Safe Social

Networking

with

Kindergarteners

Erin C. MarkusEdTech 597Fall 2010

Purpose

This presentation is for current or prospective Kindergarten or Early Education teachers, administration, and resource staff. This presentation will discuss the usage of social networks in Kindergarten.

What is Social Networking?

We define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to:

1. Construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system.

2. Articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection.

3. View and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.

The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site (Boyd & Ellison, 2007).

(Boyd & Ellison, 2007)

Benefits of Social Networking for Youth

• Young people as social participants and active citizens

• Young people developing a voice and building trust• Young people as content creators, managers and

distributors • Young people as collaborators and team players• Young people becoming independent and building

resilience • Young people developing key and real-world skills

(Childnet International, 2010)

Social Networking in Early Education

Social Networking in the Prekindergarten and Elementary Education area commonly ranges from creating virtual pets online and interacting with others to blogging or chatting. Since this is a very young age for children to begin interacting socially through the internet, most networks will ask the children for their parents email address or to mail in a signed permission form via internet or mail to verify their age. The most dangerous impact today usually found on social networks, is the entrapment of pedophiles to these young children. Other problems relate to family issues such as children not spending enough time with the family, especially at such a young age when family time is critical, both emotionally and physically (Horizon Project).

Social Networking with Kindergarteners

When using social networking tools with Kindergarteners, follow these guidelines:

• The teacher will be the ONLY person physically on the internet using the sites, unless the entire site is created for the age group. The children may not be ready for independence yet.

• Choose activities that can be performed as a group, preferably on a smart board, large computer screen, or at home with parents.

• Do not allow the students to roam freely on any social networking site, unless they have been trained and it is approved by the school and parents.

• Do not use any of the children’s names or photographs on the sites unless parents have given permission and the site is strictly password or membership protected. This is not foolproof, though. Use very generic content.

• Let them be creative, using the teacher as a conduit for sharing their creativity.

(List created by Erin Markus)

Potential Dangers

• Privacy– Privacy on social networking sites can be undermined by many factors. For example, users

may disclose personal information, sites may not take adequate steps to protect user privacy, and third parties frequently use information posted on social networks for a variety of purposes. "For the Net generation, social networking sites have become the preferred forum for social interactions, from posturing and role playing to simply sounding off. However, because such forums are relatively easy to access, posted content can be reviewed by anyone with an interest in the users' personal information“ (Rosenblum, 2007).

• Access to information– Many social networking services, such as Facebook, provide the user with a choice of who

can view their profile. This prevents unauthorized user(s) from accessing their information. Parents who want to access their child's MySpace or Facebook account have become a big problem for teenagers who do not want their profile seen by their parents. By making their profile private, teens can select who may see their page, allowing only people added as "friends" to view their profile and preventing unwanted parents from viewing it. Teens are constantly trying to create a structural barrier between their private life and their parents.

Potential Dangers (cont’d)

• Potential Misuse– The relative freedom afforded by social networking services has caused concern

regarding the potential of its misuse by individual patrons.

• Safety– Citizens and governments have been concerned by a misuse by child and teenagers of

social network services, particularly in relation to online sexual predators. A certain number of actions have been engaged by governments to better understand the problem and find some solutions (ISTTF, 2008).

• Bullying– Online bullying (aka "Cyber-bullying") is a relatively common occurrence and it can often

result in emotional trauma for the victim. Depending on the networking outlet, up to 39% of users admit to being “cyber-bullied” (Boyd & Ellison, 2007).

Safety “Rules and Tools”Rules

• Supervise use of all Internet-enabled devices.

• Follow all online activities.• Regularly check the online communities

the children use, such as social networking and gaming sites, to see what information they are viewing or posting.

• Monitor the photos and videos the kids post and send online.

• Discourage the use of webcams and mobile video devices at this age, without teacher involvement.

• Teach the children how to protect personal information posted online and to follow the same rules with respect to the personal information of others.

• Educate children on how to respond to cyberbullies.

• Restrict access to live chat rooms without very close supervision.

Tools• Set age appropriate filters.• Use monitoring software.• Monitor browser histories• Set time limits and consider using time-

limiting software.• Use safe search engines.• Set up Cyber Security Systems, if available.• Be sure children use privacy settings.

www.internetsafety101.org (2009)

Social Networking @ Home

Parental controls should be utilized on all Internet-enabled devices (desktops, laptops; and gaming, mobile, and music devices). However, these resources are not a substitute for parental supervision.It is important to educate parents to know where their school community stands on digital media and how issues are handled (Levinson & Socia, 2010).It is critical to engage parents in a dialogue regarding digital media and how concerns that arise are handled. Parents and schools have optimal opportunities to “teach in the moment” and to support clear and consistently upheld standards of behavior when using digital media (Levinson & Socia, 2010).

Network Safety Tools

There are software packages that can help keep the internet a safe, usable resource for children, as with most types of filters some work and some don't. Below are examples of a few that are on the market.

Introducing technology into the learning environment can encourage cooperative learning and student collaboration

(SEDL, 1999).

Virtual Worlds

Virtual Worlds are abundant online and more and more sites are being geared towards kids. Whether they prefer puppies or penguins, chatting or games, there are sites to appeal to a wide variety of personalities. Parents and teachers should take the time to find a site that matches their budget, the interests of their children, and their overall safety concerns.

Togetherville

Click Here to Watch YouTube Video about Togethervillehttp://togetherville.com/

SecretBuilders• SecretBuilders is a virtual world for children 5 to 14

years old powered by a web 2.0 community of children, parents, educators, writers, artists and game developers. On SecretBuilders, children will explore virtual lands, undertake quests, play games, maintain a home, nurture a pet, and interact with their friends

• SecretBuilders: SecretBuilders is a quirky virtual world, with an emphasis on culture and learning. Imagine conversing with William Shakespeare or Sherlock Holmes as you build your virtual home. There are games to play and mysterious quests to undertake. It's certainly unique in the realm of kids' virtual worlds so far. Secret Builders is currently free to play.

• SecretBuilders helps prepare students for decision making and guiding themselves through educational and life skills activities. In this activity, children can spend money, make important decisions, and communicate with others while traveling through their virtual society.

Teacher-Led Social Networking

There are many social networking opportunities for teachers to use with their classes. The following slides show some sample activities that can be used in an actual Kindergarten Classroom that has the required technology. All of these activities are teacher-led, but allow the children to be the decision makers and interactive participants.

Mrs. M’s Kinder Life Skills Flickr Group!

Come Grow With Us!Follow this Link to the site!This group is by invitation only. If you would like to

be added, let me know!

Flikr Group

For our Flikr Group, we will be using the group to share our experiences with parents and invited visitors. We will be posting announcements, pictures, and activity photos for all to see! You must have an invite to be a member of this group. If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Markus.

Come Grow With Us!

SkypeWe will be using Skype during our Life Skills UnitWe will be visiting with:• A dentist (oral hygiene)• A doctor (health)• A deployed soldier (being brave)• And anyone else that would like to share their time with us! Parents: Share your special skills with us!The Skype address for our room is: Mrs. Markus

Skype

Skype is a wonderful tool for communicating on the internet and see a face at the same time. We will be using Skype to have a few visitors to the room during our Life Skills Unit. These visitors may be far away and this gives us an opportunity to visit with anyone, anywhere in the world! The children can ask live questions and share some of their work with the guests, as they share their specialty with us!

Skype Generic Lesson PlanName of Activity: Skype Visitor Grade: KindergartenSubject: Life SkillsMaterials: Computer Lab or Classroom ActivBoardTime Requirement: 30 minutes

Lesson Objectives:Students will:• Interact with a classroom visitor via Skype• Listen intently as the visitor teaches them about a special topic• Ask questions to inquire more on the topic

Prior Knowledge: Students understand the protocol of a class visitor

Activity Directions:1. Pre-arrange the visitor.2. Have a trial run earlier in the day or the day

prior to the visit to ensure that equipment and contact information is in order.

3. Have students come to the carpet in front of the camera so the visitor can view the entire class.

4. Allow the visitor to guide the students through the visit and decide when they will ask questions. If the visitor requests, you may mediate the visit.

5. Make sure students are sitting quietly and that only one person talks at a time, since the microphone is very sensitive.

6. Plan for a specified start and stop time and stick to it. Intervene if necessary.

FarmvilleUtilizing my Facebook.com Login, we will be working a farm together as a class as we learn about eating healthy and growing our own fruits and vegetables!

This activity can be accomplished by opening up Farmville on the ActivBoard and the class will assist me in making all of my gardening and farming decisions throughout the year.

We will see the seasons change, the holidays come and go, and we will be need to be very responsible to ensure that our food does not die before harvesting!

Farmville is located inside Facebook as an application. A login is required.

www.facebook.com or www.farmville.com

Farmville

Farmville is an application within the platform of Facebook. Farmville is a fun, interactive activity that involves planning and maintaining a farm, gardens, and forests. The children will love to help the teacher in the day-to-day function of the farm This activity will teach them about healthy fruits and vegetables and let them experience a way of life that they may never get to see. This activity will be performed as a group utilizing the ActivBoard. The class will be directly involved in all of the decision making. They will love it!

Farmville Generic Lesson PlanName of Activity: Farmville Grade: KindergartenSubject: Life SkillsMaterials: Computer Lab or Classroom ActivBoardTime Requirement: 30 minutes

Lesson Objectives:Students will:• Recite names of fruits and vegetables.• Learn about seasonal fruits and vegetables.• Think about and apply new knowledge to farming decisions. Prior Knowledge: Students have been introduced to basic healthy eating habits, that include fruits and vegetables.

Activity Directions:1. Situate students on the carpet in front of

the ActivBoard.2. Open up Facebook and Log-in to Farmville

application, if not already completed.3. Ask the students what they did on the farm

last time.4. Talk about the season and what fruits and

vegetables grow in that season.5. Check on the farm to see what needs to be

done on that day (harvesting, planting, etc.)

6. Call on students to help you choose where and how to plant the crops.

7. Allow them to be creative. If their decision causes harm to the crop, they will learn about it.

8. Limit the Farmville time to 30 minutes.

Web Safety Resources• ConnectSafely

www.connectsafely.org ConnectSafely is a forum for parents, teens, educators, and advocates designed to give teens and parents a voice in the public discussion about youth online safety, and has tips, as well as other resources, for safe blogging and social networking. Along with NetFamilyNews.org, it is a project of the non-profit Tech Parenting Group.

• Cyberbully411 www.cyberbully411.orgCyberbully411 provides resources and opportunities for discussion and sharing for youth — and their parents — who have questions about or may have been targeted by online harassment. The website was created by the non-profit Internet Solutions for Kids, Inc., with funding from the Community Technology Foundation of California.

• GetNetWise www.getnetwise.orgGetNetWise is a public service sponsored by Internet industry corporations and public interest organizations to help ensure that Internet users have safe, constructive, and educational or entertaining online experiences. The GetNetWise coalition works to provide Internet users with the resources they need to make informed decisions about their and their family’s use of the Internet.

• Internet Keep Safe Coalition www.iKeepSafe.org iKeepSafe.org is a coalition of 49 governors/first spouses, law enforcement, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other associations dedicated to helping parents, educators, and caregivers by providing tools and guidelines to promote safe Internet and technology use among children.

Technology Integration1. Technology is only technology for those who were born BEFORE it. -author unknown2. We need to prepare students for THEIR future, not OUR past. – Ian Jukes, Educator and

Futurist3. Teachers need to stop saying “Hand it in”, and instead say “Publish it” -Alan November4. We have moved from “know what” learning to “know where” learning.5. The largest number of podcasts in education are about podcasts on education.-Marco

Torres6. Kids DO want to learn, but schools get in the way.-author unknown7. Digital Media enables us to build more stages for our kids to express themselves. -

Marco Torres8. What gets us in trouble is not what we don't know. It's what we know that just ain't

so.- Mark Twain9. We need to replicate in the classroom the world in which students are living.10. If we teach today the way we were taught yesterday we aren't preparing students for

today or tomorrow.

All quotes retrieved from Innovative Educator Blog (2008)

ResourcesBoyd, D. M., & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and

scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 11. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html

Childnet International (2010). Social networking: benefits and opportunities. Retrieved November 10, 2010 from http://www.digizen.org/socialnetworking/risks.aspx

David Rosenblum (2007). "What Anyone Can Know: The Privacy Risks of Social Networking Sites“

Internet Safety (2009) www.internetsafety101.orgInternet Safety Technical Task Force, Final Report of the Internet Safety Technical Task

Force to the Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking of State Attorneys General of the United States. 2008 (published 31 December 2008). Retrieved from: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/pubrelease/isttf/

Levinson, Matt & Socia, Deb (2010). Moving beyond one size fits all with digital citizenship. Retrieved from: http://publius.cc/moving_beyond_one_size_fits_all_digital_citizenship#About

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL). (1999). Retrieved September 2, 2010, from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/cnc.html

http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com/Impact+on+Education+SocialNetworking