There are many advantages to the Internet, with its endless amount of learning aids for teachers. But there are also many disadvantages in terms of keeping students safe and on a positive learning path. However, a proactive approach to controlling access to web content using EdTech will support teachers and meet compliance for schools. In many countries, it’s become compulsory for schools to have a web filter.
Since 2021, 27 countries have increased their internet censorship laws and more join this list every year.
Not just any web filter will do. The trick is to find a solution that allows granular control of online content and builds a defense-in-depth strategy at the same time. For example, teachers want access to videos on YouTube or Vimeo. There are many valuable educational videos on these types of platforms but tend to be over-blocked based on school filtering policy. Many products are not built with granular domain controls, and often, entire sites are either blocked or not blocked.
There is also the issue of being able to circumvent school filters. Many students put more energy into bypassing school web filters than their own learning and development. It makes sense teachers struggle to keep students’ attention and focus.
To combat all of this, industry experts agree that staying ahead of students’ tech-savvy abilities with a web filter is the way forward. Specifically:
- Schools and districts need a comprehensive web filtering solution that complies with local Internet safety governance but is flexible enough to adapt.
- Teachers need a proactive way to remove distractions and improve learning.
Why Do I Need a Next Gen Web Filter?
Web filters help districts and schools support safe and effective learning by identifying and blocking harmful and inappropriate content. The challenge today is that the Internet has advanced, and with this comes greater exposure to danger for students. Schools around the world must now have a web filter to meet student safety guidelines.
As you are working toward a holistic approach to student safety, you’ll want an innovative next-generation web filter that goes beyond just the standard site blocking. A next-gen web filter will provide cross-platform intelligence to ensure student online safety on any device or web browser.
There are still some solutions that are specifically designed for Chrome or any one operating system. However, this limits the ability to ensure age-appropriate policy management and accurate reporting across all devices and browsers, including for 1:1 and BYOD.
Web filters can truly enhance the learning environment with full control and give teachers a viable way to reduce their own stress while keeping their students’ attention and safe.
Which Web Filter Should I Buy?
There are many web filter solutions available, but not all products offer the same features. Therefore, it’s vital to understand the needs of your schools and the market options. Certain technologies are not found in every solution, so we offer key features that should NEVER be compromised:
- Robust AI database
- 1:1 and BYOD cross-platform intelligence
- Safe YouTube browsing
- Granular policy-based domain and sub-domain controls
- Teacher safe listing and LMS integration
- Web filter circumvention and ransomware defense
- Live view and analysis of web traffic and user activity
- Monitoring, contextual analysis and alerting of potential harmful behavior
- Intelligent dashboards, in-depth analytics, and comprehensive reporting
- Flexible deployment options, including cloud, hybrid and on-premises
The Best Web Filter for Schools
Impero ContentKeeper is an award-winning innovative next-generation web filtering solution. It provides real-time visibility, granular controls, and age-appropriate policy management on any device and web browser. Students will have a positive and safe user experience, while administrators will always have full visibility into student and network activity. This allows you to stop over-blocking and provide safe access to valuable online educational content.
For a complete proactive and strategic suite, ContentKeeper can easily be integrated with other Impero solutions, such as classroom-level support tools. Impero Classroom, our classroom management solution and Impero Wellbeing’s robust keyword detection and succinct analytics can help teachers identify vulnerable students and keep them safe and on task.
Discover how our solutions work together, and book a demo today. And stay up to date on industry trends and product news by following us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook