Filtering Policies

    I understand the need/desire to filter the Web at schools.  I also understand the desire to balance public appropriateness with the availability of and access to knowledge.
    But I'm getting really tired of people with little or no knowledge of blogging and other Web 2.0 technologies blocking all such technologies first and forgetting to ask the questions later.
    Does your school district have specific policies for what gets blocked, what doesn't and how you challenge such?  If you want to keep or remove a book from a school in most Colorado school districts, there's a written policy to follow.  It outlines very specifically what happens when something is challenged and what the criteria are for removal. 
    But when it comes to a website, it seems that IT people get to decide.  When I've asked around in two northern Colorado school districts, I've been pointed to vague board policies, not specific criteria for what gets blocked and what doesn't.  One district told me that they do have some criteria, but that they wouldn't share them with me.
    How does it happen in your neck of the woods?   At what point are we censoring and not filtering?
    And why are we treating websites differently from books?
    And why aren't we angry about this?

Comments

[Dean Shareski]

Bud,

Our school district http://www.mjsd1.ca is trying out a content filtering system. It's benefits are caching a number of sites locally for speedy access and also the ability to filter out sites and keywords.

Our IT department is very clear on its role. The remind us they DO NOT create policy, they only attempt to enforce it. Teachers recommend policy for board approval. In terms of filtering, this system comes with a template but can be altered depending on teacher needs. THankfully, the teacher committee is well aware of web 2.0 and its implications and try to limit the number of restrictions and filters.

It's a delicate balance, one that needs to be addressed but clearly defined roles is important along with knowledgeable, forward thinking people in those roles. Fortunately, these things are in place for us.

[Bud Hunt]

Very cool. Sounds like you've achieved something that we desperately need. Are there any filtering policies on record in your district that you can share?

[Fritz]

We get the same thing in the corporate world -- the IT department determines what gets filtered. When there's a business case for accessing a website, response from the IT folks can be very slow. Since I'm a software developer me and everyone else in my group know how to work around the filters, but for most of the people in the company access issues are frustrating.

[Sean Sharp]

Bud--I've got a teacher here in SW Virginia who wants to use an IM program to do stuff in a lab. We're trying out a java program that is in-house only to do this, but it does limit what this teacher is trying to accomplish.

[Clarence Fisher]

We are a small school in a forward looking (sometimes) district. We do not filter at all. Granted this is very unusual, and it certainly leads to interesting moments in the classroom sometimes, but we think it is better for kids to have full access to the web, in all its (sometimes) terrible glory. Then we can teach them. We can work with them. We can speak to them about the dark corners and the dangers that exist. If we don't who will be there when they are online at home and run into some of this stuff? Filtering, in my opinion, is one more way that schools separate themselves from reality.

I know it is probably not possible for you to do away completely with your filter system, but I wanted to share my experience with you.

[TR]

I am also struggling with the "DIS" (Dep't. of Info Services) and this whole filter issue.

I think my salvation will be that all of the "good" programs are now going to be way out of their budget...so if they buy something, it will be crap.

The other thing that is starting to swing in my favour is that some of the admins are seeing that things like blogs have value. And now the admins are starting to ask some questions of DIS.

I really don't think that DIS should have the power to decide what types of sites are allowable. Kids and parents already have to sign a form stating they understand the "acceptable use policy." Why not just take off the filters and if a kid actively searches for porn, then they get their privileges revoked. Meanwhile, teachers should be monitoring students who are using computers.

Off with the filters!