best internet filtering software for schools

Cons of Web FilteringĪs with any skill, digital literacy takes practice to become adept in, and web filtering potentially deprives students of this practice.

Under the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), schools that agree to filter content under CIPA guidelines qualify for a discount on broadband internet, saving money that can be put to use for other school needs and creating an added financial benefit for schools. Protecting students from predatory strangers online including scammers, hackers, and people who would mine personal information.Keeping students from being distracted by entertainment and gaming sites.

Blocking student access to graphic content, including pornography and violent images.Web filters help keep students on task and focused as learners, as well as keeping them safe. There are many incentives for teachers and administrators to use web filters in their schools, from the moral to the financial. In trying to understand if the process does more harm than good, many are asking, “Are the web filters at school too restrictive?” Some feel that the filters deprive students of autonomy and the chance to learn to make their own choices, as well as cut off access to useful educational resources, while others contend that the pros of web filtering far exceed and outweigh any potential cons. The most common method of restricting student access to potentially unsafe and distracting/disruptive content online is web filtering, however, the use and effectiveness of web-filtering has become a widely debated topic among educators. Their online experiences are an extension of those classrooms. No one wants to be the “bad guy,” but establishing and enforcing these restrictions is an important part of ensuring our students’ safety and success in our classrooms. Not all aspects of our jobs as educators are fun and glamorous, and one of the less glamorous parts of the job is setting boundaries and restrictions for what students can/can’t do in class.

Best internet filtering software for schools