Internet Filters

When working with children and incorporating web use into the classroom, many factors must be considered. There are a lot of websites available to the unprotected surfer that many parents and teachers may want to screen and prohibit. There are pro’s and con’s with all censorship issues, and internet filters are no exception.

Pro’s	Con’s
A given criteria for filtering can be specified and all qualifying websites are blocked. This is called “black listing.”	Filter settings can be set too low and allow inappropriate website to be accessed.
A given criteria for full access can be established and all qualifying websites are allowed. This is called “white listing.”	Filter settings can be set too high and prevent the use of useful and appropriate sites.
Educational websites will be approved and will encourage young surfers to use the web as a source of reliable. information	Filters can misdiagnose a website as being forbidden and will unintentionally block a useful site. The filters can also block questionable material that may be historically or culturally important.
Filtering settings can be customized to the level and kind of websites that the user chooses to accept and forbid according to their personal preferences.	No one person can speak for another and the use of a filtering system established on another’s censor system can be interpreted as a limit on freedom of speech and press.
Children will be protected from pornography or violent ideas and words.	Filtration systems may pique a student’s interest in the forbidden sites and actually instigate a search for inappropriate material.

In my classroom I will have all web users sign a formatted contract agreeing to proper use of the internet. The rules and regulations of web use will be drawn up and created through a group effort of the class participating in the computer lab. I will also keep parents informed as to what projects involved web use and their child’s performance with that responsibility. As a general precaution, I will seek out websites the children can choose from to research their topic to avoid random searches through Google that can result in questionable sites.