Potential Issues When Using Home Internet Filtering on PALCS Computers

Parents that choose to use Internet Service Provider (ISP) parental controls or home Internet filtering software systems should be aware of the potential issues that can arise with regard to their children connecting to PALCS related websites and viewing educational content, such as videos. 

Examples of ISP Parental Controls are:

• Xfinity Parental Controls provided by Comcast Internet Service
• MyFios Parental Controls provided by Verizon Internet Service.

Examples of Home Internet Filtering Software Systems are:

• OpenDNS
• Disney Circle

Some scenarios that could lead to issues include:

• If a parent chooses to block a keyword such as “google,” their child may encounter issues accessing their school Google account and viewing videos hosted in a teacher’s Google Drive storage area.
   
• If a parent chooses to block a specific web category such as MyFios’s “File Transfer and sharing” category, their child may encounter issues accessing and sharing Google Drive files with their teacher.  
  
  
• If a parent chooses to block a specific website such as amazon.com, their child will encounter issues viewing files and images in their Canvas courses. This is because Amazon’s Web Services (AWS) host a lot of the content from Canvas courses.
  
  
• If a parent chooses to set an Internet access time limit for their child and their school computer or pauses the Internet on the PALCS computer, their child will not be able to access PALCSchool and their courses in Canvas while that time limit is in place.

As per our school’s Instructional Property and Acceptable Use Policy, our Technology Department does not support home Internet networks, related parental controls or home Internet filtering technology. To remedy accessibility issues, parents may need to adjust their home parental controls/home Internet filtering policies or temporarily disable those controls. Families are encouraged to contact their Internet Service Provider for further assistance with their home network and parental controls. In the event families are using home Internet filtering and have issues, parents are encouraged to reach out the home Internet filtering company.