Yes, please unlock it! I have always believed that network access for teachers should never be restricted because we are the ones that design and implement lesson plans that are appropriate for our students? It is so frustrating when you spend the time to put together materials to engage, inspire, and develop deep understanding on a topic only to experience the dreaded HTTP error 404 page not found! We can use a proxy server like Proxapp to get around it or simply omit and push forward. No matter, what your decision is it takes time away from the plan and disrupts the lesson flow. This is how quick and easy it is to bypass school filtering, just watch the video. Search you tube for how to bypass Internet or school filters to see the extensive list of suggestions. Filter bypass options can only mean that once again we have put a Band-Aid on a broken arm. Please do not think I promote this method but, we need to face reality for many students it is a challenge that is enjoyable and frequently successful.
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The United States Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) intentions were to keep young citizens safe from inappropriate material. However, the federal law is more concerned with “images” of an inappropriate nature and material that could be “harmful to children” which is basically, the words describing the images. New Hampshire school district computer and network policy requires an acceptable use as well as inappropriate or illegal use policy. Computer World blog post on, How Internet censorship harms schools provides great examples of issues with filters on school district networks. This link provides information on news groups for a few popular search/webmail resources that email daily proxy sites for bypassing filters on selected sites. My thoughts are the energy wasted that could be used for far better outcomes. My belief is that we should be spending our time putting together great and I mean really great educational tools for digital citizenship allowing students to access sites like you tube, facebook, my space and the host of others that are blocked because of their location not for their content.
Why not ease into digital citizenship beginning with staff by removing all blocks and filters from staff network logins. This would give teachers more flexibility in the classroom to select material that is current, relevant, and engaging for the students. Keep filters on for inappropriate images and “sexual related text” at the upper grades. We can adjust content from a more open environment reducing filter management and freeing resources for computer and network support. I believe an implementation in a slow and focused approach would be respectful of our students and their attainment of knowledge.
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