The web is vast and it is not a bad place, in and of itself. It is a tool. Tools, used appropriately make life better, easier, and makes it possible to accomplish tasks previously inconceivable without the right tools. Tools, used without training and proper supervision can be a death trap. The internet is no different.
Wow! Can You Believe This...
- 61% of 13- to 17-year-olds have a personal profile on a site such as MySpace, Friendster, or Xanga. Half have also posted pictures of themselves online.
- When teens receive messages online from someone they don't know, 40% reported that they'll usually reply and chat with that person -- Only 18% said they'll tell an adult.
- Older teens (16-17s) use the Internet for social interaction, meeting friends, and networking.
- 45% have been asked for personal information by someone they don't know.
- Fully 22% of those surveyed reported their parents or guardians have never discussed Internet safety with them.
There are plenty other statistics and surveys available to see how your children might be using the internet. In the end, the surveys only give you an idea of what is going on - but talking with your child lets you go to the source.
My name is Will Lowrey and my business partner, Jon Pierce and I believe that there is a vital need that cannot be ignored. Our children are growing up in a world that is unlike anything any previous generation has experienced. Information is at their fingertips - and they have access to it 24 hours a day and at almost no cost to them.
There are too many horror stories of children that shared too much information or put themselves in risky situations. Often, they just didn't know any better. We have national campaigns against using drugs, smoking, and alcohol. We are just now starting down the road with internet safety. The campaigns are moving at 'yesterday-time' and not working in 'internet-time'. We believe that parents need a place to come for comprehensive strategies that they can take home, put into practice, and immediately things are better for their family. We also believe that there needs to be a community of support, questions, discussions, and collaboration to have a chance of staying ahead of our children. They have their own network of people that feeds them information at an astounding rate. If parents, guardians, teachers, youth pastors - anyone watching children that go online - if we try and go it alone, we are horribly outnumbered.
Talking to your children is the key to equipping them for what the future holds.When it comes to equipping our children, there is no substitute to conversations that are open, honest, and clear. It is easy to make strict restrictions, but they may not hold once your child is out of your home. As they grow up, they have to learn to be responsible and make wise decisions. As guardians of our children, we have the responsibility to clearly communicate and teach them how to handle the situations they may face.
At Teaching Safe we have an entire course dedicated to talking with your teen about internet safety. It isn't just vague suggestions, but speciic items that need to be covered for areas of concern like, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Chat Rooms, and so much more. Let us guide you through the conversations and give suggestions on how to tackle some of the uncomfortable situations.
Learning is more than just reading - it is interacting, practicing, comprehending, and using the information regularly.Jon is a full time teacher and understands and uses the best teaching practices available today. Not only do we consider learning styles in all of our lessons and courses, but we include and apply the concepts of multiple-intelligence. What this means is that at Teaching Safe we do not just provide an article for you to read. You will be exposed and offered various methods of interacting with the content that supports the rapid and successful learning of the vital content.
With Teaching Safe you will learn about social networking, physical safety at home, net lingo, youtube, myspace, facebook, filtering software, and of course - talking to your teens.
Teens are connected - parents are not. Get connected. Stay connected. Leverage our relationships for our children's safety.The internet for so many years has been about providing information. Now, it has moved toward creating communities. One of the subjects of our lessons is just that - social networking. Our kids are doing this. They are creating a vast network of people all throughout the world, feeding them information about their interest. It makes so important for us to do the same. We must have the support of other parents, teachers, administrators, technology experts, and child advocates.
That is exactly what makes Teaching Safe different. You will not just receive access to the content, but you are joining a community that is working together for the safety of our children. Jon and I are available to expand, explain, research, and dig into areas that may not have been covered in the courses yet. You will have access to forums to discuss with all other members. There is no better way of keeping up with the rapid changes occurring in our lives today.
In a single high school there are maybe 1000 students - all looking for a way to do what they want. Their methods change every day.When I worked as a technology teacher for 7th and 8th graders in Fairfax County, we had 1000 students in middle school. The school tech support tried to keep up with filters - and yet, each day the kids found new ways to get around all of her work. It was 1000 to 1! The odds are not good for us if we try it alone. It was also a perfect example of why filters are not enough. They are important, but not sufficient.
