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"MySpace makes it easy to express yourself, connect with friends and make new ones, but please remember that what you post publicly could embarrass you or expose you to danger. Here are some common sense guidelines that you should follow when using MySpace:

• Don't forget that your profile and MySpace forums are public spaces. Don't post anything you wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., your phone number, address, IM screens name, or specific whereabouts). Avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as where you hang out every day after school.
• People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new MySpace friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do not fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and bring a friend or trusted adult.
• Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you feel someone's behavior is inappropriate, react. Talk with a trusted adult, or report it to MySpace or the authorities.
• Don't post anything that would embarrass you later. Think twice before posting a photo or info you wouldn't want your parents or boss to see!
• Don't mislead people into thinking that you're older or younger. If you are under 14 and pretend to be older, customer service will delete your profile. If you are over 18 and pretend to be a teenager to contact underage users, customer service will delete your profile.
• Don’t get hooked by a phishing scam.  Phishing is a method used by fraudsters to try to get your personal information, such as your username and password, by pretending to be a site you trust. "

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You can help your children succeed in school by helping them follow these 10 tips.

• Tip #1: Focus on Homework.  For each subject, whether your children have been given homework or not, make sure they review their notes.  This will mean that when a big test or an end of unit test comes up, they will be prepared to study for it.  Focusing on homework will also help your children be ready for the next lesson, and ready to ask any questions that might have come up.
  
   
• Tip #2: Keep your notes neat and clear.  While your children are applying Tip # 1, they can “kill two birds with one stone” by improving the quality of their notes.  Make sure your childrens' notes contain all the information they need to know.  Have them highlight or underline the most important points.  Notes full of crossed out words and messy ink patches need to be rewritten altogether. 
  
   
• Tip #3: Keep your schoolbag neat.  At least once a week have your children empty their schoolbags to make them neater.  You will be amazed by what they might find!  Often, some “lost” notes or homework will show up just in time.  For this reason, it is best to have your children do this in the middle of the week, Wednesday night is best.  After a little while, your children will become naturally neater.
  
   
• Tip #4: Use your time efficiently.  If your children get stuck on a particular piece of homework, have them leave it and move on to the next piece.  Otherwise, their frustration will rise and make matters worse.  Have your children go back to the piece they left after a while. Things might be clearer then.   
  
   
• Tip #5: Always look ahead.  Your children should use their school planners or their own schedules to anticipate what they will need to be doing soon. Encourage them to do a little bit extra, even when they seem to be finished with the homework for that day.  If a test is coming up, make sure your children don’t leave studying to the last minute. 
  
   
• Tip #6: Do research wisely.  If research is involved in a project, be careful about how your children use the Internet. The Internet is a valuable resource, but it can be very distracting. Your children might get sidetracked and waste time going from topic to topic.  Every now and then, take your children to the library to do their research.  They will find valuable information and learn many useful research skills.
  
   
• Tip #7: Use technology.  Help your children learn to use a computer effectively to apply to their schoolwork.  Let them experiment with PowerPoint, Publisher, Front Page, and other programs.  Help your children learn to type efficiently and use Word correctly.  Install appropriate audio books on their iPods and watch the Discovery Channel and other educational television programs with them.
  
   
• Tip #8: Find your way.  This is going to be trial and error at the beginning, but for any subject and homework assignment, your children will have to find what works best for them.  If positive results are not occurring, there is something they are not doing right.  Some children may have to rewrite their notes to remember facts, others might have to read them aloud, while still others might need to act them out or build something.  Once the right way is found, learning will improve.
  
   
• Tip #9: Prioritize what must be done.  Your children must learn to prioritize the things they need to do.  Schoolwork and extracurricular activities must come first.  Make this very clear to your children and help them stick to this priority.
  
   
• Tip #10: Communicate with teachers.  This applies to you as parents as well as to your children.  If there is any doubt about an assignment, contact the teacher.  Encourage your children to ask the teacher if they find something to be unclear.  Your children can do this after class or the next day.  Doing this will also help your children develop important communication skills and build their self-confidence.

This article was contributed by Florence Bernard, Parental Consultant.
www.betteratschool.com"

Taken from http://www.how-to-study.com/parent-tips.htm on 3/17/09

12 safety tips on blogging for parents and kids

Published: October 7, 2006

The practice of blogging, short for keeping a "Web log" or online personal journal, has spread like wildfire—especially among teenagers, who sometimes maintain blogs without the knowledge of their parents or guardians. Recent studies show that teenagers write roughly half of all blogs today, with two out of three providing their age, three out of five revealing their location and contact information, and one in five revealing their full name. It should go without saying that there are potential risks in sharing this type of detailed personal information. And, as more young peers create more blogs, they tend to compete increasingly with each other for attention. Sometimes this can lead to kids posting inappropriate material such as provocative pictures of themselves or their friends. A quick blogging primer for parents Although keeping a blog offers potential benefits including improved writing skills and communication, it's important to educate your kids about the Internet and blogging before they begin—much like completing driving school before hitting the road solo. Here are a few suggestions to get started: • Establish rules for online use with your kids and be diligent. • Screen what your kids plan to post before they post it. Seemingly innocuous information, such as a school mascot and town photo, could be put together to reveal where the author goes to school. • Ask yourself (and instruct your kids to do the same) if you are you comfortable showing any of the content to a stranger. If in doubt, have them take it out. • Evaluate the blogging service and find out if it offers private, password-protected blogs. • Save the Web address of your child's blog and review it on a regular basis. • Check out other blogs to find positive examples for your kids to emulate. Top of page Basic guidelines for bloggers The following tips are a good place to start for kids interested in blogging, although by no means comprehensive. It's a good idea for parents to add more guidelines to suit their family's particular needs. Start by telling kids that they should: • Never offer any personal information including your last name, contact information, home address, phone numbers, school's name, e-mail address, last names of friends or relatives, instant messaging names, age, or birth date. • Never post provocative pictures of yourself or anyone else, and be sure any images you provide do not reveal any of the previously mentioned information. Always remember to look at the background of a picture too. • Assume what you publish on the Web is permanent. Anyone on the Internet can easily print out a blog or save it to a computer. • Use blogging provider sites with clearly stated terms of use, and make sure they can protect the actual blogs, not just the user accounts, with password protection. (Even so, it's better to assume anyone can see it.) • Avoid trying to "outdo" or compete with other bloggers. • Keep blogs positive and don't use them for slander or to attack others.

Taken from http://www.microsoft.com/protect/family/activities/blogging.mspx on December 18, 2008

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12 safety tips on blogging for parents and kids

The practice of blogging, short for keeping a "Web log" or online personal journal, has spread like wildfire—especially among teenagers, who sometimes maintain blogs without the knowledge of their parents or guardians. Recent studies show that teenagers write roughly half of all blogs today, with two out of three providing their age, three out of five revealing their location and contact information, and one in five revealing their full name. It should go without saying that there are potential risks in sharing this type of detailed personal information. And, as more young peers create more blogs, they tend to compete increasingly with each other for attention. Sometimes this can lead to kids posting inappropriate material such as provocative pictures of themselves or their friends. A quick blogging primer for parents Although keeping a blog offers potential benefits including improved writing skills and communication, it's important to educate your kids about the Internet and blogging before they begin—much like completing driving school before hitting the road solo. Here are a few suggestions to get started: • Establish rules for online use with your kids and be diligent. • Screen what your kids plan to post before they post it. Seemingly innocuous information, such as a school mascot and town photo, could be put together to reveal where the author goes to school. • Ask yourself (and instruct your kids to do the same) if you are you comfortable showing any of the content to a stranger. If in doubt, have them take it out. • Evaluate the blogging service and find out if it offers private, password-protected blogs. • Save the Web address of your child's blog and review it on a regular basis. • Check out other blogs to find positive examples for your kids to emulate. Top of page Basic guidelines for bloggers The following tips are a good place to start for kids interested in blogging, although by no means comprehensive. It's a good idea for parents to add more guidelines to suit their family's particular needs. Start by telling kids that they should: • Never offer any personal information including your last name, contact information, home address, phone numbers, school's name, e-mail address, last names of friends or relatives, instant messaging names, age, or birth date. • Never post provocative pictures of yourself or anyone else, and be sure any images you provide do not reveal any of the previously mentioned information. Always remember to look at the background of a picture too. • Assume what you publish on the Web is permanent. Anyone on the Internet can easily print out a blog or save it to a computer. • Use blogging provider sites with clearly stated terms of use, and make sure they can protect the actual blogs, not just the user accounts, with password protection. (Even so, it's better to assume anyone can see it.) • Avoid trying to "outdo" or compete with other bloggers. • Keep blogs positive and don't use them for slander or to attack others.

Taken from http://www.microsoft.com/protect/family/activities/blogging.mspx on December 18, 2008

Tips for Safe Traveling

Like most parents, you probably have rules for how your children should deal with strangers, which TV shows, movies, and videos they're allowed to watch, what stores they're allowed to enter, and where and how far from home they're allowed to travel. It's important to make similar rules for your children's Internet use and to be aware of their online activities.

You'll also want to make sure that surfing the Net doesn't take the place of homework, social activities, or other important interests. You might even set an alarm clock or timer if you or your child tend to lose track of time. This section offers tips for ensuring that your children have safe, productive, and enjoyable experiences on the Internet.

Interacting with Others on the Internet

Just as we tell our children to be wary of strangers they meet, we need to tell them to be wary of strangers on the Internet. Most people behave reasonably and decently online, but some are rude, mean, or even criminal. Teach your children that they should:

 

• Never give out personal information (including their name, home address, phone number, age, race, family income, school name or location, or friends' names) or use a credit card online without your permission.

   

• Never share their password, even with friends.

   

• Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet online unless you approve of the meeting and go with them to a public place.

   

• Never respond to messages that make them feel confused or uncomfortable. They should ignore the sender, end the communication, and tell you or another trusted adult right away.

   

• Never use bad language or send mean messages online.

   

Also, make sure your children know that people they meet online are not always who they say they are and that online information is not necessarily private.

Limiting Children to Appropriate Content on the Internet

Even without trying, your children can come across materials on the Internet that are obscene, pornographic, violent, hate filled, racist, or offensive in other ways. One type of material--child pornography--is illegal. You should report it to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE LOST (843-5678) or going to http://www.missingkids.org/. While other offensive material is not illegal, there are steps you can take to keep it away from your children and out of your home.

 

• Make sure your children understand what you consider appropriate for them. What kinds of sites are they welcome to visit? What areas are off limits? How much time can they spend, and when? How much money, if any, can they spend? Set out clear, reasonable rules and consequences for breaking them.

   

• Make online exploration a family activity. Put the computer in the living room or family room. This arrangement involves everyone and helps you monitor what your children are doing.

   

• Pay attention to games your older child might download or copy. Some are violent or contain sexual content.

   

• Look into software or online services that filter out offensive materials and sites. Options include stand alone software that can be installed on your computer, and devices that label or filter content directly on the web. In addition, many Internet Service Providers and commercial online services offer site blocking, restrictions on incoming e-mail, and children's accounts that access specific services. Often, these controls are available at no additional cost. Be aware, however, children are often smart enough to get around these restrictions. Nothing can replace your supervision and involvement.

 

 

• Find out what the Internet use policy is at your local library.

   

• Ask about the Internet use policy at your child's school.

Encouraging Information Literacy

Show your children how to use and evaluate information they find on the Internet. Not all online information is reliable. Some individuals and organizations are very careful about the accuracy of the information they post, but others are not. Some even mislead on purpose. Remind your children not to copy online information and claim it's their own or copy software unless it is clearly labeled as free.

Help children understand the nature of commercial information, advertising, and marketing, including who created it and why it exists. Encourage them to think about why something is provided and appears in a specific way. Steer your children to noncommercial sites and other places that don't sell products specifically to children. It is important to be aware of the potential risks involved in going online, but it is also important to keep them in perspective. Common sense and clear guidelines are the place to start.

From http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/tips.html on 9/17/07

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Tips for Safe Traveling

Like most parents, you probably have rules for how your children should deal with strangers, which TV shows, movies, and videos they're allowed to watch, what stores they're allowed to enter, and where and how far from home they're allowed to travel. It's important to make similar rules for your children's Internet use and to be aware of their online activities.

You'll also want to make sure that surfing the Net doesn't take the place of homework, social activities, or other important interests. You might even set an alarm clock or timer if you or your child tend to lose track of time. This section offers tips for ensuring that your children have safe, productive, and enjoyable experiences on the Internet.

Interacting with Others on the Internet

Just as we tell our children to be wary of strangers they meet, we need to tell them to be wary of strangers on the Internet. Most people behave reasonably and decently online, but some are rude, mean, or even criminal. Teach your children that they should:

• Never give out personal information (including their name, home address, phone number, age, race, family income, school name or location, or friends' names) or use a credit card online without your permission.

   

• Never share their password, even with friends.

   

• Never arrange a face-to-face meeting with someone they meet online unless you approve of the meeting and go with them to a public place.

   

• Never respond to messages that make them feel confused or uncomfortable. They should ignore the sender, end the communication, and tell you or another trusted adult right away.

   

• Never use bad language or send mean messages online.

   

Limiting Children to Appropriate Content on the Internet

Even without trying, your children can come across materials on the Internet that are obscene, pornographic, violent, hate filled, racist, or offensive in other ways. One type of material--child pornography--is illegal. You should report it to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE LOST (843-5678) or going to http://www.missingkids.org/. While other offensive material is not illegal, there are steps you can take to keep it away from your children and out of your home.

• Make sure your children understand what you consider appropriate for them. What kinds of sites are they welcome to visit? What areas are off limits? How much time can they spend, and when? How much money, if any, can they spend? Set out clear, reasonable rules and consequences for breaking them.

   

• Make online exploration a family activity. Put the computer in the living room or family room. This arrangement involves everyone and helps you monitor what your children are doing.

   

• Pay attention to games your older child might download or copy. Some are violent or contain sexual content.

   

• Look into software or online services that filter out offensive materials and sites. Options include stand alone software that can be installed on your computer, and devices that label or filter content directly on the web. In addition, many Internet Service Providers and commercial online services offer site blocking, restrictions on incoming e-mail, and children's accounts that access specific services. Often, these controls are available at no additional cost. Be aware, however, children are often smart enough to get around these restrictions. Nothing can replace your supervision and involvement.

• Find out what the Internet use policy is at your local library.

   

• Ask about the Internet use policy at your child's school.

Encouraging Information Literacy

Show your children how to use and evaluate information they find on the Internet. Not all online information is reliable. Some individuals and organizations are very careful about the accuracy of the information they post, but others are not. Some even mislead on purpose. Remind your children not to copy online information and claim it's their own or copy software unless it is clearly labeled as free.

Help children understand the nature of commercial information, advertising, and marketing, including who created it and why it exists. Encourage them to think about why something is provided and appears in a specific way. Steer your children to noncommercial sites and other places that don't sell products specifically to children. It is important to be aware of the potential risks involved in going online, but it is also important to keep them in perspective. Common sense and clear guidelines are the place to start.

From http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/tips.html on 9/17/07

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Kids' Rules for Online Safety

Rules one through six are  adapted from the brochure Child Safety on the Information Highway by SafeKids.Com founder Larry Magid. (© 2004 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children). Rules 7 through 10 are copyrighted by Larry Magid (© 2005)