Issues with Blogger

The digital world is certainly very interesting and alluring. It has the potential to motivate us and enhance the way that we communicate. I set up this blog in order to facilitate communication between school and home and to keep the community better informed about what is happening at our school. I have been blogging since late 2011 from school and from home. However, last week I was surprised to discover that the Education Department had blocked the Blogger website which meant that I could no longer view the blog from a school computer. When I asked why? I was told that the site was not secure in that it allowed students to access possibly inappropriate content.

You will notice at the top of the page (just above the title 'Mr B's Blog Spot') there is a link labelled as 'Next Blog'. If you click this link it will take you to another random blog on the Blogger website. This means that with one simple click you could be exposed to any kind of material including foul language, explicit pictures and/or text etc etc. Unfortunately, there are many people in the world who like to express their warped and degenerate opinions and ideas online where any unexpecting person can come across them.

Ultimately, it is our responsibility to both protect and educate our children about the dangers of the online environment. We do not allow students to use the Blogger website for creating blogs as there are others available which are more suitable for students e.g. Edublog. Obviously, if we had allowed this it would no longer be available anyway - as it has been blocked. We also provide regular reminders to students about what they should do if they come across anything offensive or inappropriate i.e. tell an adult and turn it off.

My blog was not intended to be for students. It is provided for the parents of our students and the wider adult community. The Blogger site also provides a platform for blogging that is easier to use than others that I have found. My intent is to continue using this site until I have the time to research and locate a better one. I ask that if you share my blog with your children that you supervise them while they are viewing it. If you have any concerns or problems please post a message or visit me at school.