| FBI Internet Safety Tips | This website offers young students in grades K-5 some tips from professionals about staying safe while using the internet. Obviously, the site is very reliable because it is maintained by the FBI, a part of the U.S. government. The .gov suffix to the web address shows that it is indeed published by a government agency. The author uses pictures and simple language to effectively convey the information to the audience, which fits the purpose of the website. |
| Safe Kids Rules for Internet Safety | This website contains a comprehensive list of rules for children to follow to protect themselves as they use the internet. The rules have been adapted from a brochure from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a reputable organization in this field. The rules are very clear and easy for children to follow and discuss with their parents. |
| University of Oklahoma Internet Safety for Kids | This website provides a detailed guide about what kids should do in various situations online. The author makes it easy to understand by using different icons for notes, advice, and warnings so kids can visually see what is most important. The website is maintained by the University of Oklahoma (with a .edu suffix) so it is probably accurate and reliable. One negative thing about this website is that it has not been updated since 2000, and internet safety has changed significantly since then. |
| Safe Games For Kids | This website has an interactive game for children to play while learning the rules of internet safety. There is also a list of guidelines for children to use while surfing the internet on the bottom of the page. The game makes children actually want to learn because they are having fun, while still being relevant. One problem with this website is that I could not find the author, and although the information appears to be accurate, I don't know if he is an authority on the topic. |
| Get Your Web License | This website is an interactive test for children to see if they have mastered the concepts of web safety. The child is quizzed on ten topics such as downloading, passwords, and meeting people. The test is engaging to the students because it uses animation and the metaphor of a driver's license while maintaining its relevance. The website is reliable because it was created by PBS, a reputable television station with a great deal of children's programming. The .org suffix shows that this website is run by a nonprofit organization. |
| FBI Parent's Guide to Internet Safety | This website is a comprehensive resource for protecting their children online and includes useful items such as frequently asked questions and definitions of key terms. Because this site is run by the FBI, the information is obviously from experts in the field. On the bottom there is contact information for the FBI for anybody who has additional questions, which is a very useful tool for parents who have concerns that are not covered on this site. |
| Yahooligans! Parents' Guide | This website contains a few pages for parents about keeping their children safe while using the internet, including "Surfing as a Family Adventure," "Safe Communication Online," and "Plan Against Inappropriate Material." The site is run by Yahoo, a clear authority in the field of internet safety. The page is very relevant to the topic, and the table of contents provides a clear overview. One problem with the site is that sometimes the links do not work at first, but if you click them again the correct page will be displayed. |
| Internet Safety for Parents | This website contains links to programs that help parents monitor their child's internet access and protect them online. The site was created by the Director of Technology in a school district, so he is an authority both on the internet and children. There are a couple of negative things about this website. There are some errors in spelling, suggesting that this site was thrown up without much revision. Also, there is not date for when it was last updated, and certain sections still appear to be under construction. |
| Top 10 Safety Tips | This website contains ten guidelines for parents to keep in mind when their children are using the internet. Not every aspect of the internet is covered here because it is just a brief overview, but there are links to learn about other topics such as pedophiles, bullying, and spam. The .gov and .uk suffixes show that this website is administered by the British government so it is obviously very reliable. Also, the website was last updated in 2006 so it is quite current. |
| Parent's Guide to the Internet | This website is the table of contents for a booklet about keeping kids safe on the internet. Each link goes to a chapter about various subjects ranging from "What is the Information Superhighway" to "Tips for Safe Traveling." The website is hosted by the U.S. Department of Education so it is obviously written by professionals who are interested in protecting and educating children. However, this booklet was created in November 1997, so much of the information is out of date. New problems have developed in this field since that time, so this website should be used in conjunction with a more recent resource. |