Introduction

Who I am- Dan Vilter

A Homeschooling Parent

Entertainment Professional

Techno geek- with lots of computers

What this session is about

Using the internet to your families benefit

Understanding the power of the Internet

Confronting fears about the internet

What this session is NOT about

How to set up parental controls on your computer

Determining how much time “on the computer” is healthy

Show and tell

my space

show a couple of sites

Dan Vilter

Even a 48 YO Guy can have a site

What about those ads?

Commercially driven

Like TV and Magazines and news papers it’s primary purpose is to deliver an audience to its advertisers. Don’t EVER forget that.

Show Bio

Show pics

Show comments

Rose’s space

Private site

Music that plays automatically

Easily added

The roots of My Space is music

Rose’s interests

Links to others that have listed them

Photos

Click and see comments

Note Bio is missing

Friends [87] of them

Click on Holly to show private

Click No day but today-Private

Kelsey

Limited info- 16 yo

Rose’s comments

Read a few what kind of info is being shared?

Blogs – more later

Breeze through a common post

View a few other sites

Design

Often Function over form, and the function is that the kids are doing it themselves - decorating their own

rooms, so to speak

Look at established Music artists

Weard Al

Jethro Tull?

Gwen Stafani

Look at Robert Earl Keen?

Concerns

Strangers knowing my child

Keep it private if needed

Only allow “friends” that you know or have some reason to know

A safe way to explore the world

"Don't talk to strangers" not necessary for homeschoolers, they can learn how to talk to strangers in your home with you being there. Take the opportunity to share with them what you think is appropriate conversations.

Not talking to Strangers can kill you- Search and Rescue story

Some creep looking at photos of my child

Not if it is private-Only the main photo

They are already looking at your children out in public, in church, at the store, in school etc.

They are unknown, the creep and your child

Stories of abduction

Search for MySpace Abductions

Follow the trail to runaways not abductions

The press loves this kind of story plays on fears.

Far more controlled than meetings in public without the parent, being wooing them away

Accidentally stumbling on to porn

Very Rare-twice in all the time I have been on the web.{more than 10 years}

Problem with “parental controls

Actions say “I don’t trust you”

They take control away form the child

Ultimately, they block knowledge

Seems counter to what I want for my child

It makes what is behind the wall desirable

They do a poor job

Blocking sites on health, anatomy and the Grand Titons

The school Library Journal, June 06 “We Don’t Need No Tech Control” {by the editor, Brian Kenney}

“The Internet is full of the best and worst of our culture, including, yes, predators. Just like there are predators at the mall and--as we've become all too aware of in the last decade--churches as well. But we all know that the solution, even if it was possible, is not to block young people from these venues, but t o teach responsible behavior, in life and online. Children need to learn how to navigate the Internet safely while preserving their privacy.”

It’s a great way to meet others that share interests

We found our robotics club and all the members that shared our interest in it

A safe way for children to meet other children-It lets you be part of the interaction

Roxanna’s Cats friend meeting us in Sacramento.

Meeting up with Anime friends at the convention

Meeting other Unschoolers who share the same interests

Set up first meetings in a safe location

You have control of the meeting

Why would your kids be talking to strangers on line anyway?

Discuss what is appropriate conversation in the situation

What is the realm of your computer relationship

Understanding that some people lie for there own gain

Personal Questions in Non Personal situations.

Alarms

Send me a picture

Phone number

Address

Credit Card

Where do you hang out, etc

What’s your real name?, Full Name?

Vehicle for advertising

Method of supporting the web

Everything has costs, seeing advertising is what is paying for the site

Opportunity to explore it with your child.

If any source tries to get you to buy something, explore how it functions with your child.

How is the content tainted?

Subtract music, lights.. and see the toy

Vote with your mouse

Too much or poor or annoying- don’t return

A way to have an audience for what you are passionate about

Chauncey’s videos

Roxanna’s Cats sites

Thinkquest

Pursuing what you are passionate about

Matthew

Magic Cards sites

Role playing game resources

Online chess, with friend in Chicago

Wikipedia

Google Earth

Lots of Videogame websites

Dictionary [Dictony.com]

Me

Photography

Robotics

Theatre

Movies

Computers

Google news

Local news SGV Tribune

Weather

Banking/bill paying

Jocelyn

Cute Overload

Ebay

Metafilter -Community Website to share info about a specific interest seeking comments [Cane Toads]

Ask Metafilter Questions about a specfic obscure question beyond standard search engines [A specific kids book, finding a dental exam chair]

Crafts [Craftster.com]

Google news

Television without pity

Cockeyed.com - Rob Cockerhan, How much is inside-length ramen noodles – sq ft of a million dollars, volume of a can of shaving cream

The web contains Information

Not necessarily Facts or knowledge

Or truth or accuracy for that matter

Or even Data

Instant Messages

Simultaneous online conversations

AIM (iChat)

Show an iChat session live

Add voice

define VOIP

Skype/Ventrillo/Vonage

National & Worldwide communication-

No or low cost

Long distance friendships

Moving away doesn’t mean ending relationships

Blogs {web-log}

Started as listing of links to resources on the web.

Developed into public Listing of opinion, politics, personal experience-diaries—News and opinion on a personal scale

Many contain more than written word-Photo’s graphics, video,

Most expect feedback from viewers

Homeschool blog

Danielle

Tammy

Sandra page and blog

General interest blogs

J-Walk [cranky old guys]

Make [www.makezine.com/blog]

Not Martha – crafts and her life [www.notmartha.org]

Laist –life in Los Angeles (commercial) [www.laist.com]

Metro blogging LA [www.metroblogging.com] {blogging.la/}

Podcasts

Audio and some with video

Blogs or news delivered to iPod or computer & other players

Can be talk-Radio like

Emil groups

Yahoo groups

Show my groups

Always learning

HSC

Movielovers

Dragontree

Kramph

Google groups

Private groups

Useful sites

Puzzle a day site

Make site/ rocket launcher/ magazine

Craftster.org - example of community online, tutorials

HSC

Alfie Kohn

Young kid sites

Games for Brains

How stuff works

PopCap

Yahooligans

Time Magazine for Kids

Advance search on Google

Define Google vs. other search sites

Look at other search sites

Conclusion

Trust your children

Experience the world with them

Undue worldly pressure is no greater than anywhere but controllable in your home.

The web is a vast ocean of information to be surfed. A broad based step to understanding and maybe, with passion and interest, wisdom.

Dan Vilter - Embrace the Internet

A few useful links

http://Vilter.us

http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/

A search engine for kids.

http://www.brainpop.com/

Health, Science, Math and Tech animations for kids.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/

Just what it says – how almost anything you can think of, works.

http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm

National Gallery of Art Kids Zone

http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/

Time magazine for kids

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/index-2.html

The Harry Potter Lexicon

http://www.popcap.com/

Games to play for free online and also to buy and download

http://www.jigzone.com/

Jigsaw puzzles online for free, also, upload your own photos and make custom puzzles.

http://orion.math.iastate.edu/danwell/MathNight/ppg.html

Pencil and paper games

http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/

Tons of beautiful online games to play

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/

Excellent resource for finding board games

http://www.pimpampum.net/memry/enter.php

Customizable memory game

http://www.woolythinking.com/

Games for brains

http://www.citycreator.com/

Online city builder – looks a bit like Sim City

http://www.mrpicassohead.com/create.html

Online drawing toy.

http://www.thetoymaker.com/

Folding paper toys you can make yourself.

http://www.setgame.com/index.html

Play Set and Quiddler online

http://www.kokogiak.com/megapenny/

The MegaPenny Project

    Visualizing huge numbers can be very difficult. People regularly talk about millions of miles, billions of bytes, or trillions of dollars, yet it's still hard to grasp just how much a "billion" really is. The MegaPenny Project aims to help by taking one small everyday item, the U.S. penny, and building on that to answer the question: "What would a billion (or a trillion) pennies look like?"

http://screenit.com

The most detailed movie reviews available anywhere.

Quick and easy guides to finding the movies that you want to see.

Judgment-free content summaries, scene-by-scene details, plot summaries, artistic reviews, and more. You decide what is right for your family and loved ones.

http://thinkquest.org/>

ThinkQuest is all about students thinking and learning together. Students work in teams to create the best educational websites and compete for exciting prizes, including a trip to ThinkQuest Live, an educational extravaganza celebrating their achievements.

Sponsored by the Oracle Education Foundation, the competition offers a unique project-based learning experience to students and teachers around the world. Globally relevant subjects and diverse teams are encouraged.

The teams' websites are published for the world to see in the ThinkQuest Library. This rich online resource contains over 5,500 educational websites, created by students for students. Search the library and you'll be sure to find a site that intrigues you.