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Sharing photos, posting comments, playing video games -- these are just a few of the ways that kids interact online. But when sharing goes beyond friends and family, it can be risky. Read about privacy and Internet safety and watch this video to learn five Internet safety rules for kids.

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Skip to Content Sharing photos, posting comments, playing video games -- these are just a few of the ways that kids interact online. But when sharing goes beyond friends and family, it can be risky. Read about privacy and Internet safety and watch this video to learn five Internet safety rules for kids.

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Netiquette, or the correct and accepted way of internet communication, is extremely important this day in age. Our world is becoming more and more web centered so it is essential that one puts their best selves into anything they post online. Netiquette isn't just important for students, but for everyone. It's just as necessary for a grade schooler to practice netiquette as it is for a business man or women.

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Remember, just because you're online doesn't mean no one is watching. Words hurt just as bad online as they do in the real word. Having the protection of a screen doesn't mean that you can cuss online without being held responsible. Every time you consider posting a swear word somewhere on the web, decide if its something you would say to your parents. If its not, don't use it! There are millions of words in the English language that you can use to express your feelings. Rather than using a swear word, find a word that illustrates what you mean and how intelligent you really are. Anything you put online is there forever, so remember that when you post. One day your future employer could search your name and if they find a list of cuss words attached to it, do you think they want you to represent their company? Your one swear can be connected to you in the future and so on, so always think before you use offensive words in your posts!

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Rumors and gossip almost always aren't true, so spreading them online is just as bad if not worse than in person. Wether or not the gossip is juicy, spreading it around online isn't the answer. If someone trusted you with their personal information, keep it personal. These are real life rules that stay true in the virtual world. I think this rule is essential both in the classroom and online, therefore I strongly advocate for it. If you think gossip spreads quickly through the halls of a school imagine how quickly it can be spread with the help of a public post or web page. It may seem fun or like something you should go along with, but think about this; you are the person whose rumors are being spread. Put yourself in others shoes before doing something you wouldn't like if it happened to you. Not only is cyber gossiping a violation of personal information, but it can also lead to cyber bullying.

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When on the Internet, it is important to recognize what kind of situation you are in. Are you chatting with your friends or are you emailing a teacher? Are you writing a private journal entry or are you posting a public discussion? This will help you decide what kind of language is appropriate to use: informal or formal. When you are chatting with your friends or writing something for personal use, it’s okay to use informal language, or IM-language. However, if you are in a formal situation such as emailing a teacher, it’s important that you use formal language. This means use correct capitalization, spelling, and grammar, and know your information is correct. If you don’t, the person on the other end might not take you seriously.

It’s important to teach this to students because this could be the difference in whether you get the job or don’t, or whether you get into your favorite school or not. You should always want to be taken seriously, both on the Internet and in real life. Know the appropriate language for different situations!

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Privacy is a big issue when it comes to being online. Often times, the right to privacy is ignored. Other online users can see your name, your thoughts, your pictures, your phone number, your address, or maybe even steal your identity. It is very important to keep this in mind when you are posting on the Internet. Make sure to keep your personal information limited and to keep your posts or profiles private if possible.

Also, be kind to your family and friends. Don’t share their personal information, such as names, addresses, or telephone numbers, with anybody unless you talk to them about it first. This is an important lesson to teach students because the more your privacy is protected, the safer you are going to be. Unfortunately, many online users do not have good intentions. It could be very dangerous for someone to know your personal information. Respect yourself, respect others, and keep it private!

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I think that the best way to teach about the issue with gossip online is to use an example. If there is a computer lab at my disposal I would have my class all sign on to their emails. I would have one student create an email and send it to one friend. That friend in turn would send it to two more. Those two would send it to two more and so on. This would illustrate how quickly gossip can spread online and how easily it would be for personal information to get to those who shouldn't have it.

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NetSmartz (NCMEC) "Bad Netiquette Stinks" - Internet Safety [HD]

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NetSmartz (NCMEC) "Bad Netiquette Stinks" - Internet Safety [HD] Trinity Mount Ministries assists in locating Missing Children and helps to stop Child Abuse. Main website: http://trinitymount.info

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(2000). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://www.netsmartz.org/NetSmartzKids/BadNetiquetteStinks

Keyboard Privacy Button 650 : Free Download & Streaming. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://archive.org/details/KeyboardPrivacyButton650

LOL, OMG and ILY: 60 of the dominating abbreviations. (2014, August 02). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://justenglish.me/2014/07/18/lol-omg-and-ily-60-of-the-dominating-abbreviations/

Why Gossip? (March 9). In S. SChiff (Author). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from http://www.connectusnow.org/why-gossip/ (Originally photographed March 9)

Using Bad Language Online. (2013, August 7). In A. Foley (Author). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://aislingfoley.com/use-of-bad-language-online/ (Originally photographed 2013, August 7)

5 Internet Safety Tips for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/5-internet-safety-tips-for-kids#

Netiquette-A Must for All. (n.d.). In A. Sadana (Author). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from http://sites.psu.edu/aws5868/2014/11/12/netiquette-a-must-for-all/

Teaching Styles: Tradition vs. Technology. (2011, October 28). Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://www.oxfordlearning.com/teaching-styles-tradition-vs-technology/ (Originally photographed 2011, October 28)

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As a teacher I would go over the lesson of when it’s okay to use informal language and when you need to use formal language and give examples. Then after explaining it to the class, the students could pair up, and I could go around to each pair and tell them whether they need to write formally or informally. The students then would work together to write a few sentences in formal or informal language. When everyone is finished, the students and I can go through each example together as a class and determine whether it is formal or informal and explain why.