June is Internet Safety Month

June is Internet Safety Month and is a time in which awareness is raised to make certain that our children stay safe while online. As a computer education teacher, it was part of my curriculum and personal duty to teach my students about cyber bullying, luring and stalking as well as being safe on the Internet.

It is never too early to teach your child how to be safe online. In fact, when I first started teaching computer education (about 9 years ago) my first job was teaching preschoolers. You better believe I taught them all about Internet Safety. When presenting the "Keep Safe While Online" concept to younger children, closely tie it to the stranger danger concept. Example: Never give anyone your full name, address, or phone number. If you instill this concept at a young age, it will soon become second nature. Just as the 'Stop, drop and roll' fire safety slogan rolls of their tongues- yet how many of them will ever catch on fire. Prepare them for the what-ifs.

It is very surreal to older children that an actual human being actually exists on the other computer. Sometimes they have an alter-ego while on the computer and firmly believe that no danger may exist. I would often propose the following scenario to this age group: "You are at the park and a gentleman in his 30's approaches you. He says his name is Jim, that he is 14 and goes to a local school. He likes to play soccer, hang with his friends and eat French fries." I would ask: "Would you give this man your name, phone number or address? Would you feel comfortable meeting him somewhere alone?"

More times than not, I got the response "But you said he was 30 so he looked 30 right? Then no, I would not give out any of my information to him." Pleased with this response, I then would compare it to being in a chat room. Only this time he sends a photo that he cut and copied from online. The connection is then made.

You cannot possibly be over your child's shoulder in every situation over the Internet. Your best defense? Teach them and educate yourself about Internet Safety. Some quick tips for you to discuss with your child:

• Never give out any personal information with anybody that you meet online.
• Never share your password, but please do so with your parents.
• If something someone says makes you feel uncomfortable, turn off your computer screen and tell an adult.
• Never, and I mean NEVER meet anybody that you meet online!

For further information, please visit the sites below. It is a great reference for you as a parent and for your child as well!

i-SAFE Inc.

FBI Guide to Internet Safety

Safe Kids.com

Stop Cyber Bullying

If you are interested in learning about educational software to help teach your child about Internet Safety, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Top Ten Tuesdays- Guide to Web Design

Designing your own site on the Web can be a time taking, yet rewarding endeavor. What separates the "beauties" from the "beasts" (in terms of Web design) can be an even more complicated discussion. What makes some Web sites great, while others lag is all about the implementation of content mixed with a great user-friendly design.

Here are my Top Ten Suggestions for Web design:

In terms of Design...........

10. Contrast. Keep the Design simple, keeping contrast in mind. Why are so many sites on the Internet white with black text? Simple- it is easy on the user’s eyes and therefore it is easier to read. Go ahead and use colored backgrounds, just keep in mind that you use dark text for light backgrounds and light text for dark backgrounds.

9. Images. Large graphic files or images that do not relate to the topic should be avoided. Sure, you may have some sort of high speed Internet- but does your best viewer? Keep all of your image FILE size small by using a photo editing software, JPEG in format (use GIFF for text images), and relevant to your topic. If you need to have a larger photo (for example: to show detail in something you have created) have it as a separate Web page and have the user "click image for a larger view." This will enable your site to load faster.

8. Repetition. Keep your site to one-two font styles and size, keep your background consistent from page to page, and carry some page elements (such as type of bullet you use) throughout your entire Web site. I have seen some Websites that have a different background color for each page. I often questioned myself if I was on the original site while navigating through it.

7. Spacing. Take advantage of white space- use it to space out paragraphs, between images, etc. to make viewing your site easier on your user’s eyes.

In regards to making it user friendly.............

6. Text. Make the text of your Web site for the computer and not for print (such as a newspaper or book). Keep your paragraphs short and make your font style computer screen friendly. I suggest an Arial font and staying away from fancy text that is hard to read. Note: It's okay to have some fancy text, such as your sites title, but don't use it for your entire content.

5. Click-able Links. Make links change color so the user can tell what they have previously clicked on and do not underline non-linking words as it may confuse the reader. In fact, it is often better to have links three colors: One color to let the users know that the selected text is an active link; the second color for when they hover over the link; and a third for the visited link. Make sure to check your links periodically to make certain they are still working!

4. Navigation. How do you keep your readers engaged in your site is highly determined by how easy it is for them to navigate around your site. Make sure all menus are clearly labeled and sidebars are neat. Helpful Hint: By nature we read everything from left to right. Have your most important information in the top left (i.e. the name of your site) and then so on and so forth.

In terms of content............ 

3. Goals and Objectives. BEFORE you begin your site, set out some simple goals and objectives you would like to accomplish by a particular date. What type of content will you cover, how will you market your site, and where do you see your site 6 months or even one year or more from now? This keeps you focused and organized. Update your goals and objectives accordingly.

2. Search-ability. You have a great idea. Your content is well written, is organized and presented neatly. Then why are you not getting the response that you want and/or deserve? Think about the titles of your Web pages (and/or blog posts) as well as your tags and Meta tags. Instead of naming a blog post, for example, "I am Going to Pull My Hair Out!" think what your post is about. "3 Year Old Temper Tantrum Crisis" may result in more hits via search engines. I laugh because when I began this blog I did a comic post about Inafitits. As of today, I am #1 in the Google Search for the term "Infatitis" (which is a condition that doesn't exist). Check out my Google search here.

1. Contact Information. Make your contact information easily accessible- if that is your goal to be contacted. Have it on the bottom or on a side bar of every page of your site, instead of having your viewer try to search for it. Having a "Contact Me" tab is wonderful, however it is just as easy to have it on the bottom of every page.


I have been creating Web sites for years and have found these tips to be the most beneficial. Of course there are several more that didn't make the cut on my top 10, (such as don't plagiarize and keep animation (Flash of or GIFF) to a minimum) but I firmly believe that these 10 will lead you in the right direction building a stronger Web site (and/or blog).

 

Technology Tutorial: Learning Basic HTML

Or at least trying to understand HTML!

When I was a teacher, before the birth of my third child, I really enjoyed my sixth grade Computer Technology class. Each grade level, like my sixth grade class, conquered a different topic in technology; fifth graders learned about computer hardware, while fourth grade learned how to type efficiently and to use the computer as a presentation tool.  The sixth grade year was all about the Internet.

Did you know?  That the Internet and the World Wide Web are two separate items? In fact the World Wide Web is just one of the 5 components of the Internet. For your knowledge and well-being, the other components are: FTP, email, Usenet Groups and instant messaging. Want to learn more? Click here to see what I would read over with my class. In fact, here is the Web Quest that I used with my classes.

 So why learn, or at least try to understand html? Can’t I just cut and paste or use WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) products such as Dream Weaver to create what I need and get by? Well, you can, but knowing even basic html helps a lot. For example: the “Share the Love and Grab My Button” on my blog originally had an error in its code. (Thank you to the fellow bloggers who pointed it out to me that my button didn’t work- I feel foolish, but we learn from our mistakes!) What went wrong? Where the html  “called up” my Web link, the one forward slash was simply missing. That was it and that’s all it takes! This is where knowing even the basic html is a big help!

The Basics (or the “what you need to know before you begin”):

• ·         Each set of directions is called a ‘tag’. Each tag set is placed in between the greater than and less than signs < >. Most tag sets need an ending tag set to function properly </ >. You know when a tag set is closed when you see the forward slash symbol. See you’re a pro already!
• ·         It does not matter if the code is upper or lower case because it is not case sensitive!

Most Used HTML Tags- click here for a quick copy print out!

Tutorial 1: The Basics

So….. Let’s put theory into practice- shall we?

1. Open up the Notepad Program from your desktop. In Microsoft you would go to Start --> Programs -> Accessories --> Notepad.

2. Let’s start our Web page! So you can practice what the tags say and mean, please type them in. Yes, this means NO cutting and pasting- we want to learn this right? So type this into Notepad:

<HTML>

<HEAD>

<TITLE>I am Learning Basic HTML</TITLE>

</HEAD>

<BODY>

<CENTER><H1>My Beginner Web Page</H1></CENTER>

</BODY>

</HTML>

3. Can’t wait to see what it does? Save it as Example.html and then save it again as example.txt  (Note: you need to type in “.html” in order for it to save as a Web page. You saved a text version of this as well so you can continue to work.) For right now it does not matter where you save it to- so go ahead and save it to your desktop for easy reference! To view it as a Web page double click the icon that says example.html (depending on what your default browser is, it could be an "e" for Internet Explorer or the "fox" for Firefox.

NOTE: Click on the image for a larger view. 

4. So let’s add a photo to our page. We are going to add the image code right after our title “My Beginner Web Page.”

You first need to gather a photo. I am going to use mine from a Web site, my blog button for example. Use the tag set that you received that the beginning of this tutorial in the quick copy print out.If you are using an image from your computer, you must make sure it is located in the same folder as your html document! If you simply saved it to your desktop for practice, just make sure the photo is on your desktop as well. (Please Note: Once you move the location of either your html document or photo- you need to relink unless they are moved into the same location together!)

5. Now, let’s add a Horizontal Rule <hr>, a line break <br>, and then the text “I am so excited to be finally learning the basics of HTML. I think that I am starting to get the hang of this!”

6. Can’t wait to see what it does? Save it as Example.html and then save it again as example.txt  Just click "Yes" if it asks you if you want to replace the file? At this point, if you have any problems and are not seeing something that looks like this:

Then it is time for you to go back and double check your code. Remember to close the tags that need a closing!

7. Everything good so far? Great! Let’s add an email address! Can you see where it is in my example below? Add the code you see from my example (or the code packet from the beginning of this tutorial) in your Notepad document and use your email address!

8. Did you notice the extra break in there? No? Look at the photo above. It is right before the email tags- now add it to yours Web page! (<br>)

Great job for today! You just made your first Web page! Stay tuned for the next tutorial on Learning Basic HTML! We will be changing fonts, color and learning a few more HTML tags.

UPDATE 2/14/2011- I noticed that my examples all are centered completely. To achieve this, just change the </CENTER> tag at the end of the last sentence or before the </BODY> tag. By default the alignment is set to the left.

Web site Spotlight: A Message From Santa with PNP

Christmas time. Family. Friends. Loved ones- and the look on your child's face Christmas morning! Want to add an extra sparkle to their eye this holiday season? This Web site Spotlight is a must have for everyone- from young to old! Every year the Portable North Pole connects you and someone special up with Santa Claus himself. With this amazing Web site you can customize a special message for your son or daughter (or whomever), input information about a special gift that they want to receive, add their photo (optional). if they were naughty or nice and watch it come to life before their eyes. I did this last year with my children and had some fun with family and friends. When I taught I created a video for my principal!

To begin simply click on the URL below.
Web site URL: http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/home
Chose who it is for: A toddler? A child? Or an adult?
Answer the following question and upload a photo (optional)
Either email the link to yourself or someone whom it is intended for.
Retrieve the video via email and enjoy watching your personalized message!

H1N1 –e-i-e-i-Oh No!

So I’m not perfect. And I make bad, no, terrible judgment calls sometimes. Like the other day when my children needed their annual flu/H1N1 vaccine. When I made the appointment, the very kind receptionist declared “we will schedule them at the same time to make life easier!” Perhaps she meant that it would make her job easier and my life more dramatic.

So we arrived at Dr.’s office at the scheduled time, with my husband in hand, and went straight to the waiting room to get this over with. My oldest son (4) said “I want you to hold me mommy.” My daughter (2) exclaimed “And I want daddy to hold me!” Our names were then called and we foolishly decided to ALL go back into the room together as a family as if it were a trip to Disney.

The instant the door shut behind us, my daughter tweaked out. I explained to the ice-in-her-veins nurse, that since my daughter was all ready upset, we might as well as do her first. Somehow I ended up holding her as the needle entered her tiny arm. She screamed. My oldest son screamed. I’m pretty sure all of Western New York heard us.  

Once they both calmed down it was then my son’s turn. Yup, he took it like a true man.  He screamed and cried like a baby and it took 3 of us to hold him down. (Why three people? At 4 years old my son is 55 lbs and 3 feet 9 inches tall. Needless to say he is a bulldozer.) So there it happened again- my son screamed. My daughter screamed. The baby screamed. I laughed. What? It was kinda funny to witness it. Once I had everyone calmed done once again, I looked at the nurse and said “I have no idea how you do this all day long.” She said nothing and smiled.

To leave the patient room, you have to walk through the waiting room once again. At this point my children (now calmed down) were laughing and cheerful again. Upon entering the waiting area, I noticed a 10 year old weeping. At first I thought it was sympathy for me and MY dramatic experience, until he started blowing snots and muttering that he doesn’t want to have this shot done. Because I am who I am, I looked at the boy’s mother, apologized and stated that they should invest in a sound-proof room. She gave a kind chuckle, and said she has heard louder. I am pretty sure she was just being kind.

Thank goodness Flu shots are only once a year.

Websites of the day: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm -“2010 Child & Adolescent Immunization Schedules for persons aged 0-6 years, 7-18 years, and ‘catch-up schedule’”

http://children.webmd.com/vaccines/default.htm - Learn about what vaccines your child needs, why and when they should receive them.

And a little FYI: http://www.ehow.com/how_15992_soundproof-room.html- How to make a sound proof room by eHow.