Brief introduction to content filtering, its benefits, issues with it and some examples of content filters.

1. Content Filtering in Schools
Finding the best content filter for
your school

2. Internet Usage in the School
Teachers are encouraged to promote
student responsibility with Internet
usage. This means teaching students
how to be safe and use the Internet
wisely. This includes what information
they put on the Internet, the websites
they visit, and who they communicate
with. Content filters are used by schools
to control the content students can
access in order to keep them safe.

3. The American Association of School Librarians conducted a
survey between January24 through March 4, 2012 of 4,299
respondents regarding content filtering. Some benefits stated
of content filtering are:
• 50% indicated filtering decreased the number of potential
distractions
• 34% indicated filtering decreased the need for direct
supervision
• 23% indicated that filtering allowed research curriculum to
yield more appropriate results. (AASL, 2012).
Benefits of filtering content

4. Internet Usage in the School
According to the American Association of School
Libraries (AASL) performed a study in 2012 and
found that 98% of schools and districts filter
their content on the Internet. 94% use content
filtering that block Internet sites that aren’t
appropriate for students to view due so its
content or its safety. While this is helpful for
teachers and students, it can also cause some
issues. (AASL, 2012)

5. Issues with filtering content
When students are researching information at
school, some sites may be blocked due to the adds on
them, rather than their content. This can prevent
students from viewing valuable content needed for
their research. Furthermore, according to the
respondents of the AASL survey ,
• 52% indicated that filtering impedes
student research when completing key word
searches
• 42% indicated that filtering discounts the social
aspects of learning
• 25% stated that filtering impeded continued
collaboration outside of person-to-person
opportunities.

6. Issues with filtering
content, cont.
Teachers may plan lessons at home, only to realize
they cannot teach them at school because the
students can’t access the site. If the school has
their own IT team install a content filter, then the
teacher can have the IT staff modify the site an
allow access quickly. But, if the school subscribes to
a filtering service, it can take days for the service to
unblock the site. (Crecent, OK) Also, not all content
filters work because students can find ways around
them. There are even websites that give
instructions on how to do so.

7. What content do schools filter?
Filtering and blocking programs prevent access to
websites based on key words or site names. It works
by using keywords, and it filters out sites defined by
those words. Every search engine has filter options
built in, as do all Internet service providers. Blocking
software prevents access to sites designated as “bad.”
Some companies let users customize their lists, but
most search engine blocks and filters rely on pre-
screening. (Common Sense Media, Inc., 2013)
The sites designated as “bad” usually involve sites
know to have inappropriate content for the
classroom, predators, spyware/malware, scams and
identifty theft. (Crecent, OK)

8. How to know what content filter is
best for your school
• If a school wants to install their own filter, then it
has the benefits of being easily and quickly
modified, but it takes a lot of work for an IT team.
Also, it must be constantly modified.
• If a school wants to use a filtering service, then
this saves IT staff time and work. However, it may
take days for sites to be blocked or unblocked and
it may even cost fees from the service
• (Crecent, OK)

9. Content filters for schools
Scholastic, Inc. had a few content filters
that worked well for filtering content
that they suggested if you are looking to
install your own content filter:
Client/Workstation Solutions
CyberPatrol
http://www.surfcontrol.com
CyberSnoop
http://www.pearlsw.com
Cybersitter
http://www.solidoak.com/
Net Nanny
http://www.netnanny.com/
(Scholastic, Inc, 2013)
Proxy Server Solutions
Bess
http://www.n2h2.com/
CyberPatrol
http://www.surfcontrol.com
X-Shadow2
http://www.xstop.com/

10. Summary
In order keep our students safe, we
need to ensure they are being
responsible on the Internet. Having
proper content filters means our
students are viewing safe sites while at
school. As mentioned, determined
students can find way to bypass content
filters. Therefore, it is important to still
teach digital citizenship and
responsibility to our students.

11. Resources
American Association of School Librarians (AASL) (2013). Filtering in
Schools. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/aasl/research/slc/2012/filtering
Common Sense Media, INC. (2013). Internet Filters Tips | Common Sense
Media. Retrieved from
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-
parents/internet-filters-tips
Crecent OK (n.d.). Web-Based Instruction - Should Schools "Filter" Their
Internet Access?. Retrieved from
http://crescentok.com/staff/jaskew/WebBased/filter.htm
Scholastic, Inc. (2013). Internet Safety for Schools | Scholastic.com.
Retrieved from
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/internet-safety-
schools