iLearn Technology

What it is: NetSmartz Kids is an incredible Internet safety site for kids.  I have reviewed this site in the past here, and use it every year with my students to teach and reinforce Internet safety.  Router’s Birthday Surprise is a new feature of NetSmartz.  It is an interactive video where students are drawn into the story, playing a contestant on a game show to learn online safety rules.  Clicky, the robot star of NetSmartz, is planning a surprise birthday party for his robo dog Router.  As they follow Clicky through his hectic day, students play games, help Clicky put the Webville Outlaws back in jail, and decide who is a trusted adult.  When students complete the video and games, they become certified NetSmartz Kids complete with an official certificate.  Students have to complete all sections correctly before they can be certified.  The complete video and game play runs for about 45 min, but NetSmartz has broken the video and game into manageable pieces so that it can fit in any schedule.  Students can watch a portion of the video and play the associated game and save their progress for the next time they are able to login.  Games include Make-a-Match where students think about the fun things they do online (history, music, jokes); What Rule is it Anyway where students play a contestant on a game show to learn about the rules of online safety; Get Clicky to Webville where students choose an Internet tube to get Clicky to his destination, Outlaw Roundup where Clicky captures the Webville outlaws and students match the outlaw to their crime; Who Can You Trust where students define a trusted adult; Router’s Gift Grab where students choose a gift for Router;  and a NetSmartz song about the four rules of real-world safety where students drag words to complete the lyrics of the song.

How to integrate NetSmartz Kids: Router’s Birthday Surprise into your curriculum: I truly didn’t think that NetSmartz Kids could get any better.  They have outstanding videos and songs about Internet safety that my students love year after year, they have fantastic educational resources (lesson ideas and downloads), and the games get requested by my students frequently.  Router’s Birthday Surprise manages to make it even better!  This interactive video is an excellent way for students to learn about Internet Safety and has the added bonus of tracking their understanding of the concepts being learned.  Regardless of what subject you teach, Internet Safety is something that we all need to teach and reinforce in our classrooms.  In the past, I have used NetSmartz in addition to the sites listed here to help my students learn proper use of the Internet.  The rule that I love that NetSmartz includes is the “Tell a trusted parent or adult if there is anything online that makes you scared, uncomfortable, or confused.”  I cannot tell you how many students see inappropriate content but fail to tell an adult about it because they think they will be in trouble.  This is a rule I make sure that my students know and a rule that I pass on to parents so that they can handle inappropriate web content appropriately (without banning use).

Router’s Birthday Surprise is such a nice addition because it invites students to be part of a story.  It breaks the learning down into manageable pieces so that it can be used in any class situation.  In the computer lab setting, students can each create an account and save their progress as they go.  In a classroom setting, the video can be played for the whole class on an interactive whiteboard or projector connected computer.  Poll students to find out how they would respond to each question and invite students to take turns coming to the whiteboard or the computer to interact with a game.  If you have a student response system (clickers) students can respond to the game show questions using them.  In the one or two computer classroom, Router’s Birthday Surprise can be played as a center activity over several weeks.  Each week students can complete another video portion and game.

In my class, after students had learned the Internet safety rules (which we came up with as a class), we would have an Internet safety quiz.  This was similar to a drivers permit test.  I made a big deal about how using the Internet is a privilege just like driving a car.  Just like driving there are rules to learn and follow that will keep them and others safe.  Just like driving they would have to prove that they knew the rules in order to get their license.  And just like driving, they could lose their license if they weren’t following the rules.  When students passed the test, I handed out Internet Licenses.  Most years I used their previous yearbook picture and created the license myself, but a few years before I had the pictures, I used the NetSmartz UYN club cards, these are great because they list the UYN rules on the back.

Tips: Mike Hill, a creative producer with NetSmartz, generously sent me some DVD copies of Router’s Birthday Surprise to share with my readers.  If you don’t have Internet access in your classroom, or don’t have reliable Internet access, let me know in the comment section and I will be happy to send you a DVD version-free!  If you need a DVD let me know why, and be sure to leave your correct email address when filling out the comment form.

Please leave a comment and share how you are using NetSmartz Kids in your classroom!

This is the time of year when I am usually introducing Internet Safety to my students.  Internet safety is something I really stress in the computer lab.  We hit it strong in the beginning of the year and revisit it several times throughout the rest of the year.  If you are using the Internet with students, Internet safety needs to be covered.

Below are the tried and true sites that the students enjoy each year.

1.  Netsmartz Kids- Netsmartz is a big hit every year with elementary students.  It teaches Internet safety through fun characters, games, songs, and videos.

2.  Disney’s Surfswell Island- an interactive island where students learn about Internet safety with Disney characters.  Students go on an Indiana Jones type adventure with Mickey and his friends as they learn about Internet safety.

3.  Privacy Playground- The First Adventure of the Three Cyber Pigs- a game designed for ages 8-10 where students help the Cyber Pigs navigate websites, marketing plys, spam, and have a close encounter with an unfriendly wolf.

4. Safety Land- An interactive city that teaches Internet safety.  Students help the Safety land hero catch a bad Internet character by searching buildings in the city and answering Internet safety questions.

5. Safe Surfing with Dongle- Students learn about email, chat, playing games, and having fun online in this interactive movie/game.

6. iKeep Safe- A kid friendly Internet safety program that follows a cat named Faux Paw and her adventures in the Internet.  The online books and videos teach kids basic Internet safety, how to handle cyber bullying, balancing real life with screen time, and the risks and dangers of downloading.  These are high quality!

7. Welcome to the Web- An interactive site that teaches students about the Internet through challenges and activities.  Students learn basic concept of the Internet, navigating and visiting websites, staying safe online, all about browsers, copyright, and how to search.

8. Faux Paw and the Dangerous Download- Another video from iKeep Safe, in it, Faux Paw learns that downloading is a great way to get information, but only when it is done the right way.  The video teaches a valuable lesson about illegal file sharing.

9. Internet Safety with Professor Garfield- Lesson on online safety, cyberbullying, and fact or opinion and forms of media.  Each section includes a video, game, and quiz.

10. The Carnegie Cyber Academy- Students join the Cyber Academy and complete several missions to equip them to be good cyber citizens and defend the Internet.

11.  Common Sense with Phineas and Ferb- This short video helps students learn cyberspace rules and online safety tips.

12.  Think U Know Cyber Cafe- a virtual environment where students can practice their online safety smarts. In the cafe, students help virtual kids make good choices when using email, texting, instant messaging, web browsing, creating an online personal space, and chatting in a chat room.

13. NS Teens- Older students learn about cyberbullying, email, IM, chatrooms, gaming, revealing too much, social networking, and other Internet safety tips through videos, games, and comics online.

14. The Bully Roundup- An interactive online board game where students test their bully smarts.

15. Child Net- games, resources, and more for primary and secondary students to learn about Internet safety.

16.  Stop Bullying Now!- A site to teach students how to deal with a bully through videos, games, and tips.

How about you, do you have favorite Internet Safety sites that I missed?

In my last post I requested pictures of everyone’s classroom for the 2009-2010 school year. I’ll be honest, so far only three of you have participated. I know the beginning of the school year is busy so I am going to be patient and wait a few more days. If you want to submit your classroom picture, send it to me via Twitter @ktenkely. To get the ball rolling, here are pictures of my classroom this year:

“Oh the places we will go on the Internet super highway”

Application Tree

Application Tree bulletin board

How to Grow a blog

Use Your Netsmartz!

Internet Safety bulletin board

Giant Keyboard for demonstration

Classroom quote “Intelligence is measured by your desire to learn”

Computer Lab Expectations

I love my lab!!

Okay, now it is your turn!  Share your classroom pics with us

What it is:   Clicky Live is a free Internet safety webcast for kids being held on December 10, 2008.  Clicky is the NetSmartz kids robot and is an expert on Internet safety.  This year, Clicky wants to make sure kids ages 5-10 have all the tools they need to stay safe online.  The NetSmartz live webcast will engage kids in a dialogue about Internet safety through chat or call in features, allowing them to have an interactive experience with Clicky.  You can sign up individuals or a whole class for Clicky Live by RSVPing and submitting questions to Clicky for the show.  There is also a step-by-step guide to facilitating the Clicky Live show and accompanying NetSmartz activity pages.  

How to integrate Clicky Live into the classroom:   Clicky Live can be enjoyed by a group of students or individual students.  The Clicky Live event is held on December 10, 2008 at 5pm and 7pm EST, because most kids are out of school at this time, you can send fliers home to encourage students and parents to participate individually, hold an Internet safety night where parents and students can come back to school for a Clicky Live event, or use Clicky Live in an after school program.   Be sure to check out the step by step guide to facilitating the Clicky Live show for some great ideas.

Tips:   Offer extra credit to those students who participate in Clicky Live at home with their families.  

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Clicky Live in your classroom.

What it is: Technology is quickly changing the teaching and learning environment. The Internet in particular opens up our classrooms and students to the rest of the world. Netsmartz Kids teaches students about internet safety through fun songs, characters and interactive games. The site does not link to any outside sites. It is safe and easy to use.

How to integrate Netsmartz Kids into your curriculum: Before using the Internet in your classroom, introduce your students to the rules of the web through these fun songs and games. Netsmartz Educators offers wonderful activity cards and ideas for using Netsmartz in your classroom.

Tips: Allow your students to explore Netsmartz often, these skills cannot be reinforced enough! Tell parents about the Netsmartz Parents page where they can learn more about keeping their family safe online.