2)+On-Line+Safety

On-Line Safety media type="youtube" key="7vNwEfOrbbo" height="529" width="668"

Freeways are dangerous places and normally society does not allow children to be in harm’s way. Yet everyday millions of children are on the information superhighway, and there are real threats there as well. Cyber-squatting, porn-napping and the disclosure of personal information are just to name a few. Cyber squatting is the act of creating and registering a domain that may be easily confused with another entity. The new owners can then sell the website at an inflated rate. Porn-napping is where a legitimate website’s registration has expired and the new owner changes the front page with obscene material in an attempt to profit from the resale. Copyright infringement and Cyber bullying are additional concerns that will be covered in more detail later in this paper. The intention is to provide a safe and secure environment for students by shielding them from obscene and inappropriate materials, and preventing personally identifiable information from being disclosed. The drawback to all this protection could be the loss of access to appropriate and enriching material.

As mentioned in class, the role of the federal government is to provide equity within the educational system, and there are federal laws applicable to a student’s safe use of the internet. The first one is the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 2000 (COPPA). This law is directed at the website operators and specifically regulates the information to be collected from children. It also stipulates that full and public disclosure of the intended use as well as parental rights, security protocols and the participation limitations. While COPPA does deal with protecting children on the internet, the law is directed at website owners. The Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2001 (CIPA) is more applicable to students and schools. CIPA requires schools and libraries that receive federal funding must filter obscene and other harmful material on the internet. This law again addresses children in general. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and copyright laws are also federal laws applicable to internet safety. FERPA addresses the rights of parents and/or students of age with access to students’ records. Since the internet has become the conduit of information and communication, FERPA and the accidental and incidental disclosure of student information is relevant. Copyright laws are applicable and a more detailed analysis of technology and copyright law are explored later in this paper.

The Acceptable Usage Policy (AUP) of the school district is the means to regulate the acceptable behavior while using the district’s equipment, network and internet access. “This is done for purposes of promoting appropriate conduct with the use of electronic media in the school setting and to meet a school district’s obligations under federal laws to promote the safety of minors while using the Internet services that the school provides for instructional purposes” (Broek, K., Puiszis, S., & Brown, E., 2009, p. 19). The school district must also comply with CIPA to filter obscene and inappropriate materials from reaching the students. While filters and policies are good, the teacher is the person responsible in the classroom. Ultimately, the responsibility of policing the internet and the student’s activities on the internet is the teacher’s.