Look Both Ways
An Internet-Safety Educational Tool That Shows Great Promise
YourSphere for Parents
By Mary Kay Hoal
Linda Criddle’s LOOKBOTHWAYS Foundation has always been a go-to Internet-safety resource of mine. Not only is her website filled with original content about online privacy, mobile safety, cyberbullying and other Internet concerns, but her perspective is backed by 13 years of experience as an online safety expert for Microsoft’s MSN division.Linda’s latest project, NetSkills4Life, provides teachers, students and parents with a fun and engaging way to learn about safe Internet practices. The online curriculum consists of lessons which are broken down by grade level—kindergarten to 12th grade. Then, for each grade level, there are separate lessons to choose from, such as “stop cyberbullying” and “keep it to yourself”. Opening one of these lessons triggers an interactive window where students/children are guided through a series of definitions, questions and helpful tips. At the end of the lesson, students take a quiz about what they just learned. They can then review their answers, see what they got wrong and why, and print or email their quiz results to their parents.