Internet Use
Although using online sources and tools is extremely beneficial in the classroom, many people have concerns about internet safety, especially for students searching online. We will be using the internet frequently in our classroom, and to ensure you use the internet properly and safely I want you to be familiar with the guidelines and tips for internet use that I have outlined below.
When using the internet at school…
Make sure that when we use class time to go online that you are only using the internet for our class activities. Class is not the time for you to check email or social media. When we use the internet for a class assignment I will give you specific websites and pages to go to; please stick to the web addresses I assign. Be respectful of your classmates and myself and only use the internet for the activity at hand.
When using the internet at school…
Make sure that when we use class time to go online that you are only using the internet for our class activities. Class is not the time for you to check email or social media. When we use the internet for a class assignment I will give you specific websites and pages to go to; please stick to the web addresses I assign. Be respectful of your classmates and myself and only use the internet for the activity at hand.
When looking for internet sources…
Make sure that you carefully evaluate any internet sources you want to use for a class assignment. Many internet sources are not credible, and it takes a lot of sorting through lesser sites to find a few strong, credible websites that you can trust and cite in an assignment. When evaluating web sources, ask yourself the following questions:
Is this source accurate? (Does it list a specific author or publisher?)
Does this source have authority? (Is it put together by an authoritative organization or person, i.e. government or educational site?)
Is this source objective? (Does it give you information about more than one perspective of an issue or is all the information from one side?)
Is this source current? (Is it updated frequently?)
Does this source have accessibility? (Does it show up on multiple internet browsers and is it free?
One way to ensure your sources are credible and safe is to use quality search engines or websites to search for sources. Educational databases and archives are great resources to use to find sources.
Make sure that you carefully evaluate any internet sources you want to use for a class assignment. Many internet sources are not credible, and it takes a lot of sorting through lesser sites to find a few strong, credible websites that you can trust and cite in an assignment. When evaluating web sources, ask yourself the following questions:
Is this source accurate? (Does it list a specific author or publisher?)
Does this source have authority? (Is it put together by an authoritative organization or person, i.e. government or educational site?)
Is this source objective? (Does it give you information about more than one perspective of an issue or is all the information from one side?)
Is this source current? (Is it updated frequently?)
Does this source have accessibility? (Does it show up on multiple internet browsers and is it free?
One way to ensure your sources are credible and safe is to use quality search engines or websites to search for sources. Educational databases and archives are great resources to use to find sources.
Because anyone can access and create content online, as a student you need to be conscious of how you use the internet. You can use the internet safely and effectively by following the guidelines I've included above. Below, I've also listed a few resources for you to explore and understand internet safety in more detail. Check out the links!
NetSafe - a webpage for teens with videos and explanations of how to use the internet safely and get help in an unsafe situation.
ipl2 - a search engine put together by educational organizations that runs searches through a database of pre-approved, trustworthy material.
Cornell University Library - a website that details how to closely evaluate sources, including internet sources, to be used for an assignment.
NetSafe - a webpage for teens with videos and explanations of how to use the internet safely and get help in an unsafe situation.
ipl2 - a search engine put together by educational organizations that runs searches through a database of pre-approved, trustworthy material.
Cornell University Library - a website that details how to closely evaluate sources, including internet sources, to be used for an assignment.