Web resources - Websites which teach students proper Website use - includes a list of filtering software designed to block access to objectionable Web sites

Instructor, August, 1998 by Paul Oh

Safety Comes First

A student is using the Internet to search for information on outer space. Yahoo! turns up many related sites - including Graverobbers from Outer Space (a horror-punk band) and links to "The World Domination Review." Not quite what he had in mind. With so much objectionable material so accessible, how do you keep your students safe on the Internet?

Alan Sills, a science teacher and technology specialist with the West Essex Regional School District in New Jersey; says that although some monitoring of Web use is probably necessary, his district is moving in the direction of responsible Web use being part of the disciplinary code. "Just as you're expected not to start a food fight in the cafeteria," Sills explains, "you're expected not to get into a porn site, and if you do inadvertently, you get right out." With this in mind, here's a look at Web resources that can help you guide your students in the right direction.

TECHKNOW www.pbs.org/kids/techknow

Introduce students to the Internet with a "Rules of the Road" test, which teaches responsible Web use - including why a child should never identify himself as such on the Internet. A printed driver's license certifies those who complete the "driving test" as Netizens.

BRITANNICA INTERNET GUIDE www.ebig.com

If you're a kid and you've got to find information on, say, sharks, how can you narrow your search so that you're not swimming in a sea of throwaway sites? One way is to use the Britannica Internet Guide (BIG). Each of the 65,000 sites that comprise BIG has been reviewed by an Encyclopedia Britannica editor or contributor, then rated on a star system. Nothing that is not at least noteworthy is included. Back to that shark search: Choose from general categories at the BIG home page. A click on Science, Technology, and Math links to 12 sites. And unlike other online reference sources, it's free!

ASK JEEVES FOR KIDS www.ajkids.com

For children, typing a full sentence is more intuitive than trying to string together words or phrases. That's the thinking behind this kidfriendly search engine. Type in a fully phrased question, such as "What's a sharks favorite food?" and Ask Jeeves for Kids will list a number of questions based on key words in your query. Find the one that most closely matches your original, then click on the Ask button for an index of related sites. Ask Jeeves for Kids makes the entire process much more manageable for children by limiting the number of sites listed.

SURFIN' ANNETTE www.spycatcher.com

Designed specifically for kids, this award-winning browser helps children get what they need - simply and efficiently. Unlike some other products, Surfin' Annette's faltering criteria is fully available, letting you choose what to keep, what to delete, and what to add - including personal information you don't want being sent out (like children's last names). Our search for "sharks" here turned up a winning 31 sites, 27 of which looked promising. Free to K-12 educators.

SCHOLASTIC NETWORK www.scholastic network.com

As part of its subscription-based service, Scholastic Network provides a search tool for 2,000 (and growing) teacher-tested sites. Typing in "sharks" here led to 14 results. (One was about human bones and by way of comparison spoke of the interior structure of sharks.) SN also offers author visits, projects and games, interactive curriculum materials, a teacher center, and more. For a look at another search engine for kids, go to MaMaMedia www.mamamedia.com). Created by a group of Harvard and MIT-trained educators, MaMaMedia employs a team of editors to select and screen its database of linked sites. Like Ask Jeeves for Kids, MaMaMedia limits the number of choices returned.

PUT IT IN WRITING

Many school districts have an acceptable use policy (AUP) that sets rules for Internet use. For help in creating one, start with these sites:

www.classroomconnect.com (click on Resource Station): Tips, templates, and links to AUPs various schools use.

www.rice.edu/armadillo/acc eptable.html: Links to acceptable-use policy sites.

Keep Out!

Filtering software is designed to block access to certain sites. If you decide to take this route, consider a few things. How does the filtering software determine what to block? (Because sites are self-rated - and some worthwhile sites may not be rated while others may be inaccurately rated - this is not a dependable system.) Can you add to or delete what gets blocked? Are updates free? How often? With this in mind, here's a look at three that do the job.

Cyber Snoop 3.0 (Win95/NT); $39.95; Pearl Software, (800) 732-7596, www.pearlsw.com An Editor's Choice by PC Magazine Online for effectiveness and flexibility.

Cyber Sentinel 1.5 (Win); $32.80; Security Software Systems, (888) 835-7278, www.securitysoft.com One wrong move triggers a warning, screen capture, or application shutdown (you choose). Rather than simply blocking URLs on a list, this one screens actual content on the screen - including chat rooms and e-mail. Download a 30-day free trial at the Web site.