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WESTON, Conn. Parents of Weston Intermediate School students have been warned not to let their children use a foreign language learning website that school officials say could take kids to material "not appropriate for children this age."
Recently, some children were given an opportunity to access a website called Quizlet for Spanish homework. While the teachers were initially enthusiastic about the possibilities for using this site as a study tool, we realized that this site is not an appropriate choice for our students at WIS," Principal Pattie Falber said in a letter to parents.
This site was originally chosen by the teachers because it offered visual and auditory practice with unit vocabulary. However, upon further review, we realized that there was a search engine embedded within the site that could potentially lead to material not appropriate for children this age, Falber wrote.
School administrators became aware of the web site's search engine after a parent complained, Assistant Superintendent Tom Scarice said. Scarice did not comment further on what exactly a parent offensive.
According to Quiznet.com, the site is designed to allow students to create or use flashcards, take practice tests or play study games. Although the students at Weston Intermediate School are generally under 10 years old, Quizlet claims that the site can be used by children over the age of 13. The website even states that it is mainly for use by middle school, high school and college students. Please do not attempt to register for Quizlet if you are under age 13, the website says.
Although Falber doesnt explain in the letter why elementary school students were told to the access the site, she said all teachers have cancelled their accounts with this site and are finding alternate ways for students to study vocabulary.
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