Internet Safety

  • As specified under Illinois School Code Section 5, “beginning with the 2009-2010 school year, a school district must incorporate into the school curriculum a component on Internet safety to be taught at least once each school year to students in grade 3 and above.” (Public Act 095-0869)

    State mandates and District objectives are as follows:

    1. Safe and responsible use of social networking websites, chat rooms, electronic mail, bulletin boards, instant messaging, and other means of communication on the Internet.
    2. Recognizing, avoiding, and reporting online solicitations of students, their classmates, and their friends by sexual predators.
      Risks of transmitting personal information on the Internet.
    3. Recognizing and avoiding unsolicited or deceptive communications received online.
    4. Recognizing and reporting online harassment and cyber-bullying.
    5. Reporting illegal activities and communications on the Internet.
    6. Copyright laws on written materials, photographs, music, and video.
     

    Links/Resources:

    Digital Citizenship - helps teachers, technology leaders and parents understand what students/children/technology users should know in order to use technology appropriately.

    Family Online Safety Institute - works to make the online world safer for kids and their families by identifying and promoting best practices, tools and methods in the field of online safety that also respect free expression.

    Illinois Attorney General's Stop Cyberbullying - helps victims and teaches bullies to understand the impact of their online actions in the real world.

    Naperville Police Department - materials for parents, guardians and teachers about how to safeguard children online.

    Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online - a guide from the Federal Trade Commission to help parents protect their kids and talk to them about living their lives online. (PDF, 25 MB)

    NetSmartz - an interactive, educational program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that provides age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on- and offline.

     

    Grade-Level Specific

    Grades 3, 4 and 5

    The following skills are taught to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students during the first trimester and continue to be embedded throughout the school year.

    What students will be able to do to be safe:

    • Recognize and avoid sharing personal information
    • Recognize and report uncomfortable communications received electronically
    • Recognize and report cyber-bullying
    • Recognize the impact and consequences of cyber-bullying
    • Evaluate web sites for validity and safety

    What students will be able to do to be ethical:

    • Act as good digital citizens
    • Summarize, paraphrase materials and cite their sources

    Grades 6-8

    The basic components of Internet safety will be embedded throughout all content areas throughout the school year. Junior high students will be instructed on safe use of the Internet and academic integrity, including how to:

    • Responsibly use social media
    • Recognize and report inappropriate electronic communication
    • Recognize, avoid and report cyberbullying
    • Recognize and understand  the emotional and legal ramifications of immoral or illegal activities when using electronic devices
    • Protect one’s online identity
    • Practice good digital citizenship
    • Respect and follow copyright laws
    • Properly cite resources

    Grades 9-12

    Students will learn how to:

    • Keep themselves safe when using social networking websites, chat rooms, instant messaging and other online means of electronic communications.
    • Recognize, avoid and report online predators and scam artists.
    • Students will learn the importance of never revealing personal information when online.
    • Recognize, avoid and report cyberbullying.
    • Recognize and understand the emotional and legal ramifications of sexting and other immoral or illegal activities.
    • Respect and follow the copyright laws and give proper citation to all sources of information.