Empowering
kids to become great Web Wizards...
Helping kids find great stuff to make their worlds bigger and
better...
First, how do I start with my kids? How
does the web work? Can't I just tell them where not to go? How
do I begin to teach my kids about the Internet?
This is almost like Sex
Ed -- you don't know exactly what to tell them and you may be afraid
that if you mention something, they will go ahead and try it!
Let's start with two objectives:
Beginning a long term, trusting dialog about
their experiences on the web
Teaching them the skills to make decisions
on their own as they get older -- decisions on truth, safety,
legality, strangers, and other things we don't teach directly
at times outside the web.
How shall they make decisions?
Age dependent --
Older grade school -- confidentiality,
strangers, trust -- and yet offline, we work to gain their trust
and ask them to fill in all the blanks in all the forms at school...
Middle school -- Not to just follow
the crowd, to stay protected, to explore their interests, to not
offend or victimize their friends with inappropriate or mean communication
High school -- To explore the world
and share their thoughts and emotions while staying safe
So how do I get started?
1) Learn about the web yourself. How does Search
work? What types of web sites are there? What do tweens and teens
do online? How does that differ from what adults do?
2) Start a conversation with your child...and
keep the conversation going.
3) Agree on an Internet Contract with your child.
Yahooligans! has a great section on topics
to discuss to create Family Pleges with your child, as well
as a sample.
4) Don't make the computer a solo device -- spend
time with your child on the computer, in the same room. Also, don't
let the computer become a device that is a "time suck"
or babysitter -- monitor and reward computer time if you can
