FACS:IT - Home, School, & Work Internet Safety

Websites

• Net Smartz Activity Cards
  Net Smartz activity cards. Several of the middle school can be used for handouts and discussions.
• NetSmartz
  NetSmartz - Internet Safety training for kids and teens.
• NetSmartz Ask Dr. Sharon - Trusted Adult
  In these videos, developmental pediatrician Dr. Sharon Cooper explores issues such as online gaming and compliant victimization. With in-depth information and practical safety tips, Dr. Sharon teaches parents and guardians how to help protect children from victimization.
• NetSmartz Cell Phones
  When you think about your children's online activities, do you consider their cell phones? Children can send and receive images, e-mails, texts, and instant messages from their phones, which many parents and guardians do not monitor. However, you should consider cell phones an extension of the Internet and employ the same safeguards.
• NetSmartz Cyberbullying
  Cyberbullying is just what it sounds like - bullying through Internet applications and technologies such as instant messaging (IM), social networking sites, and cell phones. It can start easily--with a rumor, a photo, or a forwarded message--and just as easily spiral out of control. An embarrassing video posted to a social networking site by someone in Kansas tonight may be watched by someone in Japan tomorrow. Cyberbullying victims may be targeted anywhere, at any time.
• NetSmartz Implementation Guide
  NetSmartz Workshop -- Program Implementation You can implement NetSmartz into your current program with a three-step process that allows for complete program customization within any educational setting. NetSmartz is specifically designed not to function as a traditional curriculum, but rather as an adaptable resource that can fit into the demanding curricula in today's schools. NetSmartz activities can be used in any order and fit almost any time frame, allowing you to customize the integration of the resources to suit your students' needs.
• NetSmartz Inappropriate Content
  In many ways the Internet is like a gigantic library; both have content to teach and entertain. And similar to the content in a library, not all Internet content is appropriate for children. Libraries create children's and young adults' sections in order to help youths (and their parents) identify which materials are appropriate for them. On the Internet, however, all of the content may be equally accessible; websites about ponies and websites featuring pornography are both a click away.
• NetSmartz Online Gaming
  Some parents and guardians think that online games are simply a form of entertainment. However, children also have the chance to exercise important life skills while gaming. They may use their imaginations and employ problem-solving strategies to overcome obstacles. They may also practice their social skills through online interactions with other gamers.
• NetSmartz Presentations
  NetSmartz offers free, multimedia Internet safety presentations tailored for specific audiences -- parents and communities, tweens, teens, and younger children. Our innovative presentations utilize the latest statistics, online resources, videos, and expert tips to educate, engage, and empower children and adults to be safer on- and offline.
• NetSmartz Real-Life Stories Videos
  These teen materials take a more serious tone than the other NetSmartz resources; they focus on real-life stories shared by actual teens who have experienced victimization firsthand and encourage teens to learn from their peers' mistakes. The narratives teach teens to recognize risky behaviors and evaluate their online choices, and encourage them to communicate with trusted adults.
• NetSmartz Revealing to Much
  Web 2.0 lets users share information online as easily as they download it. Unfortunately, people of all ages often reveal too much. Children can be made especially vulnerable by sharing personal information, such as home addresses and phone numbers, private thoughts and feelings, and pictures. In order to keep your children from posting information and images they may end up regretting, remind them who may see the information they reveal while online.
• NetSmartz Sexting
  When teenagers ask for cell phones, they usually want the coolest, trendiest cell phone on the market. These days, that phone will have photo and video capabilities. Put that together with the unlimited text messaging plan that your teen is sure to beg for and here comes possible trouble. Silly photos and embarrassing videos aside, cameras and texting have given young people a new and potentially dangerous way to explore their curiosity: sexting.
• NetSmartz Teen Videos
  Inspired by the revival of comic-book themed movies and TV shows, the NSTeens materials work to engage the hard-to-reach tween audience. These resources feature a diverse cast of eight characters who engage tweens on issues such as cyberbullying and sharing too much information. NSTeens simplifies complicated Internet safety concepts for children as they begin to interact with more sophisticated technology, such as cell phones and social networking sites. These lessons prepare tweens to protect themselves online and encourage them to be active members of their digital communities.
• NetSmartz Teens Talk Back Videos
  In these short, informal interview pieces, teens voice their thoughts and share their online experiences. Pair them with the videos from the NSTeens series to spur dynamic conversations about current online issues.