A guide to ensuring safe internet usage for your child

• January 24, 2009
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The computer has become a valuable learning resource for almost any topic imaginable. School subjects are certainly no exception here. There are great resources on the World Wide Web, including Math Buddy, that offer lessons, worksheets, practice tests and more. These sites provide information that can help your student perform well in school.

When your young student needs to use the Internet, you want to make sure that he or she stays safe while finding information that is useful and relevant. Fortunately, there are several ways to do this effectively.

The first thing you should consider is that there are pros and cons to restricting your child’s access to the Internet. While filtering can typically restrict much of the content and images that you do not want your child to be exposed to, it may also hinder the student’s ability to access great web content that has legitimate educational purposes.

How is filtering different from monitoring, and which method should you use to produce the best results? In order to determine your course of action, consider the difference in filtering and monitoring.

When you filter the Internet for your child, you use a service that screens websites and makes a determination whether or not the content is appropriate for certain age levels.

Monitoring, on the other hand, attempts to encourage responsible use of the Internet by providing guidance in the form of accountability. Monitoring software allows you to track the sites visited by your child, the length of time spent on a page, and which links were clicked. You can even monitor your student’s keystrokes to see exactly what they are typing while they are using the computer.

If you decide that monitoring is the way to go, you can begin immediately, without purchasing any expensive equipment. One great way to monitor Internet use is to view the browser history provided by your browser. Most well-known browsers have settings that allow you to track up to a month’s worth of activity. If your child learns how to block this ability, they may be able to erase their browser history with just a few clicks, so in order for this method to work, you must know your child’s technological capabilities. The cache and cookies stored on your computer also contain information about what has been viewed and which sites have been interacted with, but again, a savvy child will be able to edit or delete this information.

You can also purchase software that will allow the screen of a student to be viewed on the monitor of an adult who can supervise the Internet activity. When possible, work with your child to explain what areas of the Internet he or she may use, and watch them interact with the Internet from time to time to teach them healthy ways of finding the information they need online. Once you are able to establish a trust relationship with your child, you may find that you need to monitor his or her Internet usage less frequently. It is important that your child is aware that you are monitoring their activity and have certain expectations for the time that they spend online. Showing your student what you expect will give them the tools they need to act responsibly while they use the Internet.

When used responsibly, the Internet is a powerful tool that can help your child succeed in school.

Click here to access Math Buddy to check out activities, worksheets and much more now..