One concern that I have with using the internet with my little ones is where they might end up.....there's a lot of information out in cyberspace and not all of it is appropriate for the eyes of 6 year olds! I like using moodle because the kids are directed to sites that i have selected for them to use. Last year the kids had begged me to post some of the youtube videos we watched in class (exploding volcanoes....they were OBSESSED!). I didn't think much of it and posted a link. With the student login at school, students can not access youtube links. I mainly put these links up so that the kids who wanted to watch them at home would be able to find them. The problem is that some of the kids watched the videos and then would continue to click on other suggested links and eventually got away from material I deemed as appropriate. I had a parent let me know that her son navigated away from the video I had posted.
I think the best way to address this is to let parents know from the beginning that while all links from my moodle page are safe, it is still important for them to monitor their child's internet use at home. I want to continue to include videos because I feel like the kids get a lot out of them, but I need parents to be aware that any time a child is on the internet there is a chance he or she may end up somewhere we did not intend. Keep an eye (or two!) on the kiddos when they get on the computer! :-)
Youtube is a great site for just about any topic you'd like to show. But like you said, some of the material is inappropriate for the students to watch. By posting appropriate sites to your moodle page and telling your students to only use those will keep them from being exposed to the something they shouldn't see. Maybe sending a note home with the parents and informing them that your posted websites are safe, but with parent supervision. This might eliminate students from clicking and navigating away from what they should be viewing.
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