Comments on: Content filtering in Communist China versus an Oklahoma school http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:07:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Content Filtering in Schools: Striving to CONTROL user behavior » Moving at the Speed of Creativity http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41459 Content Filtering in Schools: Striving to CONTROL user behavior » Moving at the Speed of Creativity Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:58:52 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41459 [...] I am in a school with a stringent Internet content filtering policy, often more restrictive than that of communist China, I can’t “move at the speed of creativity.” In fact, it often feels like I [...] [...] I am in a school with a stringent Internet content filtering policy, often more restrictive than that of communist China, I can’t “move at the speed of creativity.” In fact, it often feels like I [...]

]]> By: Schools, democracy and the internet. « PREA Prez http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41271 Schools, democracy and the internet. « PREA Prez Fri, 28 Sep 2007 17:58:05 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41271 [...] Fryer on his blog At the Speed of Creativity notes: Last week when I was in Shanghai, China, presenting at the Learning 2.0 conference, I [...] [...] Fryer on his blog At the Speed of Creativity notes: Last week when I was in Shanghai, China, presenting at the Learning 2.0 conference, I [...]

]]> By: Change Agency - Advocating a better education system for the 21st Century. » links for 2007-09-26 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41202 Change Agency - Advocating a better education system for the 21st Century. » links for 2007-09-26 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 13:07:54 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41202 [...] Content filtering in Communist China versus an Oklahoma school » Moving at the Speed of Creativity Great post by Wes showing difference between censorship in China and filtering in an Oklahoma school. (tags: censorship filtering) This entry is filed under Del.icio.us Links. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Leave a Reply [...] [...] Content filtering in Communist China versus an Oklahoma school » Moving at the Speed of Creativity Great post by Wes showing difference between censorship in China and filtering in an Oklahoma school. (tags: censorship filtering) This entry is filed under Del.icio.us Links. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. Leave a Reply [...]

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41184 Wesley Fryer Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:50:47 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41184 Melissa: It's great to hear that learners in your school district have a much more open environment for communication and collaboration. Clarence, I know of a few private schools that have unfiltered Internet access, but no public schools here in the U.S. (I don't think any can because of CIPA.) As web 2.0 tools are used more and the creativity as well as work of students becomes more transparently visible to the public, I wonder if we'll see communication and creativity divides more visibly between schools which permit broader types of Internet access and those which severely restrict access? LeAnne K. Robinson, Abbie Brown, and Tim Green have <a href="http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=September_October_No_2_&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=3872" rel="nofollow">a good article titled "The Thread of Security"</a> in the Sept/Oct issue of ISTE's Learning and Leading with Technology magazine (unfortunately restricted to ISTE members only) which addresses these issues also via anecdotes from the classroom. Somehow I think school board members, administrators, and parents (as well as teachers) need to understand how a restrictive web environment can be more like a handicap than a learning aide. Melissa: It’s great to hear that learners in your school district have a much more open environment for communication and collaboration. Clarence, I know of a few private schools that have unfiltered Internet access, but no public schools here in the U.S. (I don’t think any can because of CIPA.) As web 2.0 tools are used more and the creativity as well as work of students becomes more transparently visible to the public, I wonder if we’ll see communication and creativity divides more visibly between schools which permit broader types of Internet access and those which severely restrict access? LeAnne K. Robinson, Abbie Brown, and Tim Green have a good article titled “The Thread of Security” in the Sept/Oct issue of ISTE’s Learning and Leading with Technology magazine (unfortunately restricted to ISTE members only) which addresses these issues also via anecdotes from the classroom. Somehow I think school board members, administrators, and parents (as well as teachers) need to understand how a restrictive web environment can be more like a handicap than a learning aide.

]]> By: Melissa Garner http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41182 Melissa Garner Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:07:36 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41182 I just checked this list from my desk at a large K-12 school district in Oregon. We use filtering (Websense) and, unsurprisingly to me, the only site in your list that we block is proxify. That makes sense to me, actually, since proxy sites will allow access to ANY content, something that is against the spirit and letter of CIPA. I sometimes think some of the things we block (like www.weeworld.com) are strange when compared to similar sites that we don't (www.meez.com). I regularly make the point that blocking some of the sites you mention is educationally restrictive and, since I work on instructional tech in the Technology department, my opinions are dully considered. I've played an important part in keeping blogging, IM and web mail open (thankfully!). Here's the policy we use (simplified): 1. There are some categories of sites that are just blocked period. These are blocked by categories and _humans_ review sites to see if they fall into those categories. 2. School administrators can request that a specific site be blocked. It is immediately blocked for them. 3. If a different school's administration requests that the same site NOT be blocked, the discussion is handed off to our Curriculum department for resolution. This has worked quite well for our District. Very few issues are sent to Curriculum and our schools are able to use the web to (gasp) educate. I try to say often and clearly that it our educators' responsibility to teach students responsible use of web resources and classroom time and, when they are off task, it is a discipline issue, not a technology issue. Wes, you make me even happier that I work where I do. Thanks! I just checked this list from my desk at a large K-12 school district in Oregon. We use filtering (Websense) and, unsurprisingly to me, the only site in your list that we block is proxify. That makes sense to me, actually, since proxy sites will allow access to ANY content, something that is against the spirit and letter of CIPA.
I sometimes think some of the things we block (like http://www.weeworld.com) are strange when compared to similar sites that we don’t (www.meez.com). I regularly make the point that blocking some of the sites you mention is educationally restrictive and, since I work on instructional tech in the Technology department, my opinions are dully considered. I’ve played an important part in keeping blogging, IM and web mail open (thankfully!).
Here’s the policy we use (simplified):
1. There are some categories of sites that are just blocked period. These are blocked by categories and _humans_ review sites to see if they fall into those categories.
2. School administrators can request that a specific site be blocked. It is immediately blocked for them.
3. If a different school’s administration requests that the same site NOT be blocked, the discussion is handed off to our Curriculum department for resolution.
This has worked quite well for our District. Very few issues are sent to Curriculum and our schools are able to use the web to (gasp) educate. I try to say often and clearly that it our educators’ responsibility to teach students responsible use of web resources and classroom time and, when they are off task, it is a discipline issue, not a technology issue.
Wes, you make me even happier that I work where I do. Thanks!

]]> By: Danielle Abernethy http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41181 Danielle Abernethy Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:55:08 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41181 I'm curious to know what you think about schools using a product like netTrekker? It's not a filter, but it only allows access to websites in their database that have been given the stamp of approval by teachers. I know some schools leave it open to access information from wikipedia while others filter out Wikipedia sites. I’m curious to know what you think about schools using a product like netTrekker? It’s not a filter, but it only allows access to websites in their database that have been given the stamp of approval by teachers. I know some schools leave it open to access information from wikipedia while others filter out Wikipedia sites.

]]> By: Clarence Fisher http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41179 Clarence Fisher Tue, 25 Sep 2007 21:16:14 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41179 This is fascinating to me. As a person who works in a buildng with unfiltered access, I've listened to many of the debates about filters but I had no idea it was so restrictive. It says a lot when democracies are doing more to relegate information access than communist nations. This is fascinating to me. As a person who works in a buildng with unfiltered access, I’ve listened to many of the debates about filters but I had no idea it was so restrictive. It says a lot when democracies are doing more to relegate information access than communist nations.

]]> By: John Pederson http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41172 John Pederson Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:22:24 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41172 Scoreboard. I need to build on this with my experiences in schools I serve. I have one that blocks all of Google. Another that leaves Wikispaces open, but blocks Wikispaces support. While it's easy to think "restrictive administrators who enjoy power", it goes deeper. Like people who don't know how to manage these systems. Or schools that have no policy/procedure to request a site be blocked/unblocked. Thanks for doing this. Scoreboard.

I need to build on this with my experiences in schools I serve. I have one that blocks all of Google. Another that leaves Wikispaces open, but blocks Wikispaces support.

While it’s easy to think “restrictive administrators who enjoy power”, it goes deeper. Like people who don’t know how to manage these systems. Or schools that have no policy/procedure to request a site be blocked/unblocked.

Thanks for doing this.

]]> By: Heather Ross http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41170 Heather Ross Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:38:13 +0000 http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2007/09/25/content-filtering-in-communist-china-versus-an-oklahoma-school/#comment-41170 Great post, Wes. I followed what you and Will Richardson were saying about this while you were in China and blogged about my frustrations with the filtering at my own POST-SECONDARY institution. After reading your post today I tried using proxify.com to finally get in and try out Second Life. It worked! I then sent the link to my office-mate who has been trying to access a flash tutorial that is blocked. Ooops, proxify.com was suddenly blocked. I hit the back button while navigating the FAQ section of Second Life and was suddenly blocked from it and proxify. My frustration is growing. Great post, Wes. I followed what you and Will Richardson were saying about this while you were in China and blogged about my frustrations with the filtering at my own POST-SECONDARY institution.

After reading your post today I tried using proxify.com to finally get in and try out Second Life. It worked! I then sent the link to my office-mate who has been trying to access a flash tutorial that is blocked. Ooops, proxify.com was suddenly blocked. I hit the back button while navigating the FAQ section of Second Life and was suddenly blocked from it and proxify. My frustration is growing.

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