The increasing usage of technology means more for teachers to do, from helping students master new web technologies to helping them understand how to use these technologies safely. Many schools have required the addition of  Internet safety lessons to their curricula, making it easy to feel overwhelmed. NetSmartz staff has asked educators for tips about using Internet safety resources so that we can share them with you…

We have a weekly computer class built into our schedule, so it is very easy to talk about the safe and unsafe ways a computer can be used.  I have the poster of the NetSmartz characters hanging over our classroom computers as an additional reminder.

On Open House evening, I show the “Tracking Teresa” vignette to the parents and give them information about the NetSmartz site as well. 

-- Anne Marie Spohn, Language Arts/Social Studies Teacher, Spring-Ford Area School District, PA

The Tracking Teresa vignette continues to be one of our most popular pieces. Parents are always shocked to see how easily information can spread over the Internet, and this presents an excellent opportunity to introduce resources such as the Back-2-School kit’s Teachable Recipes.  

Throughout the school year, our library staff visits classrooms to present information on a myriad of topics that enhance the existing school curriculum. This year we have added Cyber Safety and Civility to the classes we teach. We plan to use the age appropriate videos and discussion activities available from the NetSmartz web site. Not only will it teach students to make smart choices on the internet, it will also promote civil behavior among our teens. 

-- Katie George, Teen Program Coordinator, Howard County Library, MD

In Bellevue Schools during a parent orientation night, middle school parents and students listen to an Internet safety and cyberbullying presentation in the auditorium.  This presentation utilizes NetSmartz’s Real-Life Stories videos including, “Cyberbullying: You Can’t Take it Back” and “Cyberbullying: Broken Friendship.”  The parents are given an action step following the presentation to visit the NetSmartz site and watch and discuss the videos with their children.  A handout of Internet Safety resources is provided with the NetSmartz site at the top of the list. 

-- Andy Mann, Educational Technology Consultant, Calhoun Intermediate School District, MI

As behaviors like cyberbullying have become more prevalent, educators have seen the need for more discussions about online ethics and behaviors. Real-Life Stories, such as Cyberbullying: Broken Friendship, and NSTeens.org animated short Terrible tEXt are accompanied by activity cards to aid educators in facilitating conversations about cyberbullying.    

I give my students a brief overview, using NetSmartz clips, of the “do’s and don’ts” of proper internet safety. Each time they have a project requiring internet use I remind them of certain rules and show another NetSmartz clip. 

-- Jan E. Klein, Instructor, English I, Island Coast High School, FL

Educators who have used NetSmartz to create or bolster curricula about safety have found the flexibility of the program to be one of its most useful components. As Ms. Klein states, it is easy to use various NetSmartz clips as either the central pieces of Internet safety lessons, or to help students grasp the correct way to use the Internet for school assignments. Each of the educators quoted above had a unique way of making NetSmartz resources work for them. You can visit NetSmartz.org to download our resources for free or get more information about available materials.