Internet Safety

I'm taking a plunge into the world of Internet safety.  I recently attended the NYLA conference and heard a lot of school media specialists discuss Internet safety and filters.  I hear the world filters and I cringe!  I listened to what they had to say about using filters and the problems they encounter.  Students looking up information about certain body parts to research cancer and the annoying "BLOCKED" pops up.  On the other hand, I was a kid with access to the Internet and inappropriate magazines that adults told me not to look at and I looked.  I wouldn't put it past a group of middle school students 'googling' a few things that are inappropriate and then all of a sudden the school has a lawsuit on its hands because Simon said he saw a video on anal sex at school.  Thanks You Tube!  I understand the need for filters but I still cringe.  My philosophy is geared more towards guidance.  Ten years ago kids didn't have the same type of access to the Internet in schools that they do now and it's important that as educators and librarians we teach students how the Internet works.  By teaching them and guiding them through the use of the Internet they can access information but also learn to access it critically.  Before the Internet the schools had more control over the information that was allowed in school.  The information within the school walls was very purposefully acquired.  Now, the Internet provides an avenue to a seemingly endless amount of information and in order to not access certain information, even unintentionally, we have to purposefully restrict it.  So, I came to terms with the use of filters in schools as a good way to help keep students on track and ease them into the power of the Internet.  The students are there for a reason and should be educated to use technology before being tossed into a pool and drowning in information.  The Internet is a powerful tool and we need to act as the instruction manual.