that would expand on the 2007 Chavez bill (AB 307) requirement for teaching Internet safety in California public schools. The Chavez bill originally addressed the need to teach students about copyright and fair use. The bill was later amended to include a section on Internet safety.

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.

A visit to Toby Johnson Middle School’s Video Productions class is like stepping into a whirlwind of amazing media activities. Throughout the classroom, students are teamed up and collaborating to meet a variety of production deadlines. Student groups may be working on Public Service Announcements, commercials to promote school activities, movies to be used for instructional purposes by other teachers, news reports for the morning show, instructional videos, documentaries, music videos or digital story telling assignments.

All Toby Johnson students begin their day connecting through media through the live daily news show, First Things First on TJ TV, which, while only in its first year, has already become an integral part of TJMS’s school culture.

Video Productions teacher Dana La Chapelle started transforming her vision for a student-run school TV program into a reality over the summer. She remodeled what was originally an adjoining wood shop class into a state of the art – on a shoe-string budget – production studio. Thanks in part to funding from a Carl Perkins grant, obsolete equipment donated by CSUS, and a lot of help and technical guidance and equipment donations from Sacramento Educational Cable Consortium (SECC) production manager Doug Niva, La Chapelle’s students were able to go live with their first TJ-TV show on the first day of school. “Without SECC, we wouldn’t even have known what equipment we needed” said La Chapelle, “thanks to Doug Niva, we had a wish list to start with and set out to find a way to bring the needed items together. After we gathered the equipment, SECC stepped in again and helped us to put it all together. Doug spent two twelve-hour days helping me (and my family) put the studio together and many hours since offering technical support and guidance over the phone,” La Chapelle continued. “There is absolutely no way we could be doing any of what we’re doing today without the help and tremendous support of Doug Niva and SECC.”

In addition to the TJ TV shows, students are involved in creating a range of public service announcements (PSAs) that will go out to the TJMS community and beyond. The winning middle school entry for the Elk Grove Unified School District’s 1st Annual Internet Safety Video Contest, for instance, was produced by one of La Chapelle’s video teams. Much of their focus in recent months has been to create winning entries for the upcoming Student Educational Video Event (SEVAs) and to complete a video series about the changes that students experience during their middle school years to be broadcast as part of the school’s Advocacy Program lessons. Throughout all projects, LaChapelle weaves in lessons on ethical and legal use of the Internet, including copyright and fair use issues.

“My goal for the Video Productions class is to engage students in learning new technologies and production strategies that will prepare them for success both in school and in the future,” explains La Chapelle. “To be literate in the 21st century, students need a wide range of abilities and competencies, including the ability to create, analyze and evaluate multi-media texts – and to understand the safe and ethical use of new technologies. Most importantly, I want students to learn that what they think, feel and have to say is important. They have so much to contribute inside themselves. I love being able to show them how to share their voice in such a compelling format.”

As the video below illustrates, there is no “down time” in Video Productions. From a student perspective, the class provides a variety of experiences. As Jessica, a 7th grade video productions student explained, “Video Productions is a great way for us to get involved with student-made voices!” Seventh grader Enshika added, ” I really lie Video Productions. It gives me a chance to be creative and use my imagination. There are no boundaries or limitations.”

To learn more about the Video Productions class and TV program, please contact Dana la Chapelle at diachape@egusd.net.

If you know of other school programs that integrate Internet Safety into the curriculum, please contact 2WebWatchers at 2WebWatchers@egusd.net.

For the past year, we (2WebWatchers) have taken our Internet Safety workshop on the road in an effort to make it accessible to parents as well as teachers. These regional face-to-face workshops serve as an open invitation to parents to join in the conversation of best ways to help their children learn to use the Internet safely, effectively, and ethically.

As part of the presentation, we showcase how teachers are harnessing the power of Web 2.0 to take learning beyond the walls of the classroom – while teaching students the protocols to keep them safe from others, from each other, and from themselves. A concern voiced by some parents is that their elementary student may have little access to the Internet during the school day due to lack of computers in the classroom and/or limited access to computer lab time. Therefore social networking is not woven into their child’s school day. They ask for recommendations of safe social networking sites their child might use at home.

Our question to parents is “Is there a specific interest or goal for bringing your child into the world of social networking? For instance, do you wish to:

• create an online communication tool for your child, family and friends that can be accessed, expanded, archived over the years?” If the answer is “yes,” then we recommend creating a blog, using an ad-free program such as Google’s Blogger. An excellent example is All About Amy. We first learned about Amy’s blog via a post from her father. In the years to come, we suspect Amy will value being able to look back at conversations with her immediate family, relatives, friends, and all those who helped her on her journey to becoming a reflective writer. All About Amy is a great model for parents as co-pilots!

• provide your child, age 5-8, with access to a safe, international audience and a window into other cultures? If the answer is “yes,” then we recommend Panwapa – Where Kids Shape the World. This site is an excellent introduction to social networking! For a starter, the only “personal information” required to create a profile is your child’s country. Sponsored by Sesame Street, Panwapa allows children to visit other members around the world, thus learning about other cultures and languages as well as world geography. Members are walked through steps to create an avatar. With pre-scripted messages and a built in voice-over directions, Panwapa is accessible to pre-readers. The Care Giver and Teacher Guides are also helpful. A safe FREE site with educational value and no ads (other than funders’ logos). Appropriate for ages 5+

For parents who are curious about several of the better-known social networking sites for elementary students and ‘tweens, here is some background information:

• Club Penguin – Brought to you by Disney, and, although it’s possible to join and play for free, more options are available to paying members. Site is heavy on consumerism, but does offer levels of parental control. A recent parent review published to Good Housekeeping Magazine, Undercover in a Kids Online World, is an interesting insight into the “good” vs. “bad” of this site. Parents should definitely be co-pilots on this site and provide guidance and explanations about how to deal with unfriendly messages. Appropriate for ages 8+

• Webkinz – Requires purchase of a Webkinz pet in order to get “pet code” required for becoming a member. This site is all about consumerism, which could possibly teach children lessons in saving. Definitely needs a parent co-pilot to monitor unfriendly messages. Appropriate for 8+

• Imbee – “Sorry to announce that this site is down indefinitely.” Too bad because this site offered a parent-monitored introduction to blogging. Appropriate for ages 11+

For parents wondering where to go in order to find reviews of kid-friendly social network sites, we recommend Common Sense Media.

Any insights from readers would be most welcome!

Note: Webkinz image copied from http://sydemkate.com/Images/webkinz3.gif

The first annual Pleasant Grove Region Parent Forum will be held today – Saturday, January 31, 2009, from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., at Pleasant Grove High School. Internet Safety for Parents is one of the many workshops offered by EGUSD, PGHS and Katherine Albiani Middle School. 

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.  

California begins the New Year with a law aimed at curtailing cyberbullying. Assemblyman Ted Lieu introduced Assembly Bill 86, which “adds cyberbullying to school disciplinary codes that previously defined bullying only in terms of direct physical or verbal harassment.”

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.

EGUSD student filmmakers were honored the evening of December 16, 2008, for their participation in the district’s First Annual Internet Safety Video Contest.

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.

KidsBookBlog – Kids Blogging with Other Kids about Books
The 5th and 6th graders in Mrs. Phillips and Miss Yee’s classes have created a blog about reading. This blog contains student book reviews for over 300 books. You can search by title, author or genre. There are also interactive book clubs that students can join, as well as video summaries, author podcasts and game show templates.

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.

Tonight marks the second Internet Safety for Parents Workshop, sponsored by Elk Grove Adult Community Education. The purpose of this workshop is to create an open dialog that addresses questions and concerns parents might have about keeping their children safe on the Internet.

This workshop includes background information about web 2.0 technologies, including blogs. 2WebWatchers thought this would be a perfect opportunity to invite workshop parents to go live with their comments.

Here are some questions we have for you:

• What brought you to the iSafety Parent Workshop?

• What are your current Internet Safety concerns at home and at school?

• What iSafety topics would you like to see posted on 2WebWatchers?

We welcome all feedback and look forward to continued discussions on helping parents assist their children on traveling the Internet Safely, Effectively and Ethically.

Note: All comments on 2WebWatchers are moderated and will appear once approved.

Welcome to 2WebWatchers, an interactive forum committed to informing the EGUSD community of students, parents, teachers, and administrators about the safe, effective, and ethical use of the Internet.

Our top priority is protecting students online and empowering them with skills to lead the way as responsible digital citizens of the 21st century. In addition to cybersafety, therefore, the 2WebWatchers blog actively invites discussions pertaining to netiquette, cyberbullying, and social networking.

EGUSD recognizes the need to create an open dialog that addresses the questions and concerns that arise from new and rapidly changing technologies.

Blogs…Blogging…Bloggers…

What’s it all about? How do I join in the conversation? How do I add a comment?

Take a tour of our “New to Blogging?” page to learn more.

All comments on this blog are moderated and will be posted after review by 2WebWatchers.