How to Teach Internet Safety to Younger Elementary Students

Internet Safety

I thought it was interesting how this article compared face-to-face dangerous situations to virtual situations that are dangerous. The article mentions that the transfer of handling strangers in "real life" to those in virtual environments is not automatic.  Therefore, it has to be taught.  I thought the most important point from the article is the fact that students can walk or run away from a potential threat in real life. But in an online situation, the danger presents itself inside a student's home, and virtual situations become difficult to escape or handle.  The author presented a sample lesson for kindergarten and first graders to introduce the idea that strangers exist on the Internet.  It discussed how young children should interact with them. I teach third grade and I think I could apply parts of this lesson to teach this concept. The virtual world offers many advantages, but it also presents dangerous situations so we must educate and prepare our children so they can participate safely.