Oops=85 I forgot to attach the responses.
Thank you again to everyone who took the time to respond to my questions.
Everyone is so generous with their knowledge and their time.
*****
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.=20
You will need to do this on each computer. Obviously it will not be a=20
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.
*****=20
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 p*r* issues.. . .
Christine L. Evans, librarian
Library/Media Center
Barrington Middle School - Station
cevans@cusd220.k12.il.us
847-381-0464
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