Michelle Colquitt

September 23, 2015

Internet Filtering Software
Since I am not currently employed as a Media Specialist or even in a School
District at all, I interviewed four Media Specialists in my local School District, the Clarke
County School District via Google Form. Three Media Specialists, Ms. Jennifer
Gillespie, Ms. Tanya Hudson, and Mr. Shannon Thompson, are employed as Media
Specialists in Elementary Schools. One Media Specialist, Dr. Anne McLeod, is
employed as a Media Specialist in a Middle School.
I appreciated that these Media Specialists were willing to answer questions for an
aspiring Media Specialist. I was able to learn very valuable information from each Media
Specialist and have built a community network of Media Specialists.
When presented with the question: Does your school/district use Internet
Filtering Software? Each Media Specialist informed me that the Clarke County School
District uses Lightspeed Systems filtering software a content filter that will filter results
regardless of what network the student is on. The CCSD also utilizes LanSchool, a
classroom management tool that allows the teacher to view all student screens to
determine whether or not the student is actually focusing on their school work, or if they
are potentially visiting websites that are off topic. Chase Street Elementary School
Media Specialist Tanya Hudson related that Lightspeed allows for differing levels of
filtering stating that for example, Tumblr is blocked for all users, but Facebook is
allowed for teachers, not students. It is important to note that most of the Media
Specialists within the CCSD have created Facebook pages for their respective Media
Centers.
In answering the question who makes decisions about what is blocked
(filtered) in your district? The Media Specialists interviewed for this assignment
indicated that the Instructional Technology Department of the Clarke County School
District is responsible for setting the parameters of internet filtering. When posed with
the question do teachers, parents, and/or students have a voice in this decision?
How much? Ms. Hudson pointed out that the district level decisions about blocked or
filtered words, search terms, and sites can be modified at a teachers request. She

Michelle E. Colquitt
September 23, 2015

suggests that successful collaboration between teachers and the Instructional

Technology Department will lead to websites either being included or excluded. Most
Media Specialists were unsure about what level parents or students would be to
influence the Internet Filtering policies within the School District. From my
interpretations of some of the answers received, I believe that this might be a chain of
command situation. For example, if a student or their parent believed a website should
be included or excluded, they would possibly need to broach the subject with the
teacher and the teacher, in turn, could approach the Instructional Technology
Department about the addition/blocking of the given site.
When asked does grade level (Elementary, Middle, Secondary) determine
what is and is not blocked? Most of the interviewed Media Specialists indicated that
there are grade level specific filters in place, but they were unsure of the parameters of
what was included or excluded beyond the Elementary or Middle School levels. It
should be noted that a High School Media Specialist was sent this survey as well, but
did not submit results prior to the completion of this report.
Given that each Media Specialist was not aware of the particular Web 2.0 tools
discussed in this weeks module, this question was modified to ask what Web 2.0 tools
do you and your colleagues use regularly in the classroom? Most Media
Specialists interviewed indicated that they used a great variety of Web 2.0 tools. The
Clarke County School District is a Google Apps for Education school district, meaning
that the Clarke County School District utilizes Google Apps for school related functions.
There are multiple differences between Google Apps for Education and basic Google
Apps functions, such as Gmail, Google Drive, and many other functions is that the
Google Apps for Education has the specific site Google Classroom. The Google
Classroom site allows a teacher to maintain a virtual web presence for their classroom
and assign specific assessments, projects, homework items, and allows for a place to
collaborate as a group on the web. All Media Specialists indicated that they were able to
utilize technologies such as: Skype (for author or other classroom visits), Symbaloo (to
curate digital resources), Padlet (a tool for online collaboration), and many other Web
2.0 tools. Most Media Specialists indicated that they were able to access these tools
without exception through their Internet filtering software, in other words, teachers and

Michelle E. Colquitt
September 23, 2015

Media Specialists are allowed to access these tools without filtering software banning
their access.
When posed with the question can a teacher request that a site be un-blocked
for use in the instructional process? Is there a process in place for doing this?
Who do they have to ask? Each Media Specialist interviewed indicated that teachers
were able to request that specific sites be unblocked. They all indicated that there is a
form on the teacher side of the Clarke County School Districts intranet page where the
teacher can submit a help desk request or send an email asking for a specific site to be
unblocked.
Media Specialists and other school personnel maintain a very fine line in
providing intellectual freedom to students alongside protecting them from potentially
viewing obscene materials on the Internet. When posed with the question, given the
potential for students to encounter undesirable materials on the Internet, what is
the appropriate balance between protection and free access to materials? Each
Media Specialist indicated that their jobs were to help facilitate intellectual freedom
through fair and equitable access to library resources (both in print and online). Further,
each Media Specialist indicated that they fully operated in their professional careers
under the auspices of the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights. When I
am fortunate enough to become a Media Specialist, I plan to vigorously defend my
students right to access information through their intellectual freedom and also
vigorously protect them from obscene materials. Personally, I agree with the American
Library Associations Minors and Internet Activity: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of
Rights (2014) which states as defenders of intellectual freedom and the First
Amendment, libraries and librarians have a responsibility to offer unrestricted access to
Internet interactivity in accordance with local, state, and federal laws, and to advocate
for greater access where it is abridged. School and library professionals should work
closely with young people to help them learn skills and attitudes that will prepare them
to be responsible, effective and productive communicators in a free society (para 7).
Much along these lines, each Media Specialist interviewed provided a very
thoughtful answer to the question, what is your professional position on the use of
Internet Filtering Software and its place in schools today and in the future? Media

Michelle E. Colquitt
September 23, 2015

Specialist Jennifer Gillespie of the Timothy Road Elementary School Media Center
stated While internet filtering software is vitally important in keeping young students
away from most inappropriate content, a filter is simply not enough to keep students
safe online. Teachers and parents must still closely monitor student behavior online as
well as provide repeated internet safety lessons. I agree with Ms. Gillespie, and further
would assert that students, even Elementary students, are probably savvy enough to
access forbidden materials. These students need to understand why they are
forbidden and the potential negative side effects of visiting some of these banned or
forbidden websites.
Media Specialist Shannon Thompson of the Howard B. Stroud Elementary
School Media Center stated I haven't put a lot of thought into this, honestly. Our filters
seem to work pretty well and block most inappropriate content.
Media Specialist Tanya Hudson of the Chase Street Elementary School Media
Center stated Intellectual freedom is of course one of the most important parts of my
job, and in general I am not a fan of censorship. However, just like with movies, TV
shows, video games, etc., there are some websites that are inappropriate for younger
users. I think that when applied judiciously, filtering software is a great tool for helping
teachers make sure students use the web in appropriate ways while they are at school.
I'd say the important thing is for the filter to be flexible when needed (because some
good content might get blocked and some inappropriate content might get through) and
for it to ultimately meet teachers' and students' needs for accessing information. I think
filtering decisions need to be made collaboratively (so one person doesn't decide what's
appropriate for the thousands of students in our district). And I don't think filters should
be the only tool we use to direct students towards quality content. We also need to
teach kids and teachers how to critically think about the things they find on the web in
order to make well thought-out decisions about the information they use. And teachers
need to be hands-on in monitoring student internet use and helping students find and
use information. I especially agree with Ms. Hudsons assessment about the nature of
critical thinking. I believe that children, even Elementary age students, can be taught
critical thinking and assessment skills in order to understand the quality of information,
and also the nature of specific information and about specific websites. Students

Michelle E. Colquitt
September 23, 2015

should, judiciously, be informed of the Truth versus something that is subject to

interpretation.
Media Specialist Dr. Anne McLeod of the Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School
Media Center stated While I wish we didn't need filters, schools need to ensure as best
we can that students don't access sites that are not suitable for children. When we first
started using a filter about 10 years ago, some innocuous sites would get caught in it. I
don't see that as much anymore. And our tech people have been responsive to requests
to unblock sites as needed. In the future? Maybe in the future there will be some type of
filtering hardware instead. I appreciate Dr. McLeods thoughts about Internet Filtering
Software and wonder if filtering hardware could possibly be a future outcome of this
heated area of debate.
This assignment was really informative and thought provoking. I am very excited
that a group of working Media Specialists were willing to provide feedback and
assistance to an aspiring Media Specialist. Interacting with these Media Specialists only
reaffirms my desires to become a Media Specialist. The Media Center is the vibrant
heart of the school community.