This session is designed for attendance by students AND their parent(s). The same session will be held nightly in order to allow for flexibility with schedules. Parents should plan to attend one of the five sessions with their child(ren). The session deals with the many dangers of computer use, and specifically of the Internet. The dangers are greatest for those such as the students, and the session is designed to make student and parent aware of how to protect themselves. Having the adults present allows for a more formal approach, with a somewhat more technical aspect. The students have both the day sessions and their parents to help with clarification. As always, questions can be asked at the end of the session, by student OR parent.
Dangers of Computers
An introduction to the evening's topics, this section briefly lists the topics that are going to
be covered. We state that there are many dangers lurking on computers, particularly on the
Internet. However, we should say, the dangers are not reason to shun computers in general. All
that must be done is to become aware of the dangers and to take the appropriate precautions.
Viruses, Passwords, and Security
Drawing from the material for the day sessions, this section reiterates the specifics of the topics.
It is again stressed that passwords should not be easy to guess, nor should they ever be given out.
Viruses and virus protection programs are again discussed, and the importance of security of a computer,
whether part of a network or a home system, is supported.
Inappropriate Material
Most probably one of the most sensitive areas of the session, it is important not to be too
explicit in detail about the material. For example, at all costs avoid the word "pornography";
but by no means skip the subject. Try rephrasing, such as "adult material" or even as simple as
"bad stuff". The students will understand that they are not supposed to see this material, and
the adults will instantly know just what you're talking about. At any rate, explain that there
are a great number of sites that have words or pictures that teachers or parents would not want
their students viewing. Much of the material is illegal, especially if viewed by children when
intended for adults. It is important not to try to find any of these sites, and if any are found
by accident, a teacher or parent should be notified so that steps can be taken so that no one in
the house or class will find it again.
Predators and Personal Information
Another sensitive but very important subject, we now deal with another issue of protection for
the children. There are many people out there who will try to get information from a child, such
as full name, address, location. They may pretend to be someone they're not. For example, an older
man may claim he is a young person so that he can say bad things to children or so that he can
try to find out where a child is to hurt them. Again, in this section it is important to find
a balance between verbage for the parents and for their children. Keeping it as simple as possible
will relay the wrongness to the children, and the full meaning to the parents. Here we again
stress that it is very important never to give any personal information to anyone we meet on
the Internet, no matter how nice they seem. And we should never pretend to be someone we're not,
either.
Precautions
Here we provide suggestions for means of prevention of the children's contact with any of these
dangers. Virus protection software should be recommended, and the importance of having a current
version should be reiterated. Parents should be directed to child protection services such as
NetNanny and the like, which help to block material inappropriate for the children. If a site
with inappropriate material is found and accessed even with this system, the child should tell
their teacher or parent immediately so that the system managers can immediately update their
listing. Passwords and other personal information should never be given, but many ISPs offer
parent restrictions on child accounts so that there is a much lesser chance of children being
exposed. Here we state that the Internet and use of computers is a wonderful way for children
(and their parents) to learn about the world around them; it is a doorway from the home or class
to the entire globe. But as with any doorway, it is up to those responsible that it have the
proper locks and bolts.
Session Summaries: Hand out to the parents as they enter (or before they leave) an outline and/or summary of the week's sessions. Include a note that they should make a point to discuss each day's information with their child. If there is anything about which the child seems uncertain, he/she should be encouraged to ask questions.
Discussion and Questions: Allow plenty of time at the end of the session for answering questions posed by the students or their parents. Now is the time that the greatest confusion can be cleared, because we now have the aid of the adults in conveying the meaning to their children. Parents most likely will have fears about their children's computer use. A forum for these fears will help to address them, and to convince that while parents can never be "too careful", all it takes to protect their children is to become informed and to take the proper steps.
Session Evaluation: In addition to the evaluation forms passed out to the students regarding the daily sessions, an evaluation of the evening session should be encouraged. Their should be a version for the children, and another for the parents. Again, this is an opportunity for opinion regarding which topics weren't quite clear enough, which should have been covered in more detail. Questions can be a bit more specific in the adult version than the child version, but in both cases be sure to leave plenty of openness for statements, suggestions, and questions. The evaluation forms should be turned in as the students and parents leave. Encourage further discussion amongst families.
Last updated 98/11/20
rainman@vt.edu