Avoiding Adverse Adventures

There are many things that a teacher has to worry about in a regular day but probably the greatest is to keep every child in his/ her class safe. Acting in loco parentis is a very intimidating role, when dealing with technology it gets even harder. We are required to protect children from invisible threats. it is not enough any more to make sure that Billy doesn't get pushed off of the swing and Suzy doesn't stick her finger into an electrical outlet now we must be on guard for cyber-bullies that may be anonymously attacking Billy on the class blog or Suzy accidentally stumbling upon a pornography site.

I believe that the way to handle these types of problems is with communication. Before
any student logs on they should have participated in a class discussion about the rules and responsibilities that come with internet use. Many students feel safe in front of the computer. I think that we must ask them what rules they have to keep them safe at home and then work together to identify ways that the same rules apply online. If a student is not supposed to talk to strangers while walking to school than they should follow that rule while perusing the web. Students usually are required to inform their parents of their whereabouts, this can apply on line as well, if students are done their work early they should be provided with a list of safe places that they can go, and they should tell the teacher where they are going.