And it provided addresses for Web sites where readers can see examples of electronic portfolios. Another recent cover story was about using e-mail to teach writing. It also talked about using e-mail as a publishing tool, contacting online authors, and corresponding with students who speak other languages. Also discussed were online mailing lists for young writers. To help parents to better understand and monitor their children's online explorations, the U.S. Department of Education has produced a booklet titled Parents Guide to the Internet.
Most people behave reasonably and decently online, but some are rude, mean, or even criminal.
Never share their password, even with friends. Never respond to messages that make them feel confused or uncomfortable. They should ignore the sender, end the communication, and tell a parent or another trusted adult right away. Never use bad language or send mean messages online. Other sections of the booklet give guidelines for limiting children to appropriate content on the Internet and supporting school use of technology.