Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
KINDERGARTEN THROUGH second grade students at Luther L. Wright K-12 listen to Homeland Security special agent Todd Wilton Tuesday. Wilton visited schools in Bessemer and Wakefield as well to talk about how to be safer when online. He will be at Gogebic Community College today to speak with the middle and high school kids and will also present to parents in evening.
By BRYAN HELLIOS
Ironwood - Elementary students at Luther L. Wright K-12 School gathered in the gymnasium on Monday to hear a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security talk about how to be safer while online.
Stationed in Sault Ste. Marie, Agent Todd Wilton told the Daily Globe, with more than 750,000 registered sex offenders in Michigan, educating students to be aware of danger signs can protect them from internet predators.
"It is mind-blowing how many kids have cellphones and tablets today," he said.
Wilton said some children have told him that they have a password on their devices which their parents do not even know.
"You can't just give them a device and not have any control over it," he said
Wilton showed animated videos to a group of kindergartners through second graders. The videos presented situations of online dangers and encouraged the students to use their reasoning skills to recognize dangerous situations.
Students responded enthusiastically to the Wilton's request to "never ever" meet face-to-face with someone they met online. Most of the students pointed to police officers in attendance or teachers when asked who to tell if someone online made them feel "sad, scared or confused."
Wilton explained to the students if they see something online which makes them uncomfortable to "hit the back button, close the window or shut off the screen."
"Anything bad that pops up on your computer is not your fault," he told the students.
Afterwards, Wilton told the Daily Globe predators create fake profiles using pictures of random kids so they can lure children away from "game sites" to gain personal information and entice them to join social media sites.
"On the games you can't exchange pictures, on social media you can," he said.
Wilton stressed that parents need to take an active role in monitoring what their child does online. He said as they grow older, new threats like sexting, cyberbullying and apps designed to hide their online activity from parents or guardians make it essential parents are informed about the dangers their children can face.
Wilton also made presentations to elementary students in Bessemer and Wakefield on Tuesday. Today, he will meet with area junior high and senior students in sessions held at Gogebic Community College.
Wilton will give a presentation for parents at 6 p.m. tonight, also at GCC. The program will educate parents about online predators, high risk social media apps, sexting, online child sexual exploitation, "sextortion," cyberbullying and forensics for parents and teachers.
"Help us help your kids," Wilton said.
