The internet filter has long been a public bugaboo of mine and the longer we subscribe to Xstop the worse it gets. The list of sites being blocked is getting longer and longer with virtually no accountability regarding what is being blocked. The law requires the school to filter pornographic sites, everything else is at the discretion of the district. In the past I have advocated a complete paring down of the filter to only what the law requires and putting more responsibility upon the staff to monitor student internet usage. A reasonable compromise would be for all teachers to have an override to the system.
EdTechSwami Forum » Tech Team
Xstop and the black screen
(13 posts)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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Anonymous
UnregisteredWhile I'd like to think that we can effectively monitor student internet usage, I have my doubts. Students will almost always be more computer savvy than staff, and with a little alt-tab wizardry, it can appear as if students are doing nothing inappropriate at all.
Censorship bothers me in principle, but at present it seems like the best option. Allowing teachers around the block however, would at least allow teachers to more effectively harness the power of the internet.
~Dean
Posted 1 year ago # -
It isn't so much the censorship issue for me. Clearly there are things that we are obligated by law and conscience to protect students from. The issue for me is that the filter software is dumb and not granular in it configuration. For example a student would be prevented from conducting legitimate research about breast cancer, yet be able to see nude pictures by doing a completely unrelated google image search. This is why it makes more sense to put it back into the hands of the teacher.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Anonymous
UnregisteredGood point... I forgot about how it actually filters. Is there better software, or do we not have a choice?
~Dean
Posted 1 year ago # -
Right now we purchase our filtering from the BOCES RIC, which has its positives and negatives. The positive is that they manage and configure the filter, this is also the negative. Because other school districts are also using Xstop the software works like a giant collective. If we are listed as a school wishing to block games for example, and Madison submitted a site to be blocked that they had tagged as a game site it would be blocked for us as well without review. That is why the longer we purchase Xstop the more and more sites become blocked over time.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Anonymous
UnregisteredWhat would the cost be if we were to go off and do our own thing? It seems that money is the bottom line these days - if BOCES is cheaper, then that's the logical choice, even if it's not exactly ideal.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Boces is without question cheaper as all of the money send there is aid-able. However, that doesn't mean that we can't push for better customization of our own setup. We could say for instance that we wanted to unblock a particular category, like games or drugs and all of the sites that have been tagged with that label would be unblocked.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Although I agree completely with everything that has been posted thus far, I would be concerned about the loss of a filter all together. Though I monitor my students closely, the computers in my room are set up away from the teacher. When working with groups, I cannot monitor them all at the same time close enough to know exactly what they are looking at. I think that the most logical solution would be to allow each faculty member there own override. This will allow the teacher to be in control of what the students are looking at, yet give them the ability to utilize sites that would benefit their classroom instruction. A prime example is the use of You Tube in the music department. This is a blocked site, however when operated by the teacher, there is a wealth of music videos and examples on this site that enhance the curriculum that we teach.
Posted 1 year ago # -
mmorgillo
MemberI would just like the power to choose for myself when I come across something I want, or sometimes need to have access to. I would also like to help my AP students who are researching and may come across the "denied" page. Not to give them the code, but to free up the access.
Posted 1 year ago # -
This is probably the safest alternative to my radical plan of pulling the plug on the filter for everything except the minimum legal requirements.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Anonymous
UnregisteredTo play the devil's advocate - is there any downside to giving all teachers the override to xstop?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I can't really see one. The teachers are obligated to follow the AUP just as much as the students are. So long as the computers are being used for bona fide educational purposes.
Posted 1 year ago # -
mvanvechten
MemberI totally agree with at least teachers having the discrepancy to override the black screen. I have found amazing videos, documentaries, and teaching tools for both the classroom and my coaching, but they're blocked because they're on youtube. An additional thought. Can you imagine if some student learns how to buy illegal drugs or make a bomb and it gets all over the news that they were able to look it up on the school computers during study hall? I agree with Michelle and Chris' last post.
Posted 1 year ago #
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