Don't Talk to Strangers!!!!

Don’t talk to strangers!!! How many times did we hear this growing up? I can recall countless lessons in school and assemblies addressing the danger in talking with strangers. My parents also constantly reminded me of this rule. It became so ingrained in me, that even as an adult I am often leery about talking to random strangers. As a result I had anticipated that I would also be teaching this to my future students and my own children. But now there is a twist, how do we tell students not to talk to strangers but then implement Web 2.0 tools which encourages interaction with strangers? It is a pretty interesting contradiction that should be explored and needs to be addressed in schools.

Students now need to be taught how to deal with strangers in two very different arenas of their life. First, is the stranger they meet in person. The appropriate precautions and steps to dealing with this situation still need to be addressed in school. However, there needs to be a distinction made between strangers who approach them in person and strangers that they encounter on the Internet. Students need to know that it is ok to talk with with strangers on the Internet and that their are benefits, such as learning new perspectives and being able to communicate with people from around the world. But they do need to be taught how to protect themselves when talking to people on the Internet, because not all people have good intentions.

I also think for this reason, a lot of teachers avoid using Web 2.0 tools, because there is a potential danger to their students. I think that because of the existence of this danger that these tools should be used in schools. This would allow for teachers to teach students how to use these tools effectively and in a manner which ensures their safety. Regardless if students are using them in school, we can all be sure that students are using Web 2.0 applications outside of school. Isn’t it our job as educators to ensure that they are learning the right way to use it and the proper safeguards to apply in order to protect themselves?

Below are some rules that I intend to implement when using Web 2.0 tools, which addresses protecting their personal identity and how to be a good digital citizen:

• Do not list any personal information when posting information on the web. Do not post or give out your last name, password, user name, phone number, email address, home address, school name, city or any other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person.
• Only share your user name and password with your teacher and parents, do not give it to your friends or a stranger.
• Never log in as another student.
• When posting on the web, treat that space as an extension of the classroom. Language that is not permitted in the classroom is also not permitted on your posts.
• Please be respectful when responding to others.
• If you receive a comment that makes you feel uncomfortable or is not respectful, tell your teacher or parents immediately.

I’m curious to know what kind of rules/guidelines you have in place for your students?

I found this piece from ABC news about how people can track your location when you post pictures taken from you cell phone.  This is important to know, because as a teacher I would advise my students to not post pictures on the web from their cell phones and would probably add this to my list of rules.

                             source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQjJxJx8bms&feature=related