Internet Safety
Beginning with the 2009-2010 academic year, Illinois schools will be required to ‘incorporate into the school curriculum a component on Internet safety to be taught at least once each year to students in grade 3 or above.
The following is an excerpt from the Illinois State Law pertaining to the intergration
of Internet Safety education into school curriculum .....
(Effective Date 01-01-2009)
Public Act 095-0869
SB2512 Enrolled LRB095 19817 NHT 46206 b
Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing Section
27-13.3 as follows:
(105 ILCS 5/27-13.3)
Sec. 27-13.3. Internet safety education curriculum.
(c) Each school may adopt an age-appropriate curriculum for
Internet safety instruction of students in grades kindergarten
through 12. However, beginning with the 2009-2010 school year,
a school district must incorporate into the school curriculum a
component on Internet safety to be taught at least once each
school year to students in grade 3 or above. The school board
shall determine the scope and duration of this unit of
instruction. The age-appropriate unit of instruction may be
incorporated into the current courses of study regularly taught
in the district's schools, as determined by the school board,
and it is recommended that the unit of instruction include
the following topics:
(1) Safe and responsible use of social networking
websites, chat rooms, electronic mail, bulletin boards,
instant messaging, and other means of communication on the
Internet.
(2) Recognizing, avoiding, and reporting online
solicitations of students, their classmates, and their
friends by sexual predators.
(3) Risks of transmitting personal information on the
Internet.
(4) Recognizing and avoiding unsolicited or deceptive
communications received online.
(5) Recognizing and reporting online harassment and
cyber-bullying.
(6) Reporting illegal activities and communications on
the Internet.
(7) Copyright laws on written materials, photographs,
music, and video.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is calling upon individual school districts to submit samples of best practices regarding Internet safety instruction at the local level as well as links to district Internet safety pages. The agency is seeking this information for possible inclusion on a portal now housed on ISBE’s website (see below).
ISBE is also working hard to continue to reach out to districts through the Learning Technology Centers (LTC) to compile a list of model school programs and assemble an appropriate list of resource materials for posting online as allowable under the law.
Many schools or districts may be seeking information about specific training materials or have specific training needs. Individuals are encouraged to check out the lsit of resources below or contact their local Learning Technology Centers Directors (LTC) for help and support in these areas.
The following are Internet Safety Resources that you may find helpful in developing your school or districts curriculum.
ISBE's Curriculum & Instruction "Be Internet Safe"
i-SAFE - The Leader in e-Safety education
NetSmartz - Internet Safety for Educators
National Cyber Security Alliance
The Connected Classroom - Internet Safety
A Program of WiredSafety: Internet Safety, Help and Education Organization
Curriculum Materials for Teachers - Internet Safety
Cyber Criminals Most Wanted - Educators Resources
Internet Guide for Teachers & Students
Internet Safety - "Keeping One Safe on the Information Highway"