I am sorry this is a bit late. But I wanted to comment on the issue of how
easily students are able to bypass the filter.
In the last 90's filtering was first promoted as the "solution" for
addressing Internet concerns. Even then I was very concerned about reliance
on what I considered to be "false security." My testimony before the
National Academy of Sciences committee addressing this issue in 2000 is
here: http://csriu.org/onlinedocs/documents/nwnas.html.
What you might not realize that some of the biggest proponents of filtering
were the ACLU and other civil rights folks. They wanted filtering to be
promoted as a less restrictive alternative to laws that might place any
restrictions on what can be posted on web site. This is the position they
took in the COPA case. The ACLU presented lots of professional reports on
how effective filtering is - which is why they did not do a very good job in
the CIPA case. Effective, right??? :-(
The problem, as I see it, is that school leaders have bought into the false
security that filtering can prevent students from getting to where we don't
want them to go. And schools have assured parents that their children are
"safe" when they are using the Internet in school because the school is
using filtering. And Congress thinks they have fixed everything because
schools are required to use filtering -- but some on Congress want to
require schools to block MySpace. Like that is going to do a heck of a lot
of good. <sigh>
At least the problem of student being inappropriately blocked from accessing
perfectly appropriate sites that have been inappropriately blocked is solved
-- sort of -- as long as you look the other way when they bypass the filter
to get to sites they need for a class project.
Crazy thing is that the folks in schools who are most likely to be prevented
from accessing certain sites are the staff and administrators. So a kid can
get around the filter to MySpace to post a comment bullying another kid. But
the principal can't get to MySpace to review this. <sigh> <sigh>
The Julie Amero case is all about the impact of irrational fear of the
Internet. So what is going to happen when it becomes more publicly known
that filters are preventing students from going where ever they want to go
online?
I have always promoted the idea that we need to be very strict in making it
clear to students (and teachers) that Internet in school is only to be used
for instructional activities and personal research on issues that are
similar to what might be studied in school or found in the school library --
not Internet recess. And we need to shift the focus from blocking to
effective monitoring.
(Interesting story. There is a monitoring product I like called Vericept --
this is an intelligent content analysis monitoring system that will provide
reports to administrators on traffic that is suspected to be in violation of
the policy. Many administrators do not like this system because it
demonstrates to them how inappropriately the Internet is being used - and
they simply do not want to know this.)
I think that a first step in figuring out how to better address this concern
is to find out more about how the problem is occurring. So a couple of
questions for those who reported or are having problems with students
bypassing the filter:
What is your policy on the kinds of activities students are allowed to
engage in online?
How effectively is this policy supported?
What are the circumstances under which students are using the computers that
they are able to engage in this bypass?
Do you have monitoring that can reasonably detect this?
What happens when students are found to be doing this?
If you can send me this information I will try to put it together. But I do
have 2 major presentations (one for which I am not at all prepared) so this
will not be a rapid turn around.
Nancy
--
Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D.
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
http://csriu.org
http://cyberbully.org
http://cyber-safe-kids.com
nwillard@csriu.org
Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social
Aggression, Threats, and Distress (Research Press)
Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens: Helping Young People Learn to Use the
Internet Safely and Responsibly (Jossey-Bass)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law.
You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings
by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book.
To change your LM_NET status, e-mail to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu
In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL
3) SET LM_NET MAIL 4) SET LM_NET DIGEST * Allow for confirmation.
* LM_NET Help & Information: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/
* LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
* EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://elann.biglist.com/sub/
* LM_NET Supporters: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/ven.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LM_NET
Mailing List Home