Educators will protect  their students best interests while using the Internet through the ethical application of moral censorship.

In the United States, a free and democratic society, the First Amendment protects freedom of speech. While this concept is not new, the Internet has sparked a renewed interest in free speech versus censorship. Censorship is defined by American Library Association as “the change in the access status of material, made by a governing authority or its representatives. Such changes include: exclusion, restriction, removal, or age/grade level changes.” In a traditional library setting it was possible to screen instructional and library media materials prior to use by subjecting all such materials to a reasonable selection criteria. With the Internet this is no longer possible. It is important to provide rich information sources to students and to make sure that the information presented is not contrary to curricular goals or otherwise offensive in nature. For this reason,  teachers are responsible to develop the skills necessary to analyze and evaluate resources encountered on the Internet.

Only allow access to materials that support the instructional program.

As students investigate the Internet, it is imperative that they are not being subjected to the following:  pornography, glorification of crime, gangs, terrorism, subversive or seditious sites, bigoted political groups, sites with content beyond the understanding of the student, and sites which do not contribute directly to the subject. Additionally, students should not be visiting sites that contain material that does not have an educational purpose. It is important to allow exceptions to prohibited material in cases of legitimate research, such as breast cancer.  Technology should only be used to enhance the teaching and learning as directed by the educational goals of the district.  

Students must use the Internet under the supervision of the teacher or his/her authorized representative. The first step in protecting students from inappropriate material is to organize technology environments to help students avoid temptations and to help minimize the opportunities for technology misuse in a classroom. For suggestions, see Instructional Implications.

In addition to managing the classroom, filtering software is another technique for protecting students from inappropriate sites. Supporters find this level of protection reassuring. Others feel it provides a false sense of security since new sites are posted daily and it is a challenge for filtering programs to keep pace. Furthermore, imperfections in the filtering mechanisms occasionally screen out acceptable sites or allow in unacceptable sites. There is also concern that this type of tool infringes on free speech as protected in the first amendment. Teachers need to be aware of any filtering software that may be in use in their buildings and be alert that it is not infallible.

The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) went into effect on April 20, 2001.  This new law places restrictions on the use of funding that is available through the Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and on the Universal Service discount program known as the E-Rate (Public Law 106-554). These restrictions take the form of requirements for Internet safety policies and technology which blocks or filters certain material from being accessed through the Internet. Schools and libraries receiving E-Rate discounts for Internet access and internal connections must comply with federal regulations by July 1, 2001. 

Recognize and respect the limited freedom of speech associated with the use of technology within the school setting.

In 1988, the Supreme Court heard a case and made a ruling, Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 US 260 (1988), that helps schools define their rights in protecting students from harmful material as well as restricting complete freedom of speech. Traditional analysis of free speech issues starts with an analysis of the vehicle or "forum" through which the speech is being expressed. The Court in Hazelwood explained as follows:

"School facilities may be deemed to be public forums only if school authorities have 'by policy or practice' opened those facilities 'for indiscriminate use by the general public, or by some segment of the public, such as student organizations.' If the facilities have instead been reserved for other intended purposes, 'communication or otherwise,' then no public forum has been created, and school officials may impose reasonable restrictions of the speech of students, teachers, and other members of the school community. " Id. at 267 (citations omitted).

Because the district's Internet system has been established for an educational purpose, it is considered a limited forum. Every user of this system will be identified by the district domain name and, therefore, all speech that originates from the district system, even private messages, will bear the imprimatur of the district.

These restrictions may include: 

• Criminal speech and speech in the course of committing a crime.

• Speech that is inappropriate in an educational setting or violates district rules necessary to maintain a quality educational environment. This includes: inappropriate language, dangerous information, violations of privacy, abuse of resources, copyright infringement or plagiarism, violations of personal safety.

Teachers should not use profanity, obscenities, or other language that may be considered offensive to other users within official school communication. Writing in professional capacity may include expression of personal professional viewpoint, even if that viewpoint differs from district position.  Additionally, it is important to remember that electronic communications reflect on the district as well as the individual and are potentially accessible by the community at large. 

 

Review instructional materials to be used in the classroom prior to use.

Teachers should, to the best of their ability, preview the materials and sites they require or recommend students access to determine the appropriateness of the material contained on or accessed through the site. Teachers must analyze and evaluate content to ensure that it meets the needs of the students. Teachers should select material that is appropriate in light of the age of the students and that is the relevant to the course objectives. 

Teachers should provide guidelines and lists of resources to assist their students in channeling their research activities effectively and properly when they are accessing the Internet independently. At the elementary level, using sites that have been bookmarked by the teacher is highly recommended. This allows students to search sites that have been previewed by the teacher and have been found to be appropriate and relevant sites. Additionally, it helps to keep students focused on the task at hand.