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1. Using the Internet in your Classroom – First Steps – information primers on how it works, how to use it effectively for learning, what software, and hardware you may need.

2. Acceptable Use Policies – Internet access is a privilege and not a right for children and young adults,

3. Parental / Teacher Software that blocks out many inappropriate sites for children and young adults based on drug abuse, violence, hate speech, criminal, or pornographic materials.

You already have access to a computer and the Internet, but that was the easy part! Next, you need to learn about the many issues facing parents, teachers, and administrators who must integrate and maintain this new technology into a useful educational environment.

GSN: Harnessing the Power of the Web – In this Tutorial the folks at the Global Schoolhouse Network apply the World Wide Web to the proven learning context where the Web becomes a total information gathering, multimedia presentation, and global communications tool of enormous power to engage and challenge your students to learn and to excel. They also show you step by step how you can use the World Wide Web in your own classroom as a multimedia presentation medium, and how you can design and publish your own school and student Web pages... even if you don't have your own Internet connection.

Deep Thinking and Deep Reading in an Age of Info-Glut, Info-Garbage, Info-Glitz and Info-Glimmer – A wonderful introduction by Jamie McKenzie to the notion of horizontal reading (e.g. browsing or info-shopping) vs vertical or deep reading (e.g. in-depth exposure, over a long period of time, to help develop ideas, ways of learning, problem solving, etc skills). This article provides a nice overview of how to avoid being overwhelmed by infoglut and make the intelligent choices required to put the free educational resources on the Net to work for your own and your students' benefit.

The National School Network Newsletter Archive – This archive, from one of the original online learning communities created by BBN in Cambridge, MA, is a wonderful source of actual schools and teachers experimenting and learning as they go along the Information Highway.

The Arts, Education, and Technology: A Winning Combination – This Monograph is an online publication of the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (NALAA) in cooperation with ARTSEDGE which [... hosts the ARTSEDGE Website]. ARTSEDGE has designed this online publication to provide direct links to all Web-based resources referenced in the Monograph.

The World Wide Web Workbook – A tutorial where novice Internet users learn and practice basic navigation skills and web browsing fundamentals.

The Scout Toolkit Homepage – The Internet Scout Project shows you the way to the best resources on the Internet – then you can choose what's best for you. Librarians and educators do the filtering for you, reading hundreds of announcements each week looking for the online resources most valuable to the education community.

"America Library Association - Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks: an Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights" – The world is in the midst of an electronic communications revolution. Based on its constitutional, ethical, and historical heritage, American librarianship is uniquely positioned to address the broad range of information issues being raised in this revolution. In particular, librarians address intellectual freedom from a strong ethical base and an abiding commitment to the preservation of the individual's rights.

"A Legal and Educational Analysis of K-12 Internet Acceptable Use Policies" – by Nancy Williard - Lawyer. This site contains materials to assist school districts in the development of effective Internet policies and practices.

Acceptable Use Policy for Grades 2-5 – from the Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery County, Virginia.

Acceptable Use Policy for Grades 6-12 – from the Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery County, Virginia.

The Internet is yours to control as you see fit. The following sites all offer filtering software for a reasonable price. They block access to most inappropriate sites for children and young adults that are based on drug abuse, violence, hate speech, criminal, or pornographic materials. Most are available for both Windows and Mac computers.

CyberSitter

N2H2 Internet Filtering

NetNanny

New View

SafeSurf

SurfWatch

Web Track