Virtual social networks nowadays play a very important role in getting and receiving daily news. Therefore, it is necessary to know the extent and reasons for users to use this tool and compare it with other media. Therefore, it is essential to know the extent and reasons for users to utilize this tool and compare it with other media. This study…

As the ideas behind traditional learning change the content delivery methods used by teachers should adapt as well. Teachers are being asked to find ways of introducing and relating the material to students in the web world that many digital natives live in outside of the classroom walls. To prevent the misuse of Internet inside of the classroom…

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…

Examines issues and decision-making involved in restricting Internet access in libraries, for the most part favoring filtering devices. Questions to consider when selecting a filtering program are provided. Some of the better filtering programs are described, and Web addresses are included for each. Security risks associated with Java and…

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…

Describes the effectiveness of censoring software, the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program, virtual book reports, technology uses in language-arts instruction, the latest school-technology information, and strategies for dealing with kids who send threats on the Internet. (LMI)

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…

In this article, the authors cite four reasons why parents and schools should reconsider the use of Internet filters. First, and most simply, filters don't work as advertised. One of the most controversial and contentious issues surrounding the use of new information and communication technologies, especially in schools and libraries, is whether…

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)

Describes a multipronged approach for restricting student access to adult material on the World Wide Web: blocking software that refuses to access certain sites, an honor pledge with consequences for breaking it, and a converter to display output from a student's computer on a teacher's monitor or VCR. (SK)

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)

In the last decade, Internet provision has become widespread within schools in many economically developed countries. Proponents of such technology have stressed the potential benefits to be gained from innovative teaching and learning opportunities. Yet, herein purity and danger are seen to co-exist, with unregulated "pollutants"…

Argues that Internet filters are censorship tools that rob librarians of their materials selection responsibility. Six factors that make filters unacceptable are listed. The discussion covers pornography; filter improvements; proposals and solutions; ALA (American Library Association) Bill of Rights to Electronic Information; and library policy…