The Librarian's Internet-Have Kids, Will Chat
Monitored chat rooms offer both online safety and appropriate topics
Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 1/1/2000
It seems the only thing kids 10 to 17 want to do on the Net is chat. Schools and libraries have been leery of letting this happen due to the "anything goes" nature of most chat rooms--many include both adults and kids--and, to that fact, most librarians have never been in a chat room, let alone used ICQ ("I seek you") messaging. To learn more, why not visit a few great, kid-safe chat rooms and discover why kids love to chat.
Note: Most chat rooms require that you use either Netscape or Internet Explorer versions 3+.
About.Com: Penpals for Kids
kidspenpals.about.com/kidsteens/kidspenpals/mbody.htm?PM=72_885_T
Librarians, teachers, parents -- Learn about chat, instant messaging, moderated vs. unmoderated chat, safety issues, and chat/ICQ netiquette. Sponsor: About.Com and Web guide Shauna Brunette, a certified children's counselor, knowledgeable about online safety. Don't Miss: "Tips for Beginners." Click on "How Do I Get Around Kids Pen Pals?" for an introduction to this section of About.Com and "Where Do I Find a Pen Pal?" for links to chat rooms, bulletin boards, and e-zines. Check out "Chatting Online" for links to the three different types of kids chat: Internet relay chat, Web-based chat, and Telnet chat. Detour: Don't miss the About.Com chat rooms for kids and teens at home.about.com/kidsteens/chat.htm. Check the chat room schedule, as time and monitoring varies.
Freezone: Chat Box
chat.freezone.com
Gr 6-12--Monitored chats for kids and teens. Chat rooms with adult "chat jockeys" are open daily, from 8 a.m. to midnight Central Standard Time. Sponsor: Thomson Target Media, Chicago, IL. Don't Miss: The "Chat Schedule" for daily topics in room five. Pull down the "Help Me" menu and visit "Safety Concern?" to see how monitoring is done (and by whom) as well as a Q&A for parents and teachers. Detour: Kid's bulletin boards on various topics at freezone.com/bboard (everything is screened before posting). BrainStorm at freezone.
com/brainstorm/ (responses are screened). The monthly Teacher's Guide at freezone.com/ brainstorm/guides for classroom integration ideas.
HeadBone Zone: hbz Chat
www.headbone.com/cgi-bin/hbzchatc.cgi
Start.x=1&ChatPath=friends/chat
Gr 6-12--Monitored chats for kids and teens. Chat rooms (all adult-monitored) are open daily, from 11 a.m. to between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Kids under 13 need parental permission. Parents can control which tools kids can access. Sponsor: Headbone Interactive, Seattle, WA. Don't Miss: Scroll down to the "Who's Here" section to see which chat rooms are open and who's talking. Click on the "Schedule" link and explore "Topic Talk" for daily topics and the "ActOut Studio" for a schedule of theme chats. "Users Guide" to learn how to chat properly and how rooms are monitored. Check schedule, as times vary.
KidsCom: Graffiti Walls
www.kidscom.com/orakc/newwall/
Gr 4-9--Monitored chat for kids and young teens. The Kids Wall is for kids under 11 and the Teen Wall for kids over 12. All rooms have adult monitors with an extra-monitored chat room (messages are previewed before posting). Chat rooms are open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Central Standard Time daily. Sponsor: Circle 1 Network, Milwaukee, WI. Detour: The "Make New Friends" page at kidscom.com/orakc/Friends/newfriends.html and the "Find a Keypal" feature (available only to kids who register and obtain parental permission--the permission form is available at kidscom.com/orakc/keypal/keypalpermissionnew2.html).
Yahooligans: Net Events
headlines.yahoo.com/Full_Coverage/Yahooligans/Net_Events
Gr 4-9.--Weekly listing of monitored chats on special topics or chats with well-known people. Sponsor: Yahoo!
Scholastic: Authors Online
teacher.scholastic.com/authorsandbooks/authors/index.htm
Gr 4-9-- Scheduled monitored chats with well-known children's authors. A nifty, online reading tie-in.
Sponsor: Scholastic Publishers, New York City
