Independent Schools Portal
  • Home
  • About
  • Professional Development in 2021
  • innovatED Magazine
    • innovatED Issue 1
    • innovatED Issue 2
    • innovatED Issue 3
    • innovatED Issue 4
Picture

Blog Page

Balancing internet access with safety: The current options available to educators

4/12/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Leigh McGarvie

by Leigh McGarvie

Director, LMG Networks
Less than a generation ago, classroom research required trips to the school or public libraries. Time pouring through books, encyclopaedias, and journals was necessary to produce a well-written report. Today, all that content, plus blogs, videos, e-books, and even textbooks not only fit in the palm of the hand, but also are more readily accessible to younger minds.
However, with that comes access to even more content that shouldn’t be accessible—all at a click of a mouse, or tap of a finger. Subject matter that would not even be spoken of in mixed company in the past is now available on any digital device, at any location, with little restriction.

What are schools to do? How do we keep our students safe?

​Initial attempts were to only allow a few students to use a computer—in the classroom, facing the teacher, and only after regular classroom work was completed. Internet-enabled lab computers then became widely available, and Acceptable Use Policies (or contracts) became necessary. These contracts were preferably signed by both students and parents, and contain enforceable disciplinary actions.
Today, students are walking into the classroom with self-owned technology in their hands that is more powerful than many schools can provide for the student to use.  How do schools prevent the use of peer-to-peer file sharing, illegal music downloads, adult content, or any other inappropriate audio, video, or text-based content? The answer is Internet content filters.

​Online-based filters are extremely affordable, but are often very slow and offer poor management or configurable options

Hardware-based filters are typically more expensive and require network management knowledge.  Either method sounds like the epitome of protection; however, it must be noted that content filters cannot replace the necessity of physically monitoring student use or the need to have signed use policies/contracts.

When schools first introduce a content filter, there is usually an outcry regarding the limitation of access to content and the difficulty for the adult staff to provide content to students, do research, or conduct business.

A multi-level filtering appliance can provide the mandatory protection for the students, allow additional content for staff use, and yet provide liability protection for all those involved—keeping the entire school safe from the potential allegations of anyone accessing questionable content.  The appliance can even provide whitelisting for additional protection for the very young, or possibly a disciplinary measure for older students—while still allowing access to content for learning needs.

The question inevitably arises regarding the appliance blocking access to “good” content. Again, a proper appliance will provide not only blacklist filtering (blocking access at the domain-level for yahoo.com, facebook.com, etc.), but also parsing (searching for specific words on the page to be banned) and context filtering.

Customised control is available on multi-filtering appliances by adjusting the sensitivity level of the context filtering—higher sensitivity for student filters, less sensitivity for staff filters.

But what should be done about videos—now a mainstay in the educator’s arsenal of supplemental teaching materials?  Filtering videos is a difficult task. Without text provided to accurately describe the content of the video, filtering appliances have nothing else to use. This usually comes down to an all-or-nothing scenario—either the entire site is allowed or the entire site is blocked.

Google’s recent introduction of YouTube for Schools has made a significant contribution to assisting schools in providing content to both students and teachers, while adding the protection of blocking the rest of YouTube. With the help of a filtering appliance that automatically redirects the URL, students can only watch videos that have been authorised by teachers.

Finally, proper appliances should also filter portable equipment that students and staff may bring to school. If wireless access is provided for these users to access the school’s network, a filtering appliance with advanced authentication methods can provide filtering for these users as well.

Any devices that belong to the school - tied in to the server (domain controller) - can be recognised using advanced authentication methods. Non-domain devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.) will fallback to an alternate authentication method that is similar to that used in hotels or guest hotspots.  Regardless of authentication method, all users can be assigned to different filters on the appliance-providing that very important liability protection.

For more information about web filtering or any other IT related problem please do not hesitate to get in contact with me Leigh McGarvie, Director at LMG Networks, Tel. 01257 786200, email - leigh@lmgnetworks.co.uk
0 Comments

    Archives

    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016

    Categories

    All
    2005 Conservative Manifesto
    30 Hours
    3D Classsroom
    3D Printer
    3D Software
    3 For Free
    Adele Bannister
    Adobe Spark
    AEGIS
    Alan Thompson
    Andrew Goff
    Andrew Hammond
    Andy Falconer
    Andy Goff
    Animation
    Ann Marie Christian
    Anti-Bullying
    Anti-bullying Guide
    Antonia Clarke
    Apple
    App Of The Week
    Appraisal
    Assessment
    Assessment Systems
    Autism
    Back To School
    Barry Richardson
    Baseline Assessment
    Beatwave
    Bee Aware Initiative
    Bishops Univerity
    Bishops University
    Blue Apple Education
    Briefing Note
    Buncee
    Bursars
    Buying
    Buying Support Agency
    Cardiio
    Careers
    CAS
    Catherine Lees
    Charity
    Chatterpix
    Child Protection
    Child Support
    Choices
    Chris Forrest
    Christina Gabbitas
    Claas
    Claire Fuller
    Claire Stead
    Classroom Technology
    Clifton School And Nursery
    Clubs
    Code Combat
    Code Studio
    Collaboration
    Collaborative Learning
    Collaborative Purchasing
    Competition
    Competitions
    Compliance
    Computing
    Conference
    Conferences
    Conservatives
    Coopetition
    CoSpaces
    CPOMS
    Creative Writing
    Cundall Manor
    Cyber Cafe
    Cyber-security
    Dan Arnold
    Dan Seneker
    David Goulbourn
    David Horton
    David Paton
    David Winfield
    Department For Education
    Deputy Heads
    Devolve Me
    Dfe
    Difficult Conversations
    Difficult Parents
    Diversity
    Dotty
    Early Years
    Economics
    Ecoschools
    EdShow
    Edtech
    Education
    Educational Fads
    Education Policy
    Education Show
    Election 2017
    Eliziam
    Email
    Emil Willis
    Emma Warner-Reed
    Engagement
    E Safety
    E-safety
    ExamPAL
    Feel Real
    Festival Of Learning
    Finance
    Find Of The Fortnight
    Finnish Education
    Firefly
    Flash Fiction
    Flipped Learning
    Flowing Tales
    Formative Assessment
    Funding
    GBM Digital
    Gender
    Gender Stereotypes
    Globalisation
    Gooseberry Planet
    Governors
    Grammar School At Leeds
    Grammar Schools
    Grants
    Green Paper
    Grief Recovery
    Grieving
    Growth Mindset
    GSaL
    Hannah Wilson
    Heads4Heads
    Headship
    Health And Safety
    Helene Ruda
    Henry Smith
    Higher Education
    Hi Impact
    Hi-impact
    Holmewood House
    Homework
    Hyde Park School
    IAPS
    Icomm
    ICT For Leaders
    Incerts
    Incredibox
    Independent Schools
    Independent Thinking
    Innova
    Innovation
    Inspection
    Inspiring Teaching
    Inspiring The Inspirers
    International Higher Education
    International Study
    Internet
    Internet Safety
    Intrinsic Motivation
    Ishita Mandraka
    ISI
    IT
    Jack Adamson
    Jack Jackman
    James Tooley
    Jo Marsden
    Justine Greening
    Kahoot
    Karen Burns
    KCSIE
    Klick Technology
    Koma Koma
    Kylie Reid
    Lab Furniture
    Leaders
    Leadership
    Learning Environments
    Learning Ladders
    Learning Platforms
    Lego Life
    Leigh McGarvie
    Lily Foundation
    Lisa Ashes
    Literacy
    Little Food Company
    Loss
    Lucidpress
    Maria Brosnan
    Mark Davies
    Mark Doherty
    Mark Lomas
    Maths
    Maths Setting
    Matt Haynes
    Matt Koster-Marcon
    Matt Roper
    Meetings
    Mental Health
    Mike Abraham
    Mike Hargreaves
    Miles Berry
    NAHT
    Networks
    Nicola Clifford
    Nursery
    Nursery Education
    Outdoor Learning
    Outward Bound Trust
    Oxford Home Schooling
    P4C
    Parental Engagement
    Parent Apps
    Parenting
    Parents Tour
    Parent Teacher Relationships
    Partners
    Paul Brewer
    Pedagogy
    Peter Carpenter
    Phil Garner
    Philosophy
    Philosophy-for-children
    Pirjo Suhonen
    Playdemic
    Pobble
    Pokemon Go
    Pownall Hall School
    Premier Education
    Principal Resourcing
    Professional Development
    Programming
    Pupil Progress
    Purchasing
    Radnor House School
    Ransomware
    Recruitment
    Red House School
    Renewable Energy
    Resiliance
    Ross Morrison McGill
    Safeguarding
    Samantha Fisher
    Sam Antrobus
    Sarah Barthorpe
    Saving Money
    Savings
    School Communication
    School Outdoor Learning
    Schools
    Secret Parent
    Self Broadcasting
    Sensavis
    Shadow Puppet
    Sheilds
    Shropshire 3D Print
    Smart
    Smart Technologies
    Smoothwall
    Smootwall
    Snapseed
    Social Media
    Software
    Solar For Schools
    Sonia Gill
    Sonita Alleyne
    SOuL
    Splice
    St Bees
    Stella
    Stella James
    Stephanie Walker
    St Olaves
    Stress
    Stronger Together
    Stuart Bayne
    Student Debt
    Students
    Study In Canada
    Studying In The USA
    Study US
    Supply Teaching
    Sustainability
    TeacherIn
    Teacher Shortages
    Teaching
    Teaching And Learning
    Teaching Ideas
    Tech
    Technology
    Teresa May
    Termly Update
    Thomas Packer
    Three For Free
    Tigtagjunior
    Tigtagworld
    Tiny Tap
    Top Trumps It
    Tracy Gladman
    Twig
    Twig World
    University Funding
    USA University Study
    VEO
    Video
    Video Editor
    Video Enhanced Observation
    Videos
    Virtual Reality
    Viviana Doctorovich
    Wellbeing
    WomenEd
    Wonder Why Society
    Work - Life Balance
    Worrinots
    Yasemin Wigglesworth
    Yes Programme

    RSS Feed

Stay social

Picture
(c) Blue Cow Education Limited 2015-20.  All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • About
  • Professional Development in 2021
  • innovatED Magazine
    • innovatED Issue 1
    • innovatED Issue 2
    • innovatED Issue 3
    • innovatED Issue 4