Schools take steps with computer safety issues
By TOM BERRY
Staff Writer
The threat of online sexual predators, easy access to pornography and other objectionable Internet sites are a reality facing parents of youngsters who like to surf the World Wide Web. Because of the threat, Calloway County and Murray Independent school officials have taken precautionary steps to ensure students are protected as much as possible and are urging parents to do the same.
School officials report a large percentage of students that have access to the Internet at home and action should be taken to supervise youngsters while online. Both districts have recently sponsored seminars for students and parents detailing online dangers and want parents to know that every possible precaution has been taken in the classroom.
Murray Superintendent Bob Rogers said he is confident that technology implemented to monitor student classroom usage, such as St. Bernard's iPrism filtering system, helps prevent unauthorized or unintended access to objectionable materials or potentially dangerous online contact as much as possible.
The same or similar programs including SynchronEyes, which allows teachers to view what is on a student's computer screen in the classroom, is also utilized at both school districts.
David Dowdy, a spokesman for the Calloway County Board of Education, said school and student access to the Internet is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission and all district computers are monitored and protected by Internet filtering software.
Also, an iSAFE safety education program is available to both parents and faculty. School policy is explained to each student and staff member and a signed agreement must be on file before password protected accounts are assigned for personnel in both districts.
Student e-mail accounts do not permit receiving messages from outside school networks, which allows correspondence to facilitate research and cooperative activities with other school districts, government officials, libraries and universities without allowing potentially threatening messaging.
Rusty Back, chief information officer for MISD, said the security measures have been implemented in compliance with the 2000 Federal Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and other federal laws.
For complete story, see today's Ledger & Times
Story created Apr 26, 2007 - 11:41:59 EDT.
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