Internet Filtering and Blocking

KEEPING OUR FREEDOM: WHY OUR SCHOOLS SHOULD

NOT BLOCK INTERNET CONTENT

By: Joshua Sparks

March 8, 2011

Objective:

TWBAT: 1) List and describe four reasons as to why internet content should not be filtered or blocked at school.

Agenda:1) K-W-L Chart creation/discussion2) 7 Reasons3) Reflection/Policy Discussion

Create K-W-L Chart

Why do you think schools should not block internet content?

What would you like to learn about why schools should not block internet content?

What did you learn about schools and their efforts to not block internet content?

Public Opinion on Blocking Internet Content in Schools How much should schools filter Internet content?

A lot. In order to protect students from obscenity and distractions, Web access should be limited to sites with obvious academic value.

11% (89 votes)

Somewhat. Schools should block questionable content but allow teachers to use workarounds such as bringing in laptops to the classroom to access educational information.

34% (267 votes)

Very little. Pornography is the only material to which students should have no access; they should be taught to utilize the rest of the Web responsibly.

50% (392 votes)

None of the above. (Comment below.)

4% (31 votes)

http://www.edutopia.org/poll-schools-filter-internet-content

Most people feel as though internet content should be blocked very little.

1. Teaching students how to utilize the internet appropriately. Teachers should model how to use the

internet appropriately in regards to conducting research.

We should encourage students to “google” answers to questions and discuss those results for accuracy.

Blocking content is not teaching responsible use of the internet.

Are you encouraging students to use these resources?

Google and Wikipedia

These resources place students at the forefront of research and information.

These resources should not be blocked, but rather used regularly to insure students can decipher correct incorrect information.

Technology advocate Scott McLeod states “I can think of no better way to highlight organizational unimportance than to block out the tools that are transforming the rest of society.”

http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=5390&terms=mcleod+blocking+the+future

2. Punish those who make mistakes… not everyone! “Enter the alternative to blocking

everything—education. Stop filtering everything, teach kids how and where they can go on-line while in school, and give consequences to the 2% who make a mistake”

http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2007/01/05/educating-trumps-blocking/

3. Modeling Freedom

How can we, as a country, proclaim to be free when we block students from viewing internet content?

This is restrictive and does not promote responsible use and higher-level thinking in our student population.

Let’s Keep Our Information Access Freedom!“I don’t like them [internet filters] because in order to exercise one’s right to

free speech one also must have access to speech:

[T]he Constitution protects the right to receive informationand ideas. This right is an inherent corollary of the rights of freespeech and press that are explicitly guaranteed by the Constitution. . . . The dissemination of ideas can accomplishnothing if otherwise willing addressees are not free to receiveand consider them. It would be a barren marketplace of ideas thathad only sellers and no buyers. . . .More importantly the right to receive ideas is a necessary predicateto the recipient’s meaningful exercise of his own rights of speechpress and political freedom. [Board of Education Island Trees Union Free School Dist. v. Pico 457 U.S. 853 (1982)]

And I don’t like them because of the message they send to students: in an information economy we don’t trust you with information.”

http://bigthink.com/ideas/29765

Dear teachers,

We trust you with the children butnot the Internet.

Yours truly,

THE ADMINISTRATION


4. Not all content is bad!

“The sense of banning a website based on the information's container (game, social networking site, wiki, blog, etc.) is as logical as saying, "Since Penthouse is published in a magazine format, we cannot allow students to bring magazines to school.”

http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/2/24/format-bigotry.html

We should embrace new technologies because most of the content out there is valuable, educational, and helpful to the development of our students.

We have to stop and overcome the “all content out there is bad content” mindset.

5. It sends mixed messages

Facebook is a main way to communicate with others in today’s world.

Many districts are banning the use of social networking. “The issue is actual inappropriate teacher communication

and/or behavior (which I’m guessing is already covered by board policy) not the method by which teachers communicate with students. A prohibition on use of social networking tools does absolutely nothing to prevent inappropriate teacher communication with students via other channels.”


If communicating with students inappropriately is a board’s main worry then they will need to create policies blocking teachers from communicating with students in other ways as well.

6. To stop giving into fear

“In education we too are often ruled by fear.

In education we focus on the dangers of online child predators rather than on dropout rates.

In education we require urban schools to spend money on Internet filtering but not on decaying unsafe school facilities.

Because of a few isolated incidents we succumb to the siren song of school safety alarmists and pay for metal detectors and drug-sniffing dogs and networked video cameras and drug testing of students in extracurricular activities instead of preschool education.

We would be much better off as a society if we spent less money and attention on sensationalist issues and instead focused on what matters.”


7. We must prepare students to be responsible citizens “We have to stop pretending that

students are like Athena able to burst forth fully-formed from the head of Zeus (or the cocoon of schools) ready to successfully function in a complex adult world without prior practice or experience.”


In the end… let’s not block content because:1. We need to teach students how to use the internet

appropriately.

2. We should punish those who make mistakes… not everyone.

3. We should model freedom when it comes to information.

4. Not all content/information is bad.

5. It sends mixed messages to students.

6. We should stop giving into internet fear.

7. We must prepare students to be responsible citizens.

Complete the L on your K-W-L. What are the main takeaways from this

presentation? What did you learn about internet

blocking and why it’s unnecessary in today’s world?

We’ll take 10 minutes to discuss with your table group and then we’ll discuss in a large group.

In the end…

“Please don’t relegate your students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to second-class status in the new economy because you left it to them and their families to figure out on their own what it means to be digital, global citizens.”

http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=5390&terms=mcleod+blocking+the+future

Thank you…

For your attention and thoughtful discussion

Any feedback may be sent to: [email protected].