An informed parent is a child's best advocate. Young children should not be surfing the WWW alone. Urge parents to discuss Internet safety rules with their children and to consider an Internet contract for their home. Parents can be directed to books on the Internet as well as informative web sites. This extensive web site featuring the ground breaking work of Lawrence Magid grew out of a series of Internet articles Magid wrote for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Parents can sign up for the online newsletter which focuses on all aspects of educatinal technology.
Consider hosting a family Internet night or holding workshops at your school on Internet issues. Things are radically askew when the average third grader knows more about the Internet than their parents. How many parents have seen the web sites their children have posted on Tripod, Geocities, etc. These are decisions that must be made by each individual family, but the school can help to supply balanced information so that parents can make informed decisions. Design a child safety web site for parents and students to serve as an information clearinghouse and discussion springboard.