I was checking out Scott McLeod's wonderful blog today, and I loved the graphic he had which stated "We trust you with the kids, but not the Internet." Working with teachers across the state for the past five years, the number one complaint I heard about technology is "We can't access the things we need because of the district's filtering software." There are some forward- thinking districts in Oklahoma that allow teachers the ability to access anything but block student use. The vast majority, however, have their networks so locked down that teachers cannot use the Internet as an effective teaching tool.

Districts need to be aware that too much Internet filtering can cause them as much trouble as not enough. A lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and Knox County Schools this year resulted in the districts agreeing to unblock contested sites.

In July's School Library Journal, Pat Scales writes that schools should ensure that their Internet policy has a provision for unblocking Web sites upon student request if the sites are deemed educational. Otherwise, she says, they may find themselves in court.

I have had numerous conversations with technology directors who tell me if a child gets on an inappropriate site they will lose their jobs. I always remind them that the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) only requires blocking of pictures that (a) are obscene, (b) child pornography, or (c) harmful to minors (for computers that are accessed by minors). CIPA also states, "An authorized person may disable the blocking or filtering measure during any use by an adult to enable access for bona fide research or other lawful purposes. "

It's time to practice a little sanity where the Internet is concerned in our public schools. The Internet is a powerful tool if it is used appropriately, but it cannot be used when teachers can't get to the Web sites they need!