Journal Response--H

On the internet, many beneficial, exciting, and educational things can be found. In today's world, access to the internet is basically a requirement. However, there are also many harmful and inappropriate things that can happen on account of internet use. Because internet is so necessary in schools, teachers need to be sure to educate students on how to stay safe on the internet, both in school and at home.

First of all, when it comes to using the internet in schools, there should be clear limitations and rules set for the children. The students should be completely aware of what is expected of them. Also, there should be a clear set of consequences for when these rules are not followed.

When students disobey the rules they are given, a good consequence would be loss of certain internet privileges. In turn, students should be given some personal time on the internet where they can explore for themselves. That way, when privileges are taken away, the student really feels the loss. Once they develop some favorite websites, they will be less tempted to misuse the internet because they will not want to lose the ability to surf their favorite pages.

When a bad website or page is navigated to simply by mistake, teachers should not punish the student. They should help them get out of the situation they are in, and then use the circumstance for a learning opportunity. They should help them understand how to avoid such things in the future and what to do if it happens again. Also, teachers must set a good example for the children. When there are certain rules set forth for the kids to follow, the teachers should also be following the same set of stipulations.

Parents should definitely be aware of the rules regarding the internet. They should know what kind of precautions are being taken and what the consequences are for misusing internet privileges. This will help avoid problems that could occur between parents down the road.

No matter how hard they try, schools will never be able to be completely sure of their students' safety. However, there are many ways that can help prevent bad situations, and this article named just a few. The internet has the potential to cause many problems, but it also has an even greater potential to help kids learn, which is exactly why schools need to keep working hard to help their students use the internet effectively.

Works Cited:

Johnson, D. (2008). The online school. Keeping kids internet safe. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/johnson/johnson024.shtml.