RCPS Technology

“From the Frontline”- Internet Safety news and information

V3-This issue of  The Frontline provides information on how your kids are “influenced” in social networking and online connections.  This timely information is especially important for Guidance Counselors, Family Life Instructors and others who advise or teach kids on how to “filter” what is coming at them.

###Teachers, this is good content for lesson plans when teaching consumer marketing, decision-making, ecommerce, ethics, Character Counts, and anything “net safety.”

Social Networking carries with it a set of what are called “influences”.  It’s good to understand this process by which kids (and adults for that matter) are influenced and “groomed” online.

Nancy Willard is an expert on this topic and has identified 6 areas of influence.

1. Rule of reciprocity. An “extremely strong basic norm,” it goes: If someone gives you something, you’re obligated to give him something back.

2. Commitment & consistency. “But you told me you’d do it, right?” The influencer’s basically saying, “You made a commitment to this, so be consistent, or you’re not trustworthy.”

3. Social proof. Another form of group think: Even if the evidence contrary to a group’s philosophy or decision is plain, an individual will in many cases go along with the group’s position, a study found.

4. Liking. If we like someone, we’re “far more likely to comply” with what they want.

5. Authority. “There is strong pressure in our society to comply with requests or demands from a person in a position of authority,” though Nancy later adds that there’s evidence the Internet is eroding this tendency.

6. Scarcity. An influencer may present something (product, behavior, opportunity) as scarce, unusual, or having restrictions attached to it, which tend to make it more valuable or appealing in people’s minds.

Net Family News continues to provide great information for internet safety watchers…
Read about the “influences” at: http://www.netfamilynews.org/willard0605.html

Nancy Willard’s book called is called: Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats- Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Cruelty, Threats, and Distress                    By Nancy E. Willard, M.S., J.D.
http://www.cyberbully.org/cbbook.html

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“From the Frontline” is a News Brief with current news about all things Internet Safety.  Compiled by Joe Showker of Rockingham County Schools from up to the minute research and postings about internet safety issues.
Click on the  http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/netsafety/netsafety.htm RCPS link for more information about what RCPS schools are doing to help teach students, parents and teachers learn about internet safety.

###TEACHERS:  please share your curricular or lesson plan ideas on integrating internet safety instruction across your core curriculum. We are compiling them for instruction in the schools.

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“From the Frontline”- Internet Safety news and information

V2-This issue of The Frontline highlights a breaking story on “Websites Without Rules.”

1. Just posted yesterday… We’re starting to find that “YouTube and MySpace are so 06″
Thanks to Dennis, one of our ITRT in Rockingham County Schools for this story tip. An alarming new group of web pages allow young users to send real time video of themselves and conduct in-person video chats with other users.” One site is posting extreme clips that other sites have banned.
“Young turn to Web sites without rules” http://news.com.com/Young+turn+to+Web+sites+without+rules/2100-1026_3-6146707.html

2. Perhaps the reason for the above trend is that MySpace is now “so much about Porn.”
The number of Myspace sites is skyrocketing(145 million) perhaps not due to new people signing up, but in part to the porn industry setting up new accounts. In my preparation for a TV show in Roanoke Virginia, I did a browse search on MySpace to look at the users in Roanoke. In the first several pages of users I found re-occurring accounts that had different names, but used one of several identical pictures. Closer observation showed that they were set up by the same source for luring viewers to IM or Chat with porn stars or view porn sites. MySpace continues to be at the top of parents “Don’t go there” list. Even with predators, gangs, and pedophiles setting up new accounts, it’s still drawing young teens in. From this middle school teacher, that’s really scary.

3. Goggles’ Zeitgeist List shows Social Networking sites dominating word searches on the net.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2006.html

4. Before Christmas I reported about the social networking sites that allow you to track others via cell phone.
http://www.dodgeball.com/ This is a dangerous trend as it can lead predators directly to you. Well now MySpace and Cingular are getting in the act.

http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3649711

5. Linda Pharis of BRPTV sent along this cool link at pbskids.org for kids to use where they play a short game answering questions, then print out a certificate of completion called “Kids Web license”.
http://pbskids.org/license/index.html

That’s all for now. Happy New Year. We have much work to do promoting internet safety. There are still schools in Virginia that have not grasped the magnitude of this initiative. It is a mandated state law that will continue to grow in importance and accountability.

“From the Frontline” is a News Brief with current news about all things Internet Safety. Compiled by Joe Showker of Rockingham County Schools from up to the minute research and postings about internet safety issues.
Click on the http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/netsafety/netsafety.htm RCPS link for more information about what RCPS schools are doing to help teach students, parents and teachers learn about internet safety.

http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/netsafety/netsafety.htm

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“From the Frontline”- Internet Safety news and information

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All.

This issue of The Frontline has several interesting news items.

1.   Mobile Social Networking is a new concept where your cell phone gives up your location to anyone on the network with you.  http://www.dodgeball.com/ offers users the opportunity to “find” others exact location via the cell phone.  Netfamily News had this to say… “recommend that parents really take an active role, knowing what their child is doing with DB if they sign up. Because this site broadcasts the exact location of a user, it is very important to know who is on your child’s friend list. It is also crucial to understand that friends of friends are given notice to the user’s location, so it would be good to know who they (that 2nd tier of friends) are too.”
http://www.netfamilynews.org/nl061215.html

2.  Virginia Attorney General Robert McDonnell is leading the way to help track sex offenders on myspace.
Read about it at http://www.informationweek.com/management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196603527

3.  WebWiseKids has begun to ship the two new games Mirror Image and AirDogs to Virginia contacts.  Both these games are 2 of 3 of the “trilogy” of games to educate kids about online issues.  They are both home runs!
4.  There is a new thing on the net that’s been called the “myspace of virtual reality”.  It’s called Second Life and much resembles the “Matrix” you may have seen in the edgy movie series.  The troubling aspect is that teens are being aggressively marketed to along with adults to create an avatar (a virtual person) in this new world.  Problem is real life issues happen in this world and real life people are becoming addicted to it.  Predator activity ,sexual issues, and every other human fantasy are part of this web 2.0 world.
We’re watching this one closely and expect it to have issues much like myspace and social networking.
http://tinyurl.com/yf4nfa

4.  Those of you in Virginia beginning to use the DOE Internet Guidelines guide as you shape your school division’s strategy to educate your students….
The DOE reminds all of us that internet safety is not just a topic, but something to be taught throughout our curriculums in core classes K-12.  Kids need constant information and follow-up to properly address the many issues they face as “digital natives”.  If you have creative ways your school divisions are getting this content to students across the curriculum, PLEASE SHARE your ideas… feel free to email to me and I’ll get the word out.

“From the Frontline” is a News Brief with current news about all things Internet Safety.  Compiled by Joe Showker of Rockingham County Schools from up to the minute research and postings about internet safety issues.
Click on the http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/netsafety/netsafety.htm RCPS link for more information about what RCPS schools are doing to help teach students, parents and teachers learn about internet safety.

http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/netsafety/netsafety.htm

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