Facebook

[mdizzy]

Hi all,

 

First post so please bear with.

 

I just wanted to get some help regarding Facebook restriction and what the rest of you do in your schools.We currently have it banned using our TMG but the students are using Google translate and opening it that way but i have been told by the powers that be that we cant ban Google translate as its an educational tool so I'm stuck now.Any input would be appreciated.

[elsiegee40]

Hello and welcome to edugeek

 

Most schools ban facebook. They do this for two reasons mainly: 1) It keeps the little darlings on task and 2) it removes some of the bullying and safeguarding risks by disallowing access in school.

 

However, facebook is falling out of favour with teenagers, so I doubt it's the only social networking site your treasures are using in school.

 

The ease with which you block it and its fellows depends on your filtering. What do you use for filtering?

Edited May 14, 2013 by elsiegee40

[mdizzy]

I would imagine its definitely not the only one but its the one most staff are complaining about.

We are using Forefront TMG 2010 for our filtering.

[unixman_again]

In my last school, we blocked FB but we had 2 machines that could access it, mine and the child support person. Although it was blocked in the school, the students could still access it using their phones and there was nothing that you could do about that. The two machines that could access it, was so that we could print stuff off when comments were posted by one of the "little angels". I'm at a college now and the FB login page is blocked, but the main page isn't. We have a FB presence and we want the students to be able to read it.

[elsiegee40]

I am not familiar with Forefront unfortunately. Have you had a look on the technet forums?

[mdizzy]

I believe the filtering works as most if not all students can not get it on the school machines.The Issue is the so called "Wiz Kids" who make it their life mission to find way to get to banned sites instead of actually doing some school work.Great priorities there.........

They are then passing on this info i.e using google translate to the other treasures and then teachers are firing emails left,right and center.