The internet can be a very overwhelming and scary place. Children are learning to navigate it at very young ages. The problem seems to lie with children being aware that it could be scary. Because they are using it when they are young, unless they receive education about its use as a great resource but also its dangers, they can have the potential to be careless with it. This can be a huge advantage for teaching children safety. When they learn how to navigate the internet safely from a very young age, they will use strategies without even thinking about it, like looking both ways when crossing the road. The important teaching tools about internet safety is to begin by basic proper netiquette. Then other measures can be taken such as teaching copyright laws, cyberbullying, Facebook use, sexting, etc.
The important things for educators to do is to begin early either through regular classrooms or during their computer classes. Students can watch films or attend school assemblies. Schools can also offer services for parents. Sometimes parents aren't aware of the dangers of the internet. Parents can teach their children proper safety measures and then these measure can be further reinforced in school.
Teachers can use powerpoint slides, their Smart Boards or flyers with sites about internet use. They can show these sites to their classes as part of classroom discussion. If children are able to talk about issues and ask questions, it will be able to further reinforce how they go about using it. For middle and high school students, in class discussion, films, educational programs and assemblies are especially important to educate students about sexting, pornography, and cyberbullying and the long term effects these things could potentially have on themselves and others.
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