Integrating the Internet Safely and Ethically

I believe that safety on the Internet is a concern that prevents many teachers from taking advantage of the wealth of information and knowledge to be gained from incorporating the Internet into classrooms. Many teachers are overwhelmed when faced with the challenge of teaching media literacy and Internet safety to students. However, Internet safety is simply an extension of the same lessons that were previously taught to them. Weinstock (2008) suggests that fact of safety, such as “Don’t talk to strangers”, have been committed to students’ memory and the same concepts should be transferred when initiating Internet safety. Weinstock went on to suggest that removing strangers from the community was not an option; therefore, the right solution is to affect the student behavior. A change in behavior is not the sole responsibility of the teacher. Although morality and ethics are a part of media literacy, students’ values are also a part of the overall equation when calculating Internet safety.
    My experience with Internet safety revolves around lab security and filter administration. However, these duties became burdensome. I often struggled with the idea of punishing everyone for the sins of a few. I always believed that there was a better solution for Internet safety aside from blocks and filters. Never the less, both were utilized to restrict Internet access.
    The debate on Internet filters and blocks goes beyond the walls of school district administration offices to the high courts of the United States.  Regardless of where the battle takes place, the only security feature that is guaranteed to work is to completely eliminate Internet access. With this not being a valid option, Baule and Thompson  (1998) suggested three basic options for schools trying to resolve the dilemma of protecting students while preserving intellectual freedom.
•    Limit access through commercial censorware.
•    Select age appropriate sites and allow students access that limits them to pre-screened sites.
•    Provide students with unfiltered access, but educate them in acceptable use and Internet safety.
    Providing students with unfiltered access and educating them in acceptable use and Internet safety is a task that should not be allocated solely to teachers. This responsibility should also be distributed among parents and the community. Changing the behavior of students in the best way to increase the chance of intellectual growth through the utilization of the Internet. We should not enclose the minds of students in a restrictive bubble and expect them to make the right choices when and where the restrictions do not exist. Transforming students into independent learners and thinkers will bring us closer to 21st century society that many envision.    


References:
Buale, S., and Thompson, R. (1998). Internet safety or the four f’s. Book Report, 17 (2), 17-22.

Weinstock, J. (2008). Don’t filter out responsibility. T H E Journal, 35 (6), 6.
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