Success in today's global market requires students to attain numerous 21st-Century skills, including collaborative and communication skills, and knowledge of how to use technology to both locate and create information. The use of instructional blogging in the classroom is one way to help students develop such skills. The Children's Internet…

In this article, the author discusses a computer program called Psiphon which bypasses government filters undetected. The University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, a research center for digital media and politics, designed Psiphon for technology-savvy activists. Some technology-savvy activists use other open-source software, like Tor (which relies on…

Considers options for school libraries addressing the dilemma of protecting both children and intellectual freedom when searching the Internet. Discusses censorware, filtering, monitoring, and blocking; reviews 11 filtering or monitoring software packages currently available; and concludes that adult supervision is still the most effective method…

This article describes The Onion Router (TOR). It is a freely available, open-source program developed by the U.S. Navy about a decade ago. A browser plug-in, it thwarts online traffic analysis and related forms of Internet surveillance by sending your data packets through different routers around the world. As each packet moves from one router to…

Discusses whether schools should somehow filter the information available to students via the Internet. Highlights include censorship versus an individual's right to information; fear for children's safety as motivation; filtering legislation; deciding what to block; rating Internet sites; filtering options for schools; and recommendations. (LRW)

Considers issues relating to children's access to information on the Internet in public libraries. Topics include censorship versus selection; First Amendment rights; the American Library Association's challenge to the Communications Decency Act; filtering software; and the role of the public library. (LRW)

Discusses whether libraries should limit access to the Internet by the use of filtering devices or blockers. Topics include censorship issues; access to information; filtering software; intellectual freedom; costs; acceptable-use policies; and self-regulation. (LRW)

Discussion of free speech on the Internet focuses on three basic options open to schools trying to resolve the dilemma of protecting children while preserving intellectual freedom: commercial censorware, blocking, and filtering. Concludes that adult supervision is still the most effective means of regulating access to the Internet. (LRW)

Focuses on intellectual freedom, discussing the role of libraries, the Berlin Wall and banned books as attempts to restrict intellectual freedom, and controversies surrounding filtering software. Contains an annotated bibliography of intellectual freedom resources, presented in five categories: general; government and legal issues; access and…

Examines some of the problems that must be solved before the Internet can realize its educational potential, including access that is educationally beneficial; hardware and software availability; charges for Internet access; technical and curriculum support; lack of coherent structure, stability, and documentation; censorship; and quality control.…