ICT Resources and Security: My section of the group assigment

REFLECTION ON RESEARCH & FINDINGS

I found the group assignment research to be very interesting and rewarding. Given that we had options of what we would present, I thought it would be beneficial to really learn something about web security as my knowledge of ICT resources for students and teachers is fairly strong. So I did a combination of the two, as they complement each other. I was very pleased to see that my lecturer said no one else had at all highlighted web security!

What I found was quite fascinating. There are basic measures that teachers and schools can go to in order to block unwanted and harmful content, such as 'google safe search'. However, it is inevitable that unless a school blocks the majority of websites, students will come into contact or be able to access this inappropriate material.

And what does this mean for art students? Or Media students or any student for that matter. Students need to research in order to progress their understanding and ultimately achieve but this would be quite difficult with the majority of internet sites blocked.

So how do teachers and schools find a harmonious balance and enable access to appropriate and suitable content?

It seems that teachers cannot do this on our own. We do have a certain obligation, however it would be impossible without the assistants of others, including tech support, administration and so on. What I've learnt from this research is that it is not the responsibility of JUST the teacher to manage, it requires a WHOLE SCHOOL approach. And that is the best way to successfully protect students and our computers.

Furthermore, students must become aware of the dangers of the cyber world and I believe that teachers owe their students a duty of care by acting on this. My future responsibilities will include taking the time to make known to my students the issues of privacy, safety and security. These can range from very minor to potentially harmful, yet with simple awareness can be avoided. Please see the bottom section of images to read more on OHS and ICT safety.