Internet Safety Classes in School

Internet Safety classes in school? - Isn't this where it should all start? There is so much that kids have learned on their own, yet there is still so much that they don't know. Kids do need to be warned about the dangers of sharing personal information on the Internet and agreeing to meet Web acquaintances in person. Virginia is the FIRST state to mandate that public schools offer Internet safety classes for all grade levels. Texas and Illinois have Internet safety education, but they don't make their courses mandatory. These such efforts are long overdue as the Internet's technological advances have enabled criminals to reach more victims. We as teachers/guides are sensitive to the needs of the students, however it's difficult to feel comfortable unless we know our students know the dangers they may encounter. There is not a way to protect youngsters from on-line predators unless they themselves are educated. With today's tools, there is permanence in what students are uploading to the web. How will that information effect them when they're looking to apply for college or out job hunting? Do they know how much of this information can be used against them - or exposed? Internet safety classes should be offered into existing coursework for 11-16 year olds as the state of Virginia is doing. Although young people feel pretty safe or "bulletproof", young people are still vulnerable. It's necessary to reinforce the old warning: "Don't talk to strangers". It is my opinion that each state has a Dept. of Education (of Technology), and should work with schools to integrate Internet Safety lessons at no cost to the student, or the district. If they have these classes before they enter High School, then we can do less on-line babysitting and get down to using the Web for all the resources it has, and without fear that "someone" will become a victim.