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You’re counting on teachers, librarians and school administrators to protect your kids online. You already know what questions to ask a teacher about your children's class work and behavior. But what should you be asking teachers about the Internet in your children's school?
First, it's a good idea to become familiar with some of the laws regarding children and the Internet. For example, commercial Web sites must get parental consent before collecting personal information from anyone under age 13. The requirement comes from the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. If you like heavy reading, You can find the entire text online at the FTC Web site:
http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm.
COPPA states that teachers may--but are not required to--act on behalf of a parent during online activities. That can leave a lot of wiggle room. So it's still up to parents to ask questions and make sure our children are protected. At Willis ISD we make every effort to educate our students and staff as to the proper online conduct.
Here are some questions that you should be asking with Willis ISD's answers:
About Internet education:
1. Do students receive guidance for safe surfing? In Willis ISD, all students begin to surf the web in elementary schools... the campus technology teacher as well as the classroom teacher instruct students as to proper web usage and cover the District's Technology AUP in a manner that is appropriate for the students' age and understanding.
2. Is there an Internet usage policy for acceptable behavior? Yes, the District Technology AUP.
3. If so, does it get read and signed by both students and parents? Yes, the District Technology AUP is included in every student handbook, available in print and online. Parents and students are required to sign a form for its receipt.
About privacy:
4. Are students allowed to fill out online forms or register at Web sites? Yes, but all web sites are filtered in Willis ISD and only educational sites are available for student use. The student's teacher is responsible for making sure the sites a student is visiting are appropriate for the student.
5. Does the school post personal information or photos of students online? No, personal information is never posted online about any student. When it is desired to post a photo of a student, it is without a name, (example: a group photo that has a caption, "Mrs. Smith's class" or the "2006 Willis Wildkat Football team") or, the name of a student with a picture is included only after a parent or guardian has granted written permission to publish it.
About safety:
6. Are students advised to notify teachers of inappropriate Web sites or suspicious activity? Yes... students are told to do this immediately. This is covered in the Technology AUP.
7. How does the school handle cybercrime, and can the evidence be archived? Any cybercrime is investigated by our school district police force in cooperation with our district administrators. Evidence is collected from server logs, computer logs. All web activity, including email is logged on the web filter and mail servers.
About supervision:
8. Are student computers placed within sight of teachers or other staff? Yes.
9. What filtering is used by the school for Web site content? WISD uses Secure Computing Bess filter.
10. What are the consequences when students violate the Internet usage policy? This is covered in the student handbook.
At home, you provide your kids with education, privacy, safety and supervision. Don’t let your hard work unravel at school. For more information on safe surfing, check out these sites:
The American Library Association site has plenty of resources for children and parents surfing the Internet.
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/foryoungpeople/childrenparents/especiallychildren.htm
The NetSmartzKids site has kid-friendly games and reading that teach online safety.
http://www.netsmartzkids.org/
And don't forget about my 10 Commandments for Kids Online. It's useful for both parents and teachers.
http://www.komando.com/kimskidscontract.html
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