Question.
Why are we only talking about Google Images?
The Yahoo Image database is just as large. What about PicSearch (also
used at Jeeves), Ditto, and many other general search tools?
Also, why can't librarians (let's make it a group effort) build "a
search shelf" of specialized image databases organized by subject
and instruct students to begin their searches with these tools?
Then, if necessary, move to a general web engine.
cheers,
gary
Quoting Nancy Willard <nwillard@CSRIU.ORG>:
> My recommendation on dealing with Google Images issues is to focus
> on what
> is occurring with respect to monitoring and consequences of
> inappropriate
> behavior.
>
> The end objective should be to sufficiently deter intentional
> access, as
> well as to avoid accidental access, so that you can continue to
> use this
> valuable service.
>
> For younger students the primary concern should hopefully be
> accidental
> access. The problem you face is that some perfectly innocent words
> could
> lead to yucky materials. Try the word "cheerleader" without safe
> search
> activated. (But do NOT try this with kids around!)
>
> To avoid accidental access, set the Google Image Search on the
> safe
> searching mode. Then require that the students provide a list of
> search
> terms to their teacher or the librarian for approval prior to
> searching.
> Then teachers and librarians are going to have to use "big
> thinking caps" to
> consider which words might accidentally lead to yucky images, even
> with safe
> search on.
>
> All elementary students should know that if something ever comes
> up on their
> screen that is yucky (fortunately these images are really small),
> they
> should immediately turn off the screen (they should practice this)
> and come
> and tell an adult. This is a really good lesson for the beginning
> of the
> year. Because NO filter is going to provide total protection.
> Students in
> middle and high school should be allowed to exit such sites on
> their own --
> but should report accidental access just so they do not get
> accidentally
> disciplined.
>
> For intentional access concerns, the issue is the effectiveness of
> your
> supervision/monitoring and the disciplinary consequence.
>
> How well is your lab set up? Do you have a reasonably good chance
> of seeing
> the situation if a student is intentionally trying to access such
> material?
> If you are shifting to a laptop situation, this will be harder.
>
> If you do not have a lab set up that allows effective "real
> person"
> supervision, then you need to look for a technical monitoring
> solution.
> There is an intelligent monitoring system that can be used on the
> district's
> entire system that results is excellent deterrence. You could also
> investigate the use of a lab monitoring system that can show you
> all of the
> computer screens in the lab.
>
> Your supervision and/or monitoring system needs to be effective
> enough to
> provide a good chance that you will catch a student doing
> something wrong.
> It is likely better to focus really strongly on detection at the
> start of
> the year. Once you are successful in catching and disciplining
> several
> students, the fear of detection and discipline should set in and
> should
> result in deterrence (but watch out for transfer students) --
> which will
> lessen the need to closely supervise/monitor.
>
> Lastly, you need to focus on the consequence of intentionally
> accessing such
> material. If you have a situation where you keep catching kids
> doing this
> (which means your supervision and monitoring is working) but they
> keep doing
> it, then obviously the response to their wrongdoing is not
> sufficient or
> effective.
>
> For possibly effective response -- how about printing out (when
> the kids
> have gone, obviously) whatever the student was accessing, calling
> in the
> parents for a meeting to discuss the concern, and providing the
> printed copy
> to the parents? Do this once or twice and the word is likely to
> get out that
> you are serious and they had better not engage in this kind of
> action.
>
> Actually -- if you clearly warn the students before they use the
> lab that if
> they are found intentionally trying access any of this kind of
> material this
> is what you will do and suggest that they consider how their
> parents will
> respond, this could nip the problem in the bud from the start.
>
> This kind of a response does run the risk of generating parental
> anger at
> the school so you will have to set up the meeting with them really
> well:
> "No protection system will work perfectly and it will always be
> possible for
> a child to find a way around any technical protection. Your child
> knows the
> rules. Your child is the one who intentionally violated the rules.
> We are
> not going to put massive restrictions on other children's use of
> valuable
> resources on the Internet just because your child chose not to
> obey the
> rules."
>
> Oh, yes, it may be helpful for you to know that Section 230 of the
> Computer
> Decency Act has provisions that probably hold educational
> institutions
> immune from liability in an incident such as this. I say
> "probably" because
> there has never been a case brought against a school. There was
> one brought
> against a public library because a 12 year old downloaded p()rn at
> the
> library. The court held the library immune under Section 230. The
> statute
> itself specifically mentions libraries and educational
> institutions. So
> "probably" is really "almost certainly."
>
> We have got to stop thinking that blocking off valuable portions
> of the
> Internet is the only way to control the situation of the really
> yucky
> materials that are out there. The only real protection lies in
> addressing
> the human factors of the situation -- and getting to the point
> where
> students choose NOT to engage in irresponsible activity.
>
> Nancy
> --
> Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D.
> Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
> http://csriu.org
> nwillard@csriu.org
>
>
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Gary D. Price, MLIS
Librarian
Gary Price Library Research and Internet Consulting
Visit The ResourceShelf
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