Balancing Safety and Access: Moving Beyond the Acceptable Use Policy

Bill JohnsenVirginia Beach City Public SchoolsWilliam.johnsen@vbschools.com

What Do You Do??

Filtering in VBCPS

• Use Content Keeper• Implemented 2 years ago– Initially too restrictive for instructional program– Made changes to settings– Permitted Help Desk staff to block/unblock with

audit done by Computer Security Specialist

• Developed profiles for students and adults

Filtering in VBCPS

• Filtering Profiles– Administrator– Instructional Staff– Non-Instructional Staff– Guests and Volunteers– Students (7 different)– Restricted

Filtering in VBCPS

• Block by category– About 30 possible– Between 6 and 10 are blocked

• Staff– Gambling– Dating sites– Malicious– Lingerie

Filtering in VBCPS

• Students– Gambling– Chat rooms– Dating sites– Email– Violence– Malicious– Lingerie

Unblock/Block Site Requests

• All staff can request through Help Desk• Help Desk staff can unblock/block with review

by Computer Security Specialist• Questions referred to Computer Security

Specialist• Consult with Department of Curriculum and

Instruction as needed

Filtering Responsibility in AUP

AUP

Images and Image Search

• Permit Google Images in a forced Strict SafeSearch mode– Content Keeper will filter most inappropriate

images

• Most other image search engines blocked

Google Image Search

• Main flickr site is blocked• Specific urls permitted through Content Keeper– Library of Congress– http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress

flickr

What about Blogging?

• Division provided blogging site through Edublogs for staff– Staff post with moderated student comments– Investigating permitting students to be added as

“users” to a class or teacher blog site• 21Classes– Safe, secure environment for students– Managed by teacher

• SharePoint/MOSS2007 in 2009-2010

What About Wikis?

• Permit sites such as Wikispaces, PBWiki, and Wet Paint for use by staff and students

• Wikis are “private” for use with students• Teachers manage access for students• SharePoint/MOSS2007 in 2009-2010

Video Conferencing Anyone?

• H.323 capability in distance learning labs• Mobile H.323 units for checkout• Desktop video conferencing– Windows Live Meeting– Windows Live Messenger

Social Networking, Really?

• Ning• Twitter• Facebook/MySpace• PageFlakes– Filter out inappropriate “flakes”

• Delicious• IM

And What About Student Email?

• Need– 21st Century Skill– Access to many web 2.0 applications– Communication with teachers– College applications

• Solutions– Gaggle.Net– Microsoft Exchange Labs– Google Apps for Education

Balancing Safety and Access: Moving Beyond the Acceptable Use Policy

Bill JohnsenVirginia Beach City Public SchoolsWilliam.johnsen@vbschools.com