Digital Footprints
Download a Free Copy of the Guide here:
Online Resources for Students, Parents and Teachers
- Get Net Wise
Online Safety Guide, Tools for Families, Web Sites for Kids, and Reporting Trouble section. Also a fantastic “How to Video Tutorial” section that houses the largest online repository of instructional how-to video tutorials that show parents and users how to keep their family’s online experiences safe and secure.
- Kid Safety On the Internet
Created by the University of Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, this site is presented in a “slide-show” fashion, containing questions and answers to help kids protect themselves and handle emergencies (Parents may wish to help guide younger kids through the pages and discuss how these ideas apply to them around the home and at school).
- SafeKids.com
Continuously updated blog with relevant useful information and a ton of resources.
- Kids Rules
A pdf document with rules you can post next to your computer as a constant reminder of cyber safety for your child.
- Kids Health
Information site for Parents, kids and teens. Mainly articles written about being safe online and geared more towards parents than kids. Would be a good reference site for students doing research for an online safety project.
- NY State Division of Criminal Justice Services
Lots of solid information here. Contains the 102 page “State of Online Safety Report” compiled by the Family Online Safety Institute.
- A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety
The FBI’s guide to being safe online has a lot of great tips and information.
- Privacy Playground
Situational game and quiz for kids (ages 7-9) and a 34 page teachers guide. A bit of a slow moving game, but it brings up some very important issues that kids often don’t know, or tend not to think about.
- Wired Kids
Site with information and resources for kids, tweens, teens, parents and educators.
- Disney’s Online Safety
Some rules, resources and videos here. This used to be the home of Surfswell Island, which was a fantastic game for teaching kids different aspects about staying safe online. The game, as of December, 2009, has disappeared, making Disney’s online safety site much less kid focused.
Update: Surfswell Island can be found here.
- Protectkids.com
Lots of useful information organized in a way that makes it easy to browse the site. Sections devoted to Internet Dangers, Empowering Parents, Youth Safety Rules, Online Predators, and much, much more.
- Enough.org
The national Enough is Enough (EIE) campaign was formally launched in November of 1992 by a group of women concerned about the harmful effects of illegal pornography and its link to the sexual exploitation of children, women and men. The EIE mission is to make the Internet Safer for Children and Families, and this well-connected site has vast amount of useful information, statistics, resources, and programs.
- FBI Kids
Not a whole lot of information here, but the fact that the information comes from the FBI gives this site more clout with the kids.
- NetSmart Kidz
I really love this site and find myself using it year in and year out with my third and fourth graders. Lots of fun, interactive games, excellent rapping videos by Clicky the Robot and just a lot of great messages and lessons throughout.
- I Keep Safe
I Keep Safe is another site I keep going back to, and the I Keep Safe Blog is a fantastic resource for teachers and parents. Faux Paw’s Adventures in the Internet movie is a great way to kick off a unit on Internet Safety (you can watch the one on YouTube to show a full screen version).
- I Keep Safe Digital Citizen C3 Matrix
The Digital Citizenship C3 Matrix is provided to assist educators in integrating the essentials of cyber-safety, cyber-security, and cyber-ethics (C3 concepts) into existing technology and literacy standards and curricula.
- Woogi World
Woogi World, a unique venue within the virtual social network, was created to teach a generation of elementary-age children to safely and effectively use the Internet to 1) enhance their academic skills, 2) build positive character traits, and 3) inspire them to work together to create a better world community.
- Cyber Safety Guide
16 page pdf handbook for parents
- Kidsmart
Fun, colorful, interactive site broken down into categories such as: Social Networking, File Sharing, Safe Searching, Digital Footprints, Games, Music and more. Also includes a teacher section with great information and a fantastic resource section which includes lesson plans, games, student surveys and projects.
- Digizen
Good information for tweens and teens about social networking and cyberbullying.
- Don’t Believe the Type
Know the dangers, situations to avoid and surf safer. An informative site for tweens and teens.
- Get Your Web License
Take this “Rules of the Road” test to earn your official PBS Kids Web license!
- Wired Safety
A plethora of resources here geared mainly towards parents There is also a section for educators and a kids, tweens and teens section.
- Face Chipz
A free site, but kids (parents) will need to buy FaceChipz at your local Toys R’ Us. Lots of similarities to Facebook. Kids login and have friends they can communicate with. The difference is that they can only become online friends with someone they’ve physically exchanged FaceChipz with. Once a FaceChipz token is registered by both the giver and receiver, it cannot be used again. The code on the back of the chip becomes unusable – guaranteeing that if a stranger gets a hold of a chip, they could not link it to the previous holders. There is no internal search function, and the platform is designed to prevent search engines from picking up on kids’ postings.
- Cyber Tipline
From the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Information regarding child sexual exploitation entered into this form will be forwarded to law enforcement for investigation and review.
- Student Guide to Cyberbullying
6 page pdf with questions at the end for students to answer.
- Internet Safety Connections Game
Sponsored by ATT, this game site for younger kids has students answer internet safety questions to help Captain Broadband fight the nasty character. When they get all the questions correct, the nasty character is taken to jail and the student becomes a certified hero.
- Cyber Tree House
Nice graphics in this 4 story tree house consisting of: Be Cyber Safe, Smart and Uncool, Games and Videos.
- The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
The Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use has a range of professional resources to assist schools in addressing the challenges of safe and responsible Internet use and the important shift to 21st Century learning environments.
Most of the resources that are in the form of video presentations – with accompanying presentation handouts. Other documents will also be provided. Some will be available for use at no charge for non-profit educational purposes.
- ThinkQuest
Great interactive resource that allows for secure collaboration. Lots of information about cyber bullying, predator warning signs, and personal information sharing.
- Internet Safety – Facts vs. Myths
This resource blog was made for 7th graders at Berkshire Country Day School in Western Massachusetts. Lots of great information in this blog including cyberbullying, sexting, media awareness, and some videos as well.
- Common Sense Media
Geared towards parents and educators, this website provides trustworthy information and tools, as well as an independent forum, so that families can have a choice and a voice about the media they consume.
- Cybrary Man’s Cyber Safety Resources
Fantastic list of links to internet safety sites. The ethos of this site is that it is essential that parents and teachers work with their children/students to make the internet a safe environment.
- Safer Internet
The mission of Safer Internet is to inform parents about the ways they can protect themselves as well as their children from the dangers caused by improper use of the new interactive technologies, such as the Internet and the mobile phones. This is achieved through a variety of polymorphic events and activities, organized on a 2-year basis.
Safety Videos:
- Internet Safety
A Public Service Announcement on Internet Safety. You never know who you’re talking to. A young girl instant messages with another “girl” gives away too much personal info and agrees to meet in person.
- Internet Safety
The internet is a valuable resource tool for a child’s education and a great way to keep in touch with family & friends. But there are hidden dangers lurking… This video shows kids giving away personal info and the implications this can cause.
- Cyber Bullying
This video illustrates the dangers of cyber bullying and offers solutions to the problem.
- Bullycide in America
Moms speak out about the bullying/suicide connection. From www.Bullycide.org
- Bulletin Board
What you post can be seen by anyone.
- Real Life Digital Reputation
From ikeepsafe.org video shows how having an online reputation can either work for or against you.
- Re: Cry of the Dolphins
A surprising message about cyberbullying and posting hateful comments online.
- Phineas and Ferb
Disney Channel’s stars Phineas and Ferb teach kids how to be safe online in this fun video. How do you teach responsible online behavior? Start by learning the rules of the road yourself. Common Sense Media has some Rules of the Road just for you, including video advice that will get you thinking about how media and technology fit into your family’s life.
Special thanks to the following educators who graciously contributed to this compilation:
Like this:
Like Loading...
Ed Tech Ideas 
Great list. I would add Net Family News as the best constantly updated discussion of hot issues about kids and online safety. http://www.netfamilynews.org/