Computer Safety

Dear students,

There are many things that you need to be aware of while using the internet. One major term that keeps appearing especially throughout middle school students is cyber bullying. This is an extremely important topic that needs to be addressed. Please click on the link below to take a short quiz to see if you have ever taken a part in cyber bullying, and may not have even realized that you did something wrong.

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/tweens/are_you_a_cyberbully.html

 At times we say things and do things because our friends or peers are doing them and we want to be included in the group even though we know deep down inside that they may not be the right thing to do. Here are some tips that will help you stay safe on the internet and protect yourself and your friends from being bullied:

1.      It's important to keep your personal information safe and secret.

2.      The Internet is a great way of keeping in touch with your friends and family. You might also find new friends online. However, you should never arrange to meet an online friend because it can be dangerous. No matter how well you think you know people, they might be pretending.

3.      Email is a really quick and easy way to send messages to people. However, sometimes people send you lots of junk mail called Spam which try to sell you things. You may also receive messages which make you feel uncomfortable. These messages can also come on your cell phone through a text message or file. If you are sent any messages like this, tell an adult that you trust and delete them. Don't reply to them!

4.      The Internet is full of friendly people and amazing information. However, sometimes the people, or the information, aren't reliable. People might say or write things which are untrue, so you should always think carefully before trusting what you see or hear. Sometimes you might see adverts telling you that you've won one million pounds or a free computer. These types of adverts are definitely not reliable and you shouldn't believe them!

5.      Most of the time that you are online, you will have lots of fun. However, if you see something that makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, make sure that you tell an adult who you trust.

(http://www.diigo.com/bookmark/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.freetech4teachers.com%2F2011%2F01%2F11-resources-for-teaching-learning-web.html?tab=people&uname=anciana )

Sincerely,

Señorita

The students are not allowed to use the internet on the classroom computers in the school district that I work at. They take a special which is computer class, and are taught how to appropriately use the computers during that time and that time only. I am not sure what the computer teacher’s policy about security is, but I do know that there is a system so that some websites such as facebook are blocked so that students cannot access them.