Parents Guide to the Internet

Part 3

Source

U.S. Department of Education
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
Office of Educational Technology

Contents

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Navigating the Journey

On any trip, you need a map with guideposts to navigate well. This section offers some basics to help you begin to explore the World Wide Web and communicate with others on the Internet.

Surfing the Net or Cruising the Superhighway

When you go on the Internet, you may have a specific destination in mind, or you may wish to browse through the Web, the way you would browse through a library or a catalog, looking for topics or things that interest you. This browsing is often called surfing the Net or cruising the Superhighway. There are several ways to get around on the Web.

• Using Web addresses. To get to a special destination, such as one of the sites described in Sites Along the Way, you'll type in an internet address in the space provided on the Web browser. Web addresses, sometimes called uniform resource locators (URL), begin with http://, which stands for hypertext transfer protocol. After you type in the Web address, it may take awhile for the site's home page to appear on the screen, especially if it includes many pictures. Once it does, you'll probably see several choices you can click your mouse on to take you further into the site. (If you type in an address incorrectly, or too many people are trying to use a site at once, you'll get an error message on your computer screen. Just try again).
  
  
• Following links. Many sites include hypertext links to other sites with related content. When you click on one of these highlighted areas, your computer will connect to another Web site without your having to know or type its address.
  
  
• Using search engines. Search engines are programs that you can select from your Web browser to enable you to search the Internet by keywords or topics. If you or your child are interested in finding out more about Jackie Robinson, for example, you can click on a search engine, enter his name, then pull up several Web sites for further exploration.

Examples of search engines include:

Infoseek
http://www.infoseek.com

Webcrawler
http://webcrawler.com

Yahoo
http://www.yahoo.com

Yahooligans (for children)
http://www.yahooligans.com

You can find these search engines and many more at the All-in-One site http://www.albany.net/allinone/ or your web browser's home page. If a search on one doesn't produce good results, try another.

• Using bookmarks. As you look through the Internet, you'll probably find sites you'll want to revisit. If so, you can create a bookmark by saving the address on your computer, usually with just a click of the mouse. The help feature on your Web browser can give you specific instructions. When you want to return to the site, you'll just click its address on your list.

Saving Information from the Internet

• Printing a copy. While you're looking at the information you wish to print, you can click on the print command or icon, and the printer connected to the computer will print a copy for you. Using the mouse, you can also highlight the information you would like to print and click on the print command or icon. Text usually prints quickly, but graphics can take a long time. If you don't need the images, you may wish to check your online help feature to see how to remove them before printing.
  
  
• Downloading a copy. If you'd like to be able to use the information you've found on the Internet on your own computer (perhaps to include it in a report or send it by e-mail to someone else), you can use your mouse to click on a command or icon to download it. Be careful, though. When you travel online, you can bring back viruses, or programs that can destroy your personal files and software. For protection, it's important to buy--and regularly update--an anti-virus program. For added safety, download files and e-mail messages to a disk and do a virus check before copying the information to the hard drive inside your computer.

Electronic Communication

The most popular online activity is communicating with individuals and groups through
e-mail, listserv, and Usenet newsgroups.

• E-mail. You and your children may want to send notes to friends and family. To send an e-mail message, you'll need the e-mail address of the person to whom you are sending a message. E-mail addresses often start with a version of the person's name and continue with the "at" sign (@), the Internet service provider's name (usually abbreviated), a period (called "dot"), and a three-letter extension. Extensions include com for businesses, edu for educational institutions, gov or mil for the federal government, org for nonprofit organizations, and net for networks. Make sure that when you type an address, you key it exactly as it is given to you--copy the capitalization, spacing, and punctuation. Some examples of e-mail addresses are:

  jdoe@ed.gov
  cbass@school.edu
  sgreene@nonprofit.org

• Listservs. You can use e-mail to participate in discussion groups focused on topics that interest you. When you put your name on a listserv, you can read all the messages sent to members of the group, and you, too, can send messages to the entire group. Each group has an administrator who sets the rules for how the group will operate. If the listserv is moderated, the administrator will also keep the discussion on track and make sure participants treat each other courteously, or follow Netiquette. A list of listservs and the e-mail addresses for subscribing to them is available from http://www.liszt.com/.
  
  
• Usenet newsgroups. Usenet is a system of thousands of special interest groups that allows people to post messages for anyone else to read. Readers can respond by posting a general message or sending an e-mail to the author of an earlier message. Unlike listservs, usenet newsgroups do not require people to subscribe; however, newsgroups must be registered with Usenet. You can probably find newsgroups through your Internet Service Provider. Most ISPs let you search for newsgroups that interest you by using keywords. Try "parenting," for example. Because Usenet newsgroup messages can take up a lot of space, ISPs aren't able to carry all newsgroups. If you know of a newsgroup that you can't find through your ISP, ask to see whether it can be added.

Caution: Most newsgroups are not moderated; no one keeps the discussion focused on the topic or exercises control over inappropriate behavior. Some topics are not suitable for children.

Tips for Safe Traveling

Like most parents, you probably have rules for how your children should deal with strangers, which TV shows, movies, and videos they're allowed to watch, what stores they're allowed to enter, and where and how far from home they're allowed to travel. It's important to make similar rules for your children's Internet use and to be aware of their online activities.

You'll also want to make sure that surfing the Net doesn't take the place of homework, social activities, or other important interests. You might even set an alarm clock or timer if you or your child tend to lose track of time. This section offers tips for ensuring that your children have safe, productive, and enjoyable experiences on the Internet.

Interacting with Others on the Internet

Just as we tell our children to be wary of strangers they meet, we need to tell them to be wary of strangers on the Internet. Most people behave reasonably and decently online, but some are rude, mean, or even criminal. Teach your children that they should:

• Never give out personal information (including their name, home address, phone number, age, race, family income, school name or location, or friends' names) or use a credit card online without your permission.
  
  
• Never share their password, even with friends.
  
  
• Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet online unless you approve of the meeting and go with them to a public place.
  
  
• Never respond to messages that make them feel confused or uncomfortable. They should ignore the sender, end the communication, and tell you or another trusted adult right away.
  
  
• Never use bad language or send mean messages online.
  
  

Also, make sure your children know that people they meet online are not always who they say they are and that online information is not necessarily private.

Limiting Children to Appropriate Content on the Internet

Even without trying, your children can come across materials on the Internet that are obscene, pornographic, violent, hate filled, racist, or offensive in other ways. One type of material--child pornography--is illegal. You should report it to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE LOST (843-5678) or going to http://www.missingkids.org/. While other offensive material is not illegal, there are steps you can take to keep it away from your children and out of your home.

• Make sure your children understand what you consider appropriate for them. What kinds of sites are they welcome to visit? What areas are off limits? How much time can they spend, and when? How much money, if any, can they spend? Set out clear, reasonable rules and consequences for breaking them.
  
  
• Make online exploration a family activity. Put the computer in the living room or family room. This arrangement involves everyone and helps you monitor what your children are doing.
  
  
• Pay attention to games your older child might download or copy. Some are violent or contain sexual content.
  
  
• Look into software or online services that filter out offensive materials and sites. Options include stand alone software that can be installed on your computer, and devices that label or filter content directly on the web. In addition, many Internet Service Providers and commercial online services offer site blocking, restrictions on incoming e-mail, and children's accounts that access specific services. Often, these controls are available at no additional cost. Be aware, however, children are often smart enough to get around these restrictions. Nothing can replace your supervision and involvement.

• Find out what the Internet use policy is at your local library.

• Ask about the Internet use policy at your child's school.

Encouraging Information Literacy

Show your children how to use and evaluate information they find on the Internet. Not all online information is reliable. Some individuals and organizations are very careful about the accuracy of the information they post, but others are not. Some even mislead on purpose. Remind your children not to copy online information and claim it's their own or copy software unless it is clearly labeled as free.

Help children understand the nature of commercial information, advertising, and marketing, including who created it and why it exists. Encourage them to think about why something is provided and appears in a specific way. Steer your children to noncommercial sites and other places that don't sell products specifically to children. It is important to be aware of the potential risks involved in going online, but it is also important to keep them in perspective. Common sense and clear guidelines are the place to start.

Supporting School Use of Technology

You can encourage your children's online activities at home and at school. Talk with your children, school staff, and other parents about what online experiences are already part of classroom activities and what is being planned. Get involved by:

• Helping schools get technology, including used equipment from government agencies or businesses. For information on computer recycling, visit http://www.microweb.com/pepsite/Recycle/recycle_index.html and the Computer Recycling Project at http://sharetechnology.org/ . (url updated. Former url- http://www.voicenet.com/~cranmer/recycling.html - no longer valid. KS editor August '00.)
  
  
• Helping your school and community participate in NetDay, a grassroots volunteer effort to wire schools so their computers are networked and have Internet access http://www.netday.org/.
  
  
• Sharing your expertise by volunteering in the classroom or organizing training for teachers and other parents.
  
  
• Asking your local PTA to set up a "family night" on computers, technology, and the Internet.
  
  
• Helping schools develop "rules of the road" that are discussed with students before they go online.
  
  
• Joining the school's technology planning group.
  
  

Back to the Table of Contents

Sites Along the Way

This section offers a sampling of some Internet sites waiting for you and your children. (Addresses are current as of November 1997 but may change at any time. If an address does not work, use the search feature on your Web browser to enter the site name and get the updated link).

Family-Friendly Places

• The Franklin Institute Science Museum http://sln.fi.edu/ offers online exhibits on an array of science and technology topics.
  
  
• Find good books to read, including Newbery and Caldecott Award Winners, at the American Library Association site http://www.ala.org/parents/index.html. This site includes information about authors, KidsConnect (for help locating all the information online), and educational games.
  
  
• Watch Live from Mars, audio and video transmissions of the Pathfinder's explorations, at NASA's Quest Project site http://quest.arc.nasa.gov. Find more adventures in space, including views from the Hubble Space Telescope, at a different NASA site http://spacelink.nasa.gov.
  
  
• Climb Mt. Everest, explore inside the Pyramids, and go on other electronic field trips with the Public Broadcasting System at http://www.pbs.org/. Preschool children can enjoy children's programming here, elementary school children can practice story telling, and teenagers and adults can take telecourses.
  
  
• Join an interactive exploration of the oceans, on earth and beyond, with the Jason Project http://www.jasonproject.org.
  
  
• Puzzle over optical illusions, take memory tests, and conduct experiments, online and off, at the Exploratorium http://www.exploratorium.edu.
  
  
• Enjoy materials from the Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov, including exhibits on topics ranging from ballet to Jelly Roll Morton, Native American flutes to Thomas Jefferson's pasta machine.
  
  
• Read stories with your children, let them add to the stories told around the Global Campfire, and find links to other good family sites at Parents and Children Together Online http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/fl/pcto/menu.html.
  
  
• Get educational resources through distance learning from Healthlinks http://www.mcet.edu/healthlinks/index.html.
  
  
• Find information on blocking software from Netparents at http://www.netparents.org.
  
  
• Try the Air Force's new family-friendly site for kids at http://www.af.mil/aflinkjr.

Megasites (extensive links)

• 50+ Great Sites for Kids & Parents, from the American Library Association (ALA) enables preschool through elementary school children to explore rainbows, black history, castles for kids, award-winning news reported by children for children, the Kids Web Page Hall of Fame, to say nothing of watching dolphins, learning lullabies, and much more http://www.ssdesign.com/parentspage/greatsites/50.html.
  
  
• Jean Armour Polly's Fifty Extraordinary Experiences for Internet Kids invites viewers to make their own home page, visit the Kremlin, look inside the human heart, take Socks' special VIP tour of the White House, and make a boat trip around the world http://www.well.com/user/polly/ikyp.exp.html.
  
  
• Berit's Best Sites for Children helps you learn about earthquakes, visit the imagination factory and make junk mail jewelry, descend into a volcano, tour a human cell, go on a world "surfari," solve a crime, and fly a kite http://db.cochran.com/db_HTML:theopage.db.
  
  
• Steve Savitzky's Interesting Places for Kids is an award-winning site in its own right with many unusual links http://www.crc.ricoh.com/people/steve/kids.html.
  
  

Online Reference Material

• The American Academy of Pediatrics' http://www.aap.org has a wide variety of information for parents concerning their children's health and well-being; covering topics such as immunizations, sleep problems, newborn care, and television.
  
  
• The National Urban Leaguehttp://www.nul.org is a useful resource for tracking programs and events related to African-American issues. It is a rich reference area for students, parents, teachers and history buffs.
  
  
• AskERIC, a free question-answering service provided by the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), invites people to submit their questions about education, parenting, and child development to askeric@askeric.org for an e-mail response within 2 working days.
  
  
• B.J. Pinchbeck's Homework Helper is a wonderful guide to encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference works, and other resources on a great variety of subjects http://tristate.pgh.net/~pinch13/. The enthusiasm of its 10-year-old creator adds appeal to everything from the Ultimate White Pages to Bugs in the News.
  
  
• My Virtual Reference Desk http://www.refdesk.com offers dozens of links—to dictionaries, encyclopedias, reference/research materials, thesauruses, atlases, sports, entertainment, and much more—as well as a search engine for locating more information.
  
  
• The Internet Public Library: Reference Center http://www.ipl.org/ref provides an "ask a question" feature and a teen collection, as well as sections on reference, arts and humanities, science and technology, and education.

Sites for Parents and Parent Groups

• The Children's Partnership http://www.childrenspartnership.org offers, for free, the full text of its useful guide, The Parents' Guide to the Information Superhighway: Rules and Tools for Families Online, prepared with the National PTA and the National Urban League. A printed version of the guide, which provides common-sense guidance and encouragement for parents and tips and computer activities for children, is available for $8 from The Children's Partnership, 1351 Third Street Promenade, Suite 206, Santa Monica, CA 90401-1321; 310-260-1220.
  
  
• The National Parent Information Network http://npin.org cosponsored by the ERIC Clearinghouses on Elementary and Early Childhood Education and Urban Education, includes extensive articles on parenting, listservs, and links to more than 100 sites on education, health and safety, family issues and interests, and parenting and development of children from infancy to adolescence.
  
  
• At the National PTA site http://www.pta.org/ learn about PTA education programs and participate in a discussion group, chat room, or bulletin board. The site also includes links to sites of many organizations concerned with children.
  
  
• The Family Education Network http://www.familyeducation.com offers hundreds of brief articles on parenting, links to local sites, and discussion boards that connect parents with online experts.
  
  
• The Partnership for Family Involvement in Education http://www.ed.gov/PFIE sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, highlights school-community- business partnerships and includes a calendar of events. At the home page for the Department of Education http://www.ed.gov, parents will find information about the President's education initiatives, college financial aid, and parenting publications, along with links to other useful education sites.
  
  
• The National Coalition for Parental Involvement in Education http://www.ncpie.org/ provides a catalog of resources available from all its member organizations.

• The National Coalition of Title I/Chapter 1 Parents 202-547-9286 helps economically disadvantaged parents develop skills to enhance the quality of their children's education.
  
  
• Parent Soup http://www.parentsoup.com includes an archive of answers to questions asked of pediatricians and child development experts and advice about helping your children succeed in school.
  
  
• The Parents at Home site http://advicom.net/~jsm/moms, especially for at-home parents, offers e-mail pen pals, a booklist, and links to children's sites.
  
  
• Magellan http://www.mckinley.com/magellan uses a rating scale to evaluate parenting sites. To look at the ratings or follow the links, select Reviews, Life & Style, Family, and Parenting.
  
  
• The ASPIRA Association, Inc. http://www.incacorp.com/aspira highlights its two national parent involvement programs—ASPIRA Parents for Educational Excellence Program (APEX) and Teachers, Organizations, and Parents for Students Program (TOPS). Each program provides a Spanish/English curriculum that strives to empower Latino parents and families.
  
  
• The White House web site http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/New/Ratings describes a strategy to involve government, industry, parent, and teachers in putting together a rating system so parents can define material they consider offensive and protect their children effectively.
  
  Back to the Table of Contents
  
  

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