Yeah, you have to wonder about the thought process going on. The computers are against the wall so the monitor faces the middle of the room. The kid tried this with a teacher present AND accidentally left the note behind that listed the two sites to try. Amazing...
JHB- You've got some kids with Chutzpah! With a teacher in the room and everything. Generally that would deter them but I guess if you're motivated enough...
SHC- I guess we are going to have to realize that filters can work most of the time but something, somewhere can always creep in. As fast as we find ways to stop it, the smut peddlers find ways to get around it...sickening.
The parents that freaked out, need to realize that there is only so much you can do, for that very same reason. The internet is a big place and full of all kinds of people, good and bad. You can only do your best.
It's a shame that parents freaked out - especially that extreme one. Of course it's a problem and action ought to be taken, but keeping perspective is key. Libraries still struggle with whether or not to keep copies of National Geographic in the libary when they include pictures of cultures with, shall we say, a more "natural" dress code.
There was an issue and it sounds like the school took immediate steps to find a remedy. That should be the focus.
Thanks for all of your replies. The school and technology director have kicked into high gear. We THOUGHT we had appropriate filters but somehow when some kid was looking up something about Hitler, some gay pornography came up. They are doing several different things to remedy the situation--a different internet provider (instead of the local cable company)who already has some filters plus some more software. The Parents' Club allotted $10,000 to do whatever it takes. These kids were in a classroom with a teacher, but she was helping another child and this was all done within a minute or two. I can see how it can happen, especially if I stumbled upon it on a gardening site--there's nothing pornographic about a gardening site!
Anyway, thank you for your replies. We had some VERY ANGRY parents (one mainly) and she hijacked our PTO meeting and wouldn't let go. It was awful.
Thanks again
Shelly
I think it's a combination of well-defined policy, supervision, and filtering software.
This particular case happened during class in the regular classroom. Each classroom has 2-4 computers off to the side. At various points, the kids may be working in centers, some on computers others at their desks, others reading in a small group with their teacher.
With a classroom of 22 or so students to manage, I don't think it's practical that a teacher could literally stand over their shoulders every time a student gets on the computer. Yes, of course she glances over and checks on them now and then - but she would have had to be close enough to read the address they were typing to notice what they were trying to do as the filtering software wouldn't let them get to a porn site where an image would load. It's more likely the kids' behaviour, the giggling, the body language would give them away (from across the room).
The filtering software did its job. It's intended to be one tool to help control this situation. (The principal only checked the logs later to make sure they didn't actually get into any sites.)
And keep in mind, they DID get caught by the teacher.
Another concern is that the children were left alone to have the time to access these sites. There should be a teacher in the room with them at all times.
Filtering software is a definite must but as we, who didn't grow up in front of computers know, our children are far more advanced and even then, they can get around things. My friend has filtering software and her tween son and his friend were looking up anime'. That stuff is pretty raunchy but it's cartoons! I showed her how to look at the logs and they were busted (she had come home to them in front of the computer and acting weird) but the filtering software didn't work because it was animation and the sites they accessed didn't contain any of the blocked words. She and I had a good laugh and a few blushes at what we found though! (Japanese animators are nasty!)
