[Year 12 IPM] Proxy avoiding web sites and individual user accounts

[kgration at myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au]

Dear List,

During the last few months our wonderful students have discovered treasure troves of proxy avoiding web sites (e.g. vtunnel, kproxy, flyproxy etc. etc. etc.) with multiple variations of each of these and numerous others as the URL. Most of these sites are secure (i.e. https:// rather than http://) so are difficult to block or usually totally unblockable using the SINA front end. The Year 10-12 students are particularly notorious for this kind of behaviour. Blocking the source IP address appears to be the only rather fragmented solution to this problem . . . but this essentially amounts to a game of catch up . . . and without a full time tech. usually means a call to Editure . . . who aren't always 100% successful either.

Not surprisingly our Internet budget has basically been blown as a result. I am now considering taking away individual user accounts for student Internet use and having Learning Area, Year Level or some other account structure where teachers enter the password for students in their care.

Does anyone out there have any gems of wisdom (bright ideas) or perspectivesto share in this area?

Cheers,

Kim

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Kim Gration
ICT Manager
Myrtleford Secondary College
http://www.myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au