Using the Internet

In reading Chapter 7 on introducing the Internet, I found it very interesting, yet frightening, to learn the common potential pitfalls of using the Internet. I have experienced many of these first hand. The main ones include:

• accessing inappropriate sites with obscene materials and pictures.
• safety and privacy issues for students - This covers online predators and sales pitches geared at children.
  
• fraud on the Internet - This would include the chance for people to get access to your credit card information. This is one reason I am afraid to order things online.
• computer viruses and hacking.-Two ways to get viruses on your computer is from email attachments and downloading files with a virus. These are called, worms, logic bombs, and Trojan Horses.
  

I raised two daughters who are now in their twenties. It was very scary as they were pre-teens and teenagers. I was so afraid they would talk to strangers in chatrooms and something terrible would happen. Children are so gullible. They believe people on the Internet are trustworthy and never take into consideration that it could be a sexual pervert claiming to be a girl their age but in reality they are criminals , psychopaths, rapists or killers out there wanting to connect in person. Children do not see the danger. I have also experienced a Trojan horse. That was a stinker to get corrected and off my computer. It took a computer Guru to fix it. I also had a hacker steal my password. So I know first hand the real dangers of the Internet.

It was interesting to know that there are some precautions that parents and schools can take to help protect children. I know now the benefits of a firewall. or other filtering software. I am glad our government has seen this real problem and has passed the Children's Internet Protection Act and it became law in December, 2000. I wish I had learned this information back when my own children were growing up.

Along with the information on pitfalls of the Internet, the book gave suggestions and strategies to prevent problems. I would use these strategies before I put students on the Internet. These include installing a firewall or filtering software. A good website to visit for help is SafeKids.com. Two things can be done to increase privacy and safety on the Internet and that is to teach the rules and manage cookies. Strategies to prevent computer viruses is to keep anti-virus software updated, download only from reputable sites, never open email attachments from people you do not know.

The more I read in this book the more I learn. The more I learn the more confident I become. I am gaining so much knowledge and will apply what I am learning to my classroom and to my own personal use of the Internet. I have definitely learned from my mistakes! And boy have I made some whoppers!