Access Denied!

Retrieved from http://www.ipcop.org/2.0.0/en/admin/html/services-urlfilter.html on  July 7,  2014

Most teachers have seen the image above, or at least something like it. Ever wonder who decides which websites get the stamp of approval and which don't? More importantly, ever wonder how they decide it?

I would answer 'yes' to both questions above. The only document I could locate that has anything to do with Internet filtering or acceptable use in my district is a policy for personal electronic communication devices. My school has a BYOB (Bring Your Own Device) initiative, and this policy is a very wordy document describing appropriate use. See it in its entirety HERE.  In a nutshell, the policy indicates that devices are used at the teacher’s discretion. Students and teachers must use their district log-in and may not hard-wire their device (WiFi access only). Other highlights that seem important or interesting include forbiddance of creating an audio or video segment without teacher permission and to expect no level of privacy when logged into the district’s wireless network.

On a personal level, I would like to comment on some of the major points discussed in the YouTube interview with Mike, Joe, Dean, and Bud in which filtering and other issues are presented. In all fairness, my math classes lend themselves to students using the Internet probably a dozen times a semester. About 90% of the assignments use specific websites, so students are not conducting random searches. I feel that classes like English, Social Studies, and other disciplines in which students are conducting independent research would have more insightful perspectives on some of the points below.

• Requests for Blocking/Unblocking: I am unaware of any formal procedures to make blocking/unblocking requests. I am jealous of the option describes by Bud Hunt that allows teachers to do this so easily. With that said, I have never come across a site I wish to be blocked or unblocked other than YouTube. Teachers have access under their log-in, but students do not. It would be nice to post something and have students access it.
• Teaching Internet Responsibility: If this is a strong initiative in my district, I am unaware of it. I completely buy in to the idea of teaching and reinforcing Internet responsibility. As stated in the video, most high school students access the Internet through their phone’s data and not through the district, so the filters are not the issue. I would like to see a greater push of this idea district-wide.
• Community-based Decisions: This is another point that I strongly endorse, but I have not given thought to prior to watching this interview. I am under the impression that IT and the School Board have complete control over policies of this nature. A community-based system (teachers, parents, administration, IT, students, etc.) would provide a far superior viewpoint in my opinion. Something to think about.

Ok, let’s get down to policy! If I were responsible for creating a one-page document describing filtering/acceptable use, this is what I would include. What do you think?

Mission

• Satisfy the requirements of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in an effort to ensure safe and secure technology use by students, teachers, and community members.
• Enable use of websites containing appropriate images, video, and text to enhance teaching and learning.
• Promote responsible use of the Internet and create an integrity-based code of conduct for online learning and use of computers, tablets, and other handheld devices.

Access and Restrictions

• Faculty, staff, administrators, students, and other community members may be given access to the district’s computer network resources

• Access may be on district-owned hardware or a user’s personal device (Wifi only)
• Access includes an account and password witch must not be shared, assigned, or transferred to another individual
• Password security will require users to change their password periodically throughout the semester and will give fifteen (15) days notice
• Users must contact the district IT department immediately if they feel their account has been breached in any way
• Restrict access to web sites that contain any of the following:
• Vulgar, obscene or clearly offensive materials
• Promotion of excessive violence, hate, or racism
• Encouragement of illegal activity
• Pornography or other sexual material, including text, images, and videos
• Restrict access to web sites that materially infringes upon the rights of other students, teachers, or community members
• Restrict access to web sites that could impair or compromise the security or performance of the District's information systems.
• Access to websites that may be otherwise restricted may be requested through the IT website on the school district’s Intranet page
• The request must contain an appropriate reason for access
•  Access will be granted district-wide
• Access will be granted by a community-based board and reasoning behind the decision will be communicated to the requestor within 72 hours

Before creating my own policy, I took into account the existing BYOD policy described by my district, the major ideas discussed in the interview, and ideas from several policies I found online from other districts. If I were to compare two policies I would chose this one from The School District of Palm Beach County and this one from Elk Grove Unified School District. I like that neither of these policies is overly wordy or confusing. I feel that the Elk Grove policy is poorly done because it is way too brief and nonspecific. I feel that they have used a vendor product and don’t individualize their choices at all. While their message is very ‘politically correct,’ indicating the need for safety and up-to-date technology, it seems there is no community input or variance based on what is best for teaching and learning.

The Palm Beach policy is also to the point, but I feel it is user friendly and easy to understand. Palm Beach, it seems, is also depending on a vendor to filter its content The bullet points on the first tab clearly define its mission and are realistic. I like that the blocked categories are defined because I could not tell you what is blocked or not in my own district. Again, I would like to see something that permits teachers, students or parents to request to block or unblock a specific site. Can you tell I am sold on the Community-based decision making procedure?

As I leave this post and look forward to reading other people’s current policies and new ideas, the thought that still lingers in my mind is HOW do we teach students proper Internet etiquette when they are not constrained by filters at home or on their own devises? Is this not a community effort as well?