2009 2012 National Age Group Motivational Times Long Course Meters

i-PARENT Times
March 2009 - April 2009
Family Insider—Understanding Web 2.0
Table of Contents
Family Insider .....................................1
Safe Gaming Web Sites ......................3
Site Spotlight .....................................4
Online Pharmacies Update .................4
E-Rate Compliance Package ...............5
You Sent What?!? ............................6
NAC Tracks
Continued on page 2
“As long as you live, keep
learning how to live. ”
~ Lucius Annaeus Seneca
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Family Insider—Understanding Web 2.0 continued from page 1
It is likely that even if you are not aware of
the actual term, Web 2.0, you are already using
technologies that facilitate it. Many of the ways you
choose to interact online are the basis for Web 2.0 ter-
minology. Blogging, adding to a wiki, interacting on a
social network and virtual worlds are all examples of
the way the online world allows for the rich interaction
Web 2.0 users expect.
If the history of the Internet so far is an indica-
tion of the future, it is likely that the term Web 2.0
will also become passé, overwritten as others have
A “Just Say No” approach WILL NOT work. Instead,
been by technology that is always changing and
we need to instruct students to be proactive and be able
progressing. The important goal, however, is not to
to identify methods for safely and responsibly posting
adopt new terminology, but to recognize that digital
and interacting online. i-SAFE curriculum is frequent-
technologies, including the Internet, are becoming
ly updated and has materials and lessons to educate
more interactive and user controlled.
parents, students and staff about all of the latest
Safety and Security in a Web 2.0 World
developing Web 2.0 platforms. In the past year, we
have added the “A Web 2.0 World” unit of instruction
Understanding that Web 2.0 is about interaction
for grades 6 – 12 with lessons, resources and articles
helps one understand why many of the safety and
to help students understand and safely interact in the
security concerns we are hearing about in the news are
online environment. New Web 2.0 lessons for middle and
closely tied to Web 2.0 technologies
high school students also include “Social Networking”,
It is difficult to get into trouble in a flat/static “Digital Footprint” and “Negative Networking”.
online world. The issues of the early Internet were
i-SAFE works from the foundation that the Internet
predominantly related to viewing material that was
is a fact of life. It is deeply entrenched in our culture
considered inappropriate. However, as technology
and, for many teens, it is used to complete their daily
advanced and more interaction online occurs, we
life tasks and activities. i-SAFE’s series of Life Skills
have seen the associated issues and risks skyrock-
workbooks targets teens and the things they are apt
et. Now that people are interacting online more we
to do online with little thought to safety and security,
have predators, bullies and identity theft making the
such as shopping, banking, applying to colleges, and
headlines daily.
more. i-SAFE’s fun and interactive workbooks ensure
So, how does one teach e-Safety in a Web 2.0
that safety and security are as integral as the Internet
world? The same way we always have. i-SAFE’s e-Safety
to their daily lives. Purchase all Life Skills workbooks
education concepts align perfectly with the advances
through the i-SAFE store.
of technology. We understand that online users aren’t
This Web 2.0 world, with the Internet as a key inter-
happy to sit back and observe. The power and appeal
active element, can seem daunting. How do we ensure
of the Internet is in the technologies that allow one to
our students are thinking about consequences? How do
have a presence in the environment. For youth who are
we make them safer? i-SAFE curriculum incorporates
exploring and developing their offline identities, the
safety and security messages into lessons. The best part
Web is irresistible. They will be online, they will com- – the message is appropriate for the new interactive Web,
municate with others, they will post blogs and photos,
meets best practices, and conforms to emerging research
log onto chats, use wikis, navigate social networks, and
on how teens learn, how their brains work, and what
more. This is part of their culture of identity.
messages we should be sending.
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i-PARENT Times
Safe Gaming Web Site
Con
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n e
u d
e fro
r m
o pa
p ge
a
Nintendo made quite an impression last year
when it came out with Wii Fit, a video game that it
marketed as helping the player get fit and stay healthy.
Now, almost a year later, the consensus among players
and others is that the Wii Fit is living up to the hype;
even some doctors have weighed-in by saying that
playing Wii Fit can give students – as well as adults – a
good workout.
Exercising with the Wii Fit and playing tennis on a
Wii Sport may be the latest and coolest thing in a long
and growing list of console games, computer games,
and portable games that make up a $21 billion-a-year
advice, helpful hints, and other information they need
gaming industry in sales alone. All of this proves that
to manage the media in their homes. The Get Game
video games are truly ingrained into young people’s
Smart Pledge encourages conversation and agreement
lives. The Pew Research and American Life Project
between parents and their children.
estimates that 97% of students age 12-17 routinely
As a family, we pledge to:
play video games. When asked the follow-up question,
• Talk about WHAT KIND OF MEDIA CONTENT
half of all students surveyed said they played a video
(games, TV shows, Web sites) is accepted in our
game “yesterday.”
home. When in doubt, we will check with retailers
Statistics like those mean that video games are
or online (e.g., www.esrb.org) for additional infor-
anything but a passing fad. However, as parents
mation on rating systems and advice.
and educators, it is important to stress that while
• Set LIMITS around the amount of time spent in front
they are having fun, students also need to play
of a screen including playing video games, watching
safely and responsibly. For example, teenagers going
TV or using the computer.
online to play a multi-player game must realize the
• Learn about and set-up PARENTAL CONTROLS on
game is really an online community. Residents in that
our video game consoles and computers.
community have a common interest, and through
• Practice ONLINE SAFETY by keeping personal
text chatting and voice-chat technology players get
information private, reporting cyber bullying, and
to know each other and quickly become friends.
understanding who it’s appropriate to communicate
Players can be exposed to cyber predators and bullies,
or play with online.
as well as inappropriate language and content. Before
• Talk about our family’s media choices, and discuss
choosing a game or game community, students and
the IMAGES and MESSAGES we see in video games,
parents should know something about it – especially
on the Web and TV.
its rating and acceptable use policy. Is the site super-
• Enjoy gaming and PLAY TOGETHER.
vised? Students and parents should also know about
setting screen time limits and making rules about
i-SAFE’s “Safety in Online Gaming” curriculum
what’s OK and what’s off limits.
is designed for middle and high school students. It
Get Game Smart is a campaign led by Microsoft
is available through a teacher’s Implementation Plan.
to provide parents with tools and resources to help
Through these lesson plans, students understand
them manage their children’s gaming and enter-
the safety and security risks associated with online
tainment experiences. On the campaign’s Web site
gaming and are encouraged to develop an action plan
(www.getgamesmart.com) parents will find tips, expert
for informing others how to play online games safely
and responsibly.
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i-PARENT Times
Site Spotlight—Change has come to the White House
There’s a new tenant in the Executive Mansion and there are
big changes to the official Web site of the new Administration,
www.whitehouse.gov.
President Barack Obama is certainly the most tech-savvy
chief executive in American history. He’s the first Web 2.0 Presi-
dent with his now-famous BlackBerry always within reach. As
you might expect, the Web site demonstrates a new age in White
House interactive communications with the American people.
Check it out. You’ll first notice the site is always current.
The slide show on the home page is continually being updat-
ed with the latest information and images. And, it seems that
everything the President or the Vice-President does is covered
in a White House blog – often featuring pictures and/or video.
That’s part of the “Briefing Room” section, which also provides
access to speeches, transcripts from the daily news conferences, and more. The site is chock-full of information,
for adults and for students, about the Administration and its policies, about the U.S. Government, and about the
White House.
Macon Phillips, the White House’s director of new media recently posted that www.whitehouse.gov is “just
the beginning of the new administration’s efforts to expand and deepen this online engagement.” The “Contact
Us” section provides a form to e-mail questions, comments, concerns or well-wishes to the President or his staff.
Mr. Phillips says that “President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in
American history.”
At the same time, the administration’s Web team admits its biggest challenge may be beefing up of the hard-
ware and security necessary to do everything it envisions, like sending mass-e-mails, which was common during
the Obama presidential campaign. Mr. Phillips has been quoted as saying that the emphasis on the President’s Web
site is uncharted territory.
Online Pharmacies Update
The U.S. Congress has been actively seeking to solve
the problem of unregulated sales of prescription drugs
online since the death of a California teenager in 2002.
Ryan Haight died when he overdosed on Vicodin pills
which he purchased on the Internet without a valid
prescription. It took six years, but as a result, the Ryan
Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act
of 2008 was signed into law last October. The new law
regulates online pharmacies by “outlawing the delivery,
distribution, or dispensing of a controlled substance
that is a prescription drug over the Internet without a
valid prescription.”
Continued on page 7 4

i-PARENT Times
i-SAFE Offers Districts / Schools the E-Rate C Continued from p
ompliance age 1
Package
For the first time since the federal government began
the E-Rate program to help schools cover their technology
costs, schools must teach Internet safety to receive E-Rate
reimbursements for costs associated with Internet service,
Internet access or internal connections. The “Protecting
Children in the 21st Century Act” mandates that a school
teach students about “appropriate online behavior, including
interacting with other individuals on social networking
websites and in chat rooms and cyber bul ying awareness
and response.” i-SAFE has developed the E-Rate Compli-
ance Package which is now being distributed to schools that
want to effectively satisfy the new Internet safety teaching
requirements and conveniently document their school’s
compliance with the new law.
The E-Rate Compliance Package includes free
grade-specific i-SAFE Internet safety lessons as well as independent, third-party auditable records that validate
the school’s compliance. “i-SAFE developed this comprehensive package with budget conscious school adminis-
trators in mind as an affordable, no-hassle solution,” said Teri Schroeder, i-SAFE CEO and Program Director. “It
cuts hours of staff time for curriculum development as well as eliminates the need and stress involved in preparing
and maintaining verifiable documentation for auditors in the event of an audit.” Visit www.isafe.org/erate for more
information about the E-Rate Compliance Package.
Ms. Schroeder also praises the leadership of the bil ’s sponsor, Senator Daniel Inouye,
pointing out that together with its companion “Broadband Data Improvement Act,” the
new law substantial y supports and advances the Obama Administration’s commitment to
modernizing schools and teaching students online safety.
Important Note
At this time, neither the FCC nor USAC have issued implementing rules/guidelines. However, the FCC
recently updated its Web site listing/summarizing what CIPA – the Children’s Internet Protection Act – requires,
including the new law enacted by Congress which imposes certain types of new requirements on any school or
library that receives funding for Internet access or internal connections from the E-Rate Program. Click here
to review the CIPA requirements listed/summarized on the updated FCC Web site. “While i-SAFE acknowl-
edges the FCC’s updated Web site is not an issuance of rules/guidelines per se, the updated list/summary of
CIPA requirements can help your schools and districts get in a prepared position and stay in front of the new
law rather than run behind it,” says Ms. Schroeder. The E-Rate Compliance Package is now available to schools
and districts through the i-SAFE Web site at https://auth.isafe.org/store/erate.php, or from i-SAFE’s authorized
corporate partners.
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i-PARENT Times
You Sent What?!?
They may have thought it was funny, they may
have thought it was flirting. But, they probably didn’t
think it was a felony. Whatever you call it; six teenagers
(three girls and three boys) were arrested and charged
with sending and receiving child pornography. Which
begs the question, why didn’t they think what they did
was a crime? The answer may surprise you – the racy
photos in question are self portraits taken by the three
girls that they willingly shared with the three boys.
Many experts agree that the high profile arrests
and highly controversial case from Pennsylvania falls
under the legal definition of child pornography, which
is a felony. Since their arrest, five of the six students
accepted a lesser misdemeanor charge allowing them
Besides the legal issue, teens may not fully
to avoid trial and the possibility of having to register, if
understand that once they send the digital image, they
convicted, as a sex offender (the mother of one of the
lose control over it. The former boyfriend, for instance,
boys is still considering to fight the charges against her
can e-mail the racy photo to his friends and classmates
son). The strict legal response by law enforcement and
or post it on his networking site for the online world to
prosecutors may have been an attempt to shine a light
see, virtually forever.
on an increasingly common practice among teenagers:
it’s called sexting.
“Is it the kind of image that a teen would
Sexting is really a combination of two words, sexy
want someone on a col ege entrance com-
texting. Students with camera-equipped cell phones
mittee to see, or a job recruiter to find by
take nude, semi-nude, or erotic pictures of themselves
(sexy) and text message (texting) them to others. Most
conducting a normal online search?”
of the time, the pictures are shared between friends;
Parents, now that you know about sexting, it’s
often it’s between boyfriend and girlfriend. But,
a good idea to monitor your children’s cell phone
sometimes those self-portraits are sent to people they
activity. Talk to them about online safety and how it
only know online. A survey suggests that as many as
relates to cell phones. Teachers, children need to un-
20% of American teens send sexting messages.
derstand that they can’t assume that what they send is
The “Sex and Tech Survey” of teens and young
going to remain private. Their best friends one day may
adults, conducted by The National Campaign to
be rivals the next. Advise your children and students
Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy in January,
that it’s OK to resist doing anything online that makes
shows that sexting is a practice more common among
them feel uncomfortable. And, reinforce the reality of
teen girls (22%) than teen boys (18%). Surprisingly, the
Cyberspace, that anything sent never really goes away
survey shows that sexting starts at a young age – 11%
– so it’s important for them to think before hitting the
of young girls between the ages of 13 – 16 say they’ve
send key.
sent a sexting message. And, not surprisingly, teens
apparently know that it’s wrong. 75% of teens who
admit to sexting say that sending sexually suggestive
content can have serious negative consequences. Police
are investigating more than two dozen teens in at least
six states this year in connection with sexting.
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i-PARENT Times
Online Pharmacies Update continued from page 4
Stil , there are sites on the Internet where students
ceptively marked packaging to avoid
have easy access to the drugs they want: prescription
detection by customs officials.
drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, even illicit drugs and steroids.
Tips for parents: Watch the
It appears that the drug dealer is now dealing openly
history of sites that your child
in Cyberspace, making himself available at the click of
visits. Limit the purchases
a mouse. Teens avidly use chat rooms, message boards,
your child makes
and e-mail, and these modes of communication are
with your credit
also being used to arrange drug sales, advertise online
card, or
pharmacies and to share information on drug use.
with online
There are also many sites online that offer recipes, in-
accounts.
gredients, and locations to purchase ingredients to make
Watch your
illegal drugs.
credit card
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America reports
statements for evidence of illicit purchases and be
that approximately one in five teenagers has abused a
aware of packages being delivered to your home.
prescription painkiller to get high, and one in ten has
A safe Web site should:
abused over-the-counter (OTC) products, like cough
medicine. More and more OTC and prescription
1. be located in the United States and licensed by
drugs are showing up at parties and raves, dumped in
the state board of pharmacy where the website is
a bowl – like candy – for the taking. The multi-colored
operating (check www.nabp.net for a list of state
bowlful of drugs is commonly referred to as “skittles.”
boards of pharmacy)
Most of us have even received e-mails or have seen
2. have a licensed pharmacist to answer
pop-up ads for “prescription medications for less” or
your questions
“medications delivered right to your door.” Steroids,
3. require a prescription from your doctor or
narcotics, “club drugs,” chemicals needed to manu-
other health care professional who is licensed
facture drugs, and even legal substances (i.e., alcohol,
in the United States to write prescriptions
cigarettes) often not available to underage users are
for medicine
readily available online without an ID or prescription.
4. have a way for you to talk to a person if you
Legitimate online pharmacies exist, including many
have problems
drugstore chains such as CVS and Walgreens, which
If you suspect a site is
require a valid ID and a faxed or mailed prescription
illegal, you can report
To send comments
from a licensed doctor who has seen the patient in per-
it by calling the DEA
or contributions:
son. However, “rogue” pharmacies only require a valid
hotline: 877-RxAbuse.
Contact the newsletter staff via
credit card to order, and in most cases, the patient has
The FDA Web site
e-mail at news@is
w
af
a e
f .o
e rg
.o o
rg r
never seen a doctor or received a written prescription.
www.f
w da.g
.f
o
da.g v
o v and info
send “snail mail” to:
Many of these unregulated “pills for profit” pharmacies
line 888-INFO-FDA
i-SAFE Editor
operate outside the U.S. and ship their goods in de-
are good resources.
5900 Pasteur Ct. Ste. 100
Carlsbad, CA 92008
About i-SAFE
Founded in 1998 and active in all 50 states, i-SAFE Inc. is the leader in e-Safety education. i-SAFE is a nonprofit foundation whose mission is
to educate and empower students, parents, seniors, and community members to safely and responsibly take control of their Internet experiences.
i-SAFE provides knowledge that will enable them to recognize and avoid dangerous, destructive, or unlawful online behavior, and to respond
appropriately. This is accomplished through dynamic K through 12 curriculum and community-outreach programs to students, parents, law en-
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forcement, and community leaders. i-SAFE is the only e-Safety foundation to combine these elements. www.isafe.org
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