Open Evenings

[KWestos]

Hi

 

We have our open evening for year 5 & 6's next week and we have decided to do something different this year. We are going to highlight how the school protects their children online whilst using the school computers, etc. But what we are going to ask the parents and children dto do is try and bypass our filters and get to a website/resource that's deemed unsuitable, i.e games, music, etc then they win a prize. It's basically to show off our tight security in the school. We actually want some of them to succeed as we will then show their parents what systems are in place for detection and then sanctions, etc.

 

To go with this I have downloaded some CEOP and thinkuknow stuff but I was wondering if anyone had any other GOOD material that I could provide to the prospective parent/pupils on the night.

 

Many thanks

[Arcath]

you want people to bypass it?

seems a bit dangerous to me if you end up showing all the potential new students how to get on facebook at school.

 

i would do a simple explanation of how a filtering proxy server works, so "it looks at where you want to go and then checks it against a list of bad websites"

[korifugi]

I'm with Arcath on this one - sounds like it has massive 'egg on face' (egg on facebook?) potential, plus it could be seen as a duty of care minefield if you are asking children to try and bypass the security.

 

Granted, parents and staff will be there to ensure everyone plays by the rules but there are too many "what if?s" for my liking. If a parent takes this the wrong way then you could find yourself in some very hot water...

[KWestos]

you want people to bypass it?

seems a bit dangerous to me if you end up showing all the potential new students how to get on facebook at school.

 

i would do a simple explanation of how a filtering proxy server works, so "it looks at where you want to go and then checks it against a list of bad websites"

 

They can try but they won't get anywhere!! We are confident that the processes we have in place work very well. We just want to show the parents what we do and how we safeguard them!

[KWestos]

I'm with Arcath on this one - sounds like it has massive 'egg on face' (egg on facebook?) potential, plus it could be seen as a duty of care minefield if you are asking children to try and bypass the security.

 

Granted, parents and staff will be there to ensure everyone plays by the rules but there are too many "what if?s" for my liking. If a parent takes this the wrong way then you could find yourself in some very hot water...

 

I think you are taking this a little too seriously. Thee aim of the exercise is to show how good our systems are and if they manage to find a games site - what happens next, i.e administrator notified, teacher and head of year, website blocked and sanctions put in place! Nothing too onerous! It's all taking place in one computer room and as the children search, the parents will see on a projector an administrators screen showing ALL the activity going on!

[HC_Netman]

Just out of interest what are you using that makes you so confident?? I might have to get myself some of that...

[KWestos]

Just out of interest what are you using that makes you so confident?? I might have to get myself some of that...

 

It's a combination of our RBC filters, Impero, some scripts written by us and good old fashioned diligence through tight policies and procedures

[Arcath]

google DNS tunnel, and wait for the parent that has one

[laserblazer]

I don't think this is what prospective parents come to the school to see. Our Open Day was yesterday and we must have had 500 people through the ICT suites and the question of filtering wasn't raised once. IMHO, you would be better focussing on learning. Have some fun sites and let the little ones have a go. We turned one ICT suite into a recording studio and our pupils interviewed kids and parents. It was absolute mayhem but the feedback we got was really good.

 

If someone does ask about eSafety you can always do a one off demo.

[KWestos]

google DNS tunnel, and wait for the parent that has one

 

Not on our network!!!!

[KWestos]

The ICT suites are already doing their thing. This is purely aimed at e-safety & safeguarding children and how we monitor their activity -

[elsiegee40]

When I train people in e-Safey, I spend a lot of time telling parents is that it's not about filtering... it's about educating everyone on how to stay safe. The darlings can't to facebook through your network, but they'll be using their phones. I explain that we have filtering at school to keep the children on task, but twhere there's a will there's a way.... they'll use something else to get up to mischief.

 

You're encouraging the kids to find unsuitable sites... making it seem like a game. It isn't a game and, proud as you are of the school's filtering, I think this approach is very wrong.

 

It seems like you're confusing e-Safety and school discipline.

[buzzard]

I'd love my sons school to do something similar, I'd be through their security in no time (I can pick up the wireless from my attic!! oh dear they use WEP!!). I suppose if you are that sure it wont do you any harm, one thing is you dont know what they do (someone might work at the LA and go straight through )

[KWestos]

When I train people in e-Safey, I spend a lot of time telling parents is that it's not about filtering... it's about educating everyone on how to stay safe. The darlings can't to facebook through your network, but they'll be using their phones. I explain that we have filtering at school to keep the children on task, but twhere there's a will there's a way.... they'll use something else to get up to mischief.

 

You're encouraging the kids to find unsuitable sites... making it seem like a game. It isn't a game and, proud as you are of the school's filtering, I think this approach is very wrong.

 

I think the angle that everyone is taking is completely different from my intention. We have loads of information from CEOP, ThinkUknow, etc along with our acceptable use policy and various other material to educate the parents. The idea is not to encourage children to play the games, more about how they can't get access to anything. We have trained officers to promote vigilence for parents and to guide them in learning with their children. The idea of the 'beat the filters' is just a way of getting them into the classroom. We want to show parents that we are dpoing everything we can to ensure innapropriate material etc cannot be accessed. Also, that we do have the wellbeing of the children first and foremost. It's not meant to be an invitation to 'break' security!!!

[elsiegee40]

I think the angle that everyone is taking is completely different from my intention. We have loads of information from CEOP, ThinkUknow, etc along with our acceptable use policy and various other material to educate the parents. The idea is not to encourage children to play the games, more about how they can't get access to anything. We have trained officers to promote vigilence for parents and to guide them in learning with their children. The idea of the 'beat the filters' is just a way of getting them into the classroom. We want to show parents that we are dpoing everything we can to ensure innapropriate material etc cannot be accessed. Also, that we do have the wellbeing of the children first and foremost. It's not meant to be an invitation to 'break' security!!!

 

And what do they do next?

 

Go home and see what inappropriate sites they can find from there. Like it or not, they will see it as a game.

 

I still disagree with a 'beat the filters' night.

[KWestos]

And what do they do next?

 

Go home and see what inappropriate sites they can find from there. Like it or not, they will see it as a game.

 

I still disagree with a 'beat the filters' night.

 

 

You are running with this aren't you!!!! Believe me, when kids can't gain access to something, they soon give up, especially here. This is more for the parents, not the children. And if you think an inncoent trial such as this will turn them into computer tyrants - you are deluded!!!!

[Guest Guest]

What prize do I win if I come and display porn on all your computers? Seriously dude, you are either extreamly arogant or extreamly nieve to think you know everything.

[KWestos]

What prize do I win if I come and display porn on all your computers? Seriously dude, you are either extreamly arogant or extreamly nieve to think you know everything.

 

I'd like to see you try and put porn on!!!!!!!!!

 

I think you have already won the prize!!! Where does it say I know everything. I want children to gain access to games websites etc so I can show the parents what happens next, etc etc!

 

Jeeess, what is it with everyone, taking this waaaaaaay too seriously!!! Lighten up, it's to enlighten their parents on online safety within the school. Not to promote young deviants and miscreants. These are young 9 and 10 year old's who may or may not be up for a little challenge - what's the harm - christ!!!!!!!!!!

Edited September 24, 2010 by KWestos

[Guest Guest]

I think you have already won the prize!!! Where does it say I know everything. I want children to gain access to games websites etc so I can show the parents what happens next, etc etc!

 

Jeeess, what is it with everyone, taking this waaaaaaay too seriously!!! Lighten up, it's to enlighten their parents on online safety within the school. Not to promote young deviants and miscreants. These are young 9 and 10 year old's who may or may not be up for a little challenge - what's the harm - christ!!!!!!!!!!

 

9 or 10 year old is when kids start realising their "bits" arnt just for pishing out of. How exactly are you going to explain to a room full of parents why there is porn on a computer screen?

 

Do I win another prize if I can guess what your next thread will be about?

[KWestos]

The bigger question is : - Why their little angel is looking for porn in the first place? As my 10 year old certainly wouldn't!!!! He'd be far more interested in trying to get to miniclip!!!!

[Arcath]

the kids aren't going to stand a chance anyway, most the year 6s at my schools have no concept of how the connection works (although nor do the teachers but thats not the point)

 

The parents who work in IT will take our stance, those that don't work in IT will most likely be impressed but will loose all faith if someone does break it, do you really want to risk it?

 

No matter how confident i was in my net filter i wouldn't give an open invite to a room full of people i've never met before to bypass it.

[KWestos]

the kids aren't going to stand a chance anyway, most the year 6s at my schools have no concept of how the connection works (although nor do the teachers but thats not the point)

 

The parents who work in IT will take our stance, those that don't work in IT will most likely be impressed but will loose all faith if someone does break it, do you really want to risk it?

 

No matter how confident i was in my net filter i wouldn't give an open invite to a room full of people i've never met before to bypass it.

 

 

 

I appreciate your answer. But the level headed parents know that there's no such thing as 100% fullproof (even Durex won't do that). But they have to realsie that if and only if they find a 'my little pony site' for example. What systems we have in place to block it and impose sanctions. This surely must be a little bit of comfort to parents - surely!!!!

[timzim]

The parents ... will loose all faith if someone does break it

 

You've hit the nail on the head there. So it's all about 'risk assessment' really.

 

@KWestos: no-one is doubting your capabilities but, since you posted your proposal on Edugeeks, it would be reasonable to assume that you're asking whether we think it's a good idea or not - and it would seem the overwhelming response is 'no, it's not - please don't do it'.

 

The risk you're taking has far greater implications than you're contemplating, not just for you but for the whole school. Worst-case scenario: imagine someone manages to crack your superb protection and displays porn on one of your network computers, in front of 50 prospective parents. One of them then takes a quick photo on his mobile and sends it to the local rag - now the school's a laughing stock and you're queuing at the job centre.

 

If you've any sense you'll take the good advice that's been offered you and find something cleverer to do on Open Evening.

[aerospacemango]

Having just read through the WHOLE thread....I can honestly say that I agree with Timzim.

 

What sounds like a really good idea is actually pretty flawed, for exactly the reasons that Tim gives. I have nothing but absolute faith in our filters, here, but I wouldn't want to expose them to the efforts of a group of parents....mainly because you never know when one of them might be an IT guru, who will get round your filters in a moment!

 

It is worth YOU putting on a mini-demonstration of what the filters do, and then an explanation of what happens should the policy be breached......but encouraging people to crack the filters AND offering an incentive to do it......Hmmmm I cannot believe for one second that my ICT Manager would sanction that!

[sidewinder]

Agreed with the 2 responses above - doing a demonstration showing how their child would be blocked if he searches for games or facebook will impress/reassure parents enough without opening you up to the risk of challengeing people to get past it. As others have said, if someone does, best case it could make you look a little silly, worst case you end up with porn displayed to parents (we all realise its very unlikely, but it is possible)