Internet Filter Research Paper

Patrick Cloonan, teacher at Manheim School District, reported to Hi-Lite Online that while some websites like YouTube have inappropriate content, it can also have beneficial materials for students. In the text it said, students have better research without web filters. This confirms that students could be asked to do an assignment and the websites that are restricted are not able to be used by those students (“NYT”).

controversial yes so simple. To many they are too restrictive while to others they are not

Professor Sam Wineburg of Stanford University adamantly opposes the practice of schools blocking students from certain websites and databases such as Wikipedia, Twitter, and Instagram. Dr. Wineburg suggests that if students only have access to information chosen and filtered by the institution, their ability to choose what to believe, and how to think will not develop. If students do not have access to sites such as Wikipedia, once they are able to browse freely, they will be unable to tell what is reliable. By imposing these restrictions, schools are failing to allow students to think freely. More importantly, they are depriving students of furthering their intelligence by choosing themselves what information is valid and what is not. These constraints essentially tell students what to believe; therefore, once they go beyond classroom doors and browse freely, they will be incapable of finding sources on their own. Furthermore, blocking sites only worsens the spread of fake news, since students believe everything they read. I agree with Dr. Wineburg in that schools should not block certain websites. Blocking students from sources or only allowing certain online databases not only limits students’ ability to expand their knowledge, but harms their free thinking and forces them to believe the information placed in front of them, ultimately contributing to students spreading fake news.

When discussing internet censorship, one of the major concerns is what children can see on the internet. Internet censorship was a huge deal during the 1990’s and early 2000’s and it still is to this very day. The internet back then was much different than it is today. Back then, we could only access the internet from a computer and most people didn’t own one back then. Nowadays, most people have multiple computers and a cell phone that can access the internet. It was easier for parents to control what their children could have access to back then. Now, parents can still put restrictions on the router settings and set a timer for when the internet shuts off but kids can always just go somewhere else that may have internet access to view any

While elementary and middle schools have obvious needs for restrictions, Internet access at the high school level isn't as black and white. High school students are sensitive to their given rights, yet are officially minors under the law; teenagers are ever nearing adulthood, but are sometimes viewed as immature. So, high school administrators are challenged with designing an Internet policy that meets the educational needs of the students and the moral demands of society. Although software is being designed to "censor" the content of the Internet, student trust and responsibility might be a more reasonable route.

Congress made an attempt to place content-based restrictions on school and public library internet use in the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) of 2000. This act requires the use of some type of internet filtering software for all public libraries that attain funds from the Federal government (in the form of E-rate discounts or Library Services and Technology Act grants). Should a library refuse to comply with CIPA guidelines, that library would have to maintain its technological services without the government discount or LSTA grants. Holding to the CIPA guidelines, both the E-rate and LSTA stipulate that filters may be disabled or ‘legitimate’ sites unblocked by adults who request it, but it is unclear “whether libraries ‘must’ provide for such disabling” (Anten 79).

Educational websites are blocked. The filters are put in place without enough thought blocking websites that should be accessible. Schools don’t take a role in blocking websites. A 2003 study by the EFF and online policy group found that even schools use filtering software. Schools should start blocking websites by there self.

You have a project due, but many of the websites you need for your research are blocked by your school’s filters. Many students have this problem when searching the web, which is why school web filters used to block inferior websites from students are too restrictive, and should be revised or removed.

After being assigned a school project, a young high school student walks into the library with plans on researching about his topic before starting. It’s a biology project about the mating rituals of animals, which was a topic that struck his interest. So he boots up the computer, signs in, and starts surfing the web and different search engines for his topic. Every site he clicks on, however, has been blocked. Anything having to do with mating and breeding has been censored by the library as inappropriate material. What if this high school student doesn’t have internet at home? Being unable to look up his material at the library is sure to hinder his research. This would be a very common story if web censorship in the

Some schools give students laptops for part of their resources. They can search the internet and look up information they need for essays and assignments. This may sound like a great idea in theory, but once you get the laptop, you soon realize your searching options are extremely limited. If you don’t word things correctly, the thing you search can end of blocked. Why would the school allow such a great tool to be used for school, and then block 90% of what we are allowed to use? Why bother with the computers in the first place? And most of all, isn’t that taking away our rights?

This paper addresses whether we should censor or block access to websites with controversial material. It looks at the issue from several sides: The relevant US laws that are in place, how censorship is used at the university and corporate levels, how other countries are attempting censorship, and finally what I feel about the topic.

1. Almost every person I know requires a different approach. I know to avoid or change the wording of some topics around certain individuals because their response to it may be either indifferent or negative.

In 2013, President Obama made it his goal to connect 99% of schools to broadband internet in 5 years. This effort, however, is useless if students can’t actually use the internet to effectively research and study for school purposes. Many schools across the nation rely on webfilter companies to block “inappropriate” websites for them. These web filters are unnecessary. Schools should have unblocked internet and refrain from using filters because they don’t fulfill their job, they are easy to go around, and they are very stressful.

“Access Denied” - the same constant screen continues to pop up on a laptop for hours and hours as one rushes to finish a project that is due the next day. Since the topic they are researching is so-called “sensitive,” most of the information is blocked. However, there is no other choice. These problems, which many students have, are due to blocks put on computers, otherwise known as web filters. Web filters are systems where websites that are deemed “inappropriate” or “offensive” are restricted. Web filters are not efficient because they prevent students from getting information they need, as mentioned in the example above. Additionally, web filters are highly overpriced and can cost districts thousands of dollars. On the other hand, proponents

Teachers need to incorporate the use of firewalls, filtering software and AUP’s into the classroom to practice ethical use of technology in the classroom. Firewalls will protect the classroom and home computers from unwanted viruses. The firewall detects when a virus is being introduced to the network and will take measures to keep the virus from infecting a computer. Filtering software is important because it will not allow students to view unwanted material or websites (Shelly, G, Gunter, G, and Gunter, R 2012). Teachers