Teach your students how to get around the web safer and smarter with welcome to the web

welcome to the web"Welcome to the Web" is an interactive set of web pages which can be used to teach children (and adults) about the Internet. They can be used in the classroom / computer room and children are welcome to explore them as they wish (although they have been designed to use in sequence).

The resources are in split into seven sections:

1. The Beginning - explains how to use the site.
2. Getting Started Online - teaches children about the basic concepts involved in the Internet (World Wide Web, Hyperlinks, Back button etc). This introductory lesson also gives valuable practice in visiting and navigating around web sites.
3. Staying Safe - encourages pupils to keep themselves safe online by following the SMART rules. Also tests their understanding usign interactive activities and fun quizzes.
4. Using Your Browser - helps people to learn more about their web browsers... what are the different features and how are they used?
5. Searching Online - teaches children how to search effectively, and keep themselves safe when doing so. Also identifies search engines which are particularly suitable for children to use.
6. Trying Top Tricks - finding information on the net is great, but it is also important to know how that information can be used. This section explains about printing, using the Find tool to locate specific information within web pages, copying and pasting text, and saving images from the web. Also includes information about copyright and why it is important to credit others when you use their work.
7. The Welcome to the Web Challenge - When the children have completed all of the sections of Welcome to the Web, they can complete this exciting challenge. It requires them to use all of the skills which they have learnt to catch the creator of a destructive computer virus!

When visitors complete the challenge, they are able to print a personalised certificate to show their competence in using the Internet.  Access it here.

Zoodles: An Age Appropriate web Browser for Kids aimed at Learning

I'll start straight off by saying that Zoodles is aimed at parents more so than schools however I will definitely be installing this on all of our school computers due to it's depth of features and content:  Essentially Zoodles is an Age appropriate web browser that is linked to a massive database of educational games and web sites. You can either let children surf Zoodles in the freedom of knowledge that they are both safe and gaining a learning experience or you can tailor zoodles as a parent or teacher to have a specific focus on say mathematics or reading.

Kids will find this pretty one cool as they now have their own browser, which they also have an element of control over and parents will love it will keep all the nasty content on the web out of site and feel confident that their kids are not aimlessly wasting their time on the web. 

Zoodles offers both a free and subscription based package.  But definitely take 2 minutes to check out the video below of what Zoodles could offer you in the classroom.  Check it out here.