Should Schools Filter Web Content?

A WebQuest for Preservice Teachers

Introduction

The issues of safety, net etiquette, and appropriate content are serious ones for any school with Internet connectivity, yet there is no consensus on how schools should deal with these issues. School policies vary from district to district, and even school to school. Responses range from giving the issue no consideration until a crisis faces the school board and administrators all the way to extreme measures that make Internet use almost nonexistent.

Through this lesson, you will examine these issues to insure that you understand the concepts of acceptable use and the pros and cons of how such policies are implemented and enforced. As you explore these issues, you will be forced to consider First Amendment rights and how our nation is approaching free speech in the Internet age. You will also be looking at issues that will confront you as teacher, whether you are dealing with issues of classroom management in your own classroom, talking to parents who have concerns and may not know much about the Internet (other than the scare stories in the media), and when working on teams with other teachers and administrators on the development of school policy.

Task

You will be working with your team of teachers to develop a recommendation on the policy your school should implement regarding filtering Internet content. You will first do some background research on the issues, then work as a team to develop recommendations which are supported by material you found during your research. Once you have discussed the content of the memo, each of you will draft a memo that outlines your recommendations along with reasons for your decision which will be turned in to the instructor on the date of your final examination.

Resources

You will be given a short article that addresses the issue so that each of you has a common background for this project. You will also be given a copy of your school's Acceptable Use Policy (which is also online for your reference).

For the WebQuest, you will need to have an Internet connection and browser to do the research. You will also need a word processor to complete the short memo. You may use other computer applications to add materials that may be useful to your argument, such as a concept map, image, or anything else that you choose to make your argument more powerful. But it is more important to do a good job with the writing rather than making it pretty. You will be evaluated on the information sources you use and the way you take this information and use it to make your case.

Process

There are three steps to the process.

Today

Start by reading this page very carefully so you have a good overview of what is expected,

Then, read through the WebQuest team assignment page. This is where you will find the directions for your quest. Assign each team member a role based on the scenario presented. Read the material for your role, which includes the hard copy article you have been given and the linked material on the Internet.

Thursday

Use Thursday's class to locate additional materials that will support the role you have taken. The more you focus on doing a search and finding good materials, the better your final memo will be. You may want to outline the main points in a word processor so you can share these files during the exam period. Be sure you keep track of the sources you use so that you can cite them in your final memo.

Examination time

During the first 30 minutes, discuss your findings and come to a consensus on what the team will recommend in the memo. Share the resources you found. You can use collaborative writing to put together main points, although each team member must turn in their own version of the memo by the end of the exam period.

Spend the rest of the period writing a one-two page memo.

There are two questions you must consider and answer in the written memo:

• Is the school's AUP adequate as it has been implemented in dealing with this issue?
• Should the school do more and put filters in place? If yes, on all computers? At all times?

Remember the hints on the team page. Use a memo template in Word to make this easier. While you can share some material, like quotations and citations, the memo you turn in must be your own writing. You can talk about your work with others on your team, but please talk quietly so others in the classroom can work on their writing.

Evaluation

You will be evaluated based on the memo you write as a result of your team's discussion. Your grade will be based on three areas:

• your ability to locate at least one high quality information resource per team member related to the issue of filtering
• the strength of the arguments your team has developed and that you show in your memo
• your ability to use the information you located to make a case for your point of view

Conclusion

Your final grade will be emailed to you early next week, along with your grade on this project.

Copyright 1999 Ellen Hoffman.
Free use of this WebQuest is granted for nonprofit use as long as credit is given to the original author.