Oops... I forgot to add the responses.
Thanks again to everyone who sent a response.
I so appreciate everyone who took the time to share their expertise with =
me.
Readingly yours,
Chris
******
Google has SafeSearch filtering. Do you have it set on "strict filtering"?=
I did a search for Marco Polo and for Paris and didn't see anything =
objectionable.
******
From your google page go to advanced search and choose safe settings. You =
will need to do this on each computer. Obviously it will not be a totally =
successful answer but should improve the situation.
******
We had the same trouble with Google. We only blocked Google images. The =
students had to go another search engine for pictures. We found Google to =
be
the worst so far with inappropriate images. This solved the problem for =
us. Plus, we told the students we would be looking at the history of the
computers. We were very diligent for a week or two so the students knew we =
were doing it and that alone helped stop it. We also let it be known to =
the
students why Google was blocked. Really upset them and some teachers as =
they had a been using this site as a quick source. Knowing we would block =
any engine image sites for the entire school calmed our student body down =
as they did not want to search for pictures doing a regular search. We =
were not afraid to block to prove a point and show how miss using the =
internet will
immediately have consequences of loss to the entire student body.
******
If you go into Advanced Image Search in Google, you can turn on the =
feature "Safe Search." You can choose between "no filtering," "moderate =
filtering,"
and strict filtering." At the top of each search results page it says =
what kind of filtering is applied, so you can tell when passing by if =
somebody
has disabled the safe search.
******
Chris, this is a long shot... set your preferences for Google's Safesearch =
options. The strict filtering for images is pretty good. THEN, find your =
Cookies file. It should be in /Documents and settings/[loginname]/Cookies. =
You'll know that you have the right folder, since you'll see all sorts of =
text files. Change the google cookie file to 'read only'. That way a =
student won't be able to change the preferences to no Safesearch. I don't =
know if per session changes can be made, but a student shouldn't be doing =
that anyway. On the other hand, your kids are proving the 'experts' wrong =
by their persistence in looking through many pages of pictures. <groan>. =
Supposedly, folks don't keep looking after a page or two. We have similar =
experiences, especially with 5th grade boys. We decided to block google =
images and let them find the images they need on the paid for databases =
and encyclopedias; after all their parents are paying for the DBs and =
encyclopedias and the kids are finding images for educational purposes per =
the mission of the school district.
******
The only idea I've come up with is to do the research ahead of time, and =
store the appropriate images on a CD or your intranet. Then the students =
could access that. Some schools don't use google at all. I have the same =
problem here, too! Picsearch.com is another image site, but it tends to =
be even more graphic
than google images.
******
If you go to Preferences on Google you can set it to filter. . . this =
solved our porn issues.. . .
Christine L. Evans, librarian
Library/Media Center
Barrington Middle School - Station
cevans@cusd220.k12.il.us
847-381-0464
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