Concerns

What concerns might the parents have in regards to a more open filter?
Some parents will probably be concerned that their children will have more distractions from actual schoolwork. Some will worry that there are too many dangers in opening the filter --- potential for their kids to be in contact with (dangerous) strangers, open to more cyberbullying, posting or viewing inappropriate pictures, etc. Their fears will be some of those things that we address in cyber safety assemblies. Of course we don't want their kids to be put into any kind of danger either.

How will we address each concern?

We will need to be sure to address this. Their concerns are valid. I think that by beginning this 9th grade introductory computer class (I don't know what it will be called?) we can definitely say that we teach the kids cyber safety. This is how the kids will learn. Some of them will make mistakes, but will it really be that many more students than those who are now getting in trouble? I would imagine that the kids who are using the proxies, downloading inappropriate material and so forth are still going to be the same ones doing it when the filter is open. It will probably add some distractions that didn't exist before, but we are learning to be proactive about these things. Now all of the 9th grade has a homework policy -- 3 missed assignments = detention. These are things that we learn to adapt to. The kids must learn how to be responsible with this kind of technology. If they do not learn the skills and also the common sense that we want them to have, then instead of making these mistakes in high school they might make them out in "the real world." The consequences will be worse when it's a matter of losing a job as opposed to getting detention.

Not making this political, but here's an analogy: If people decide that guns can kill people and guns are bad and we ban all guns, will the problem go away? No, the people who were using guns inappropriately before will continue to find guns and do the same. Banning something... or not opening something at all doesn't solve the problems. We need to teach the kids. They need to learn.

What are the classroom management concerns that the teachers might have?
How will we/they address each concern?

-Can the teacher be legally responsible if the students get into trouble online while using a tool that the teacher instructed them to use (but obviously using it inappropriately)?