When reading this article from Twitter, I found out a lot of really interesting facts. From the title, I thought I would just read out how using a filter on the web prevents students from seeing unnecessary and inappropriate things and how that is important in school settings. While that is true, that wasn’t all I found. Bixler pointed out six benefits of using web filter software to the classroom in grades K-12.

First, she pointed out the obvious (to me anyway!) that it keeps students safe. Being on computers during school is necessary, but schools can block websites and add block lists to their filters to ensure students don’t see things they shouldn’t.

The second benefit is helping students stay focused. She made a point of addressing how easily it is to get distracted online and it’s something everyone does. Schools can block websites of distracting websites so students can stay on track.

The next benefit is something I wasn’t expecting to see. Using a web filter can help students with mental wellness support so they can learn. Alerts can be sent to the school and the parents about students mental wellness. If they are researching something that seems off it will send an alert to help the student. I think this is a wonderful filter to have in place.

The fourth benefit is allowing learners to explore without their privacy or devices being compromised. Web filtering stops malware attacks. Malware is things like viruses or spyware that try to compromise your identity. So with web filters you can feel safe.

The next benefit is that it supports digital citizenship practice. Sometimes a student may come across a website that is blocked. The teacher can have the opportunity to view the site and decide if it’s school appropriate and then unblock it. It save the IT department and the school time and then it gives the student some accountability towards making decision.

The last benefit Bixler pointed out was that web filters help students work remotely without learning being disrupted. Web filters working in and out of schools ensure that school work can be done anywhere. Not all filters are created the same so be sure to check what your filter will and will not allow.