Duanesburg schools participate in FBI's Internet Safety Program
September 29, 2010--Nearly every time we open the paper or watch a news program, there’s a good chance we will read or watch a segment about cyber-bullying, ‘sexting’ or Facebook and MySpace interactions gone awry—to name just a few.
That’s why this fall Duanesburg Central School District has
teamed up with the FBI to bring students in
grades 3-8 an internet safety program.
The FBI-SOS (Federal Bureau of Investigation-Safe Online Surfing) Internet Challenge is a free, online, educational program that promotes cyber citizenship and teaches students how to recognize and react to online dangers. Backed by the FBI and Nova Southeastern University, the program delivers critical internet safety information in a fun, competitive format.
Through the FBI-SOS Internet Challenge, students will be exposed to practical information, safety tips, and resources to help protect themselves online and understand what it means to be a responsible cyber citizen.
“Our goal is to educate our students about the safe—and appropriate—ways to use the internet and the ever-emerging social media tools that are available,” explains Superintendent Christine Crowley. “We want our students to be aware of potential online pitfalls, and learn how to safely navigate their way through cyberspace so they can reap the real benefits of the World Wide Web.”
How the Challenge Works
Students can put their internet safety knowledge to the test by literally
participating in online quizzes and scavenger hunts that enable them to win
points for their schools. At the end of each month (October-May), six trophies
(one for each grade level) are awarded to the schools with the highest-scoring
students on the post-quiz. Individual and team rankings are posted and
continually updated on the FBI-SOS website. Winning schools also receive a visit
from a FBI Special Agent.
How to get started
The Duanesburg Central School District’s individual schools are currently
registered in this program. Therefore, students simply need to visit
www.fbi-sos.org to create a unique username and password to become part of the
school’s team. Some Duanesburg teachers will be hosting FBI-SOS specific
instruction while others will incorporate the internet safety program into their
existing computer education curricula. Students, and their parents, are
encouraged to access and learn from this program at home as well. Once
registered, students will begin by taking an online, multiple-choice,
self-scoring pre-quiz to measure their knowledge of internet safety and cyber
citizenship. From there, students will then embark on an online scavenger hunt
and visit pre-screened websites to pick up important internet safety and cyber
citizenship information. Using this information, students will then take the
FBI-SOS post-quiz to demonstrate what they learned.
What student will learn
(Adapted from the FBI-SOS Taking Action to Prevent
Crimes Against Children handbook.)
There is a separate FBI-SOS Internet Challenge for each grade. The program is
designed to build upon itself from one year to the next by introducing new
concepts in each grade while reinforcing the information previously learned.
This format also ensures that students starting the program in later grades are
exposed to ALL topics. Throughout the program, students are introduced to
important internet terms and some of the laws governing online activity. They’ll
also learn about online password protection, internet privacy and reporting,
cyberbullying, ‘netiquette’, virus protection, copyright rules, reputable sites,
plagiarism, online predators, email, chat rooms, instant messaging, cell phones,
social networking, gaming and ‘sexting’.
Grade 3: Students are introduced to basic internet safety information including how to create and protect passwords, the definition of personal information and why it is important to keep it private, when they should report something to their parents, and basic ‘netiquette’ rules including how to identify a cyberbully.
Grade 4: In addition to being reintroduced to topics covered in third grade, students are exposed to information about computer viruses and how they can be avoided, how to identify reputable sites, and the definition of copyright.
Grade 5: The information presented in the third and fourth grades is reinforced as students explore different age-appropriate sites and online activities. At this level, students are introduced to several new concepts including tactics used by online predators and how to recognize and report suspicious online behavior, how to responsibly manage an email account, and the definition of plagiarism.
Grade 6: Student revisit topics introduced in previous grades and also learn tips for using chat rooms, instant messaging services and cell phones safely. Some of the dangers associated with these communication tools are exposed and students learn ways to protect themselves, friends, and family while on the internet.
Grade 7: Students uncover tips on age-appropriate sites that help reinforce the topics covered in grades 3-6. In addition, important tips pertaining to gaming and social networking are introduced for the first time. The dangers associated with using gaming and social networking sites (i.e. cyberbullies, online predators, and security issues) are exposed and strategies for using these types of site responsibly are explored.
Grade 8: Students are exposed to the same concepts presented in grades 3-7, however, the information is presented at a more mature and comprehensive level. Age-appropriate scenarios are introduced and students must use critical-thinking skills to apply their internet safety and cyber citizenship knowledge to real-world situations. In addition, the social and legal consequences of ‘sexting’ are presented.