[Year 12 IPM] Proxy avoiding web sites and individual useraccounts

Fri Dec 15 10:51:14 EST 2006

Thanks for all the posts so far on the list on this subject folks.

Our current situation is as follows:
We use Editure as our ISP and the associated SINA front end for all admin.
Students have individual accounts and the school credits $5 onto each of these @ the start of each year. The accounts are set to:

Disk space quota: 500 Kb
Enforce quota: Yes
Cost Control: Active
Edulist only: No

Unfortunately, proxy avoiding sites do not require a username and password to be entered in order to access them . . . click once on Cancel (@ the UN and PW request), type in the URL of the proxy avoiding site (usually a secure site)and then click on one or two OKs (which is minimal inconvenience to a student for free access) is all that is required to allow a student access to any site they like free of charge. Even if a browser is not available on a computer I have been informed that all it takes is a USB memory stick (which most students are now getting in most schools) with a browser on board as a work around to this.

This renders the creation of individual accounts useless as students only need access to a computer with a web browser to access the web for free. With this in mind I would have thought (perhaps incorrectly) that many/most of the other crediting/security systems suggested would also be rendered useless also.

Following a discussion about this issue last night @ our quarterly ICT committee meeting, we are going to:
1) be more proactive next year about educating our students about the ethical use of the Internet . . . particularly that proxy avoiding is not acceptable
2) inform staff of what to look for as far as proxy web sites are concerned in their own classes (post some egs. of these sites on the staffroom wall) and common proxy avoider characteristics to look for (e.g. the word 'proxy' in the address line of the site, a box to enter a web address on the web page itself etc.)
3) set a fixed monthly limit to Internet spending through SINA (we upped it from $500 to $1000 earlier this year) - next year we'll decrease it back to $500 and let all users know that when this limit is met in any given month all Internet access will automatically stop. We figure if this limit is reached and everyone has to spend a week for example off the web, then this may actively discourage proxy avoidance and waste usage and will bring the message home . . . those @ the meeting were happy with this and the resulting implications.
4) let all users know that if they are found proxy avoiding, it is tantamount to theft and they will lose their account for a week/2 weeks/a month in progression (and have to use a generic EduList only account for that time), have a letter home, an internal suspension or some other measure of the sort.

Cheers,

Kim

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

Cameron Bell <bell.cameron.p at edumail.vic.gov.au> on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 12:56:35 +1100 wrote:
> We have decided to move away from charging for net access and fund open
> access  to the internet as it is simply too an important resource to
> restrict access to. We decided that the hassle teachers had with
> students not being able to access websites was restricting take-up of
> ICT in the classroom. Teachers were fed up with students not being able
> access websites without prior submission to the education channel -
> especially when it restricted free-form investigation and research.
> The down side is that students won't have "free" access to computers and
> will need to be supervised.
> You have to convince the admin that it has to fund the internet as a
> core component to education. It is used across all KLA's and is an
> essential tool for education. It is not an addon- it is core component. 
> I'm not sure many admins can see that just yet.
> If the electricity bill is over budget  they can find the money to pay
> that, they don't just turn off all power or tell kids they can only use
> the lights if they pay a power fee.
> There are tools like Packateer ($$  :(  ) that can enable access to be
> tailored to a packet by packet basis. You may want to look at something
> like that to help keep costs down. If you artificially slow the link or
> restrict certain traffic you can keep costs down without removing access
> completely.
> Fight for free access.
> Cheers
> Cameron
> 
> 
> fiona at balmoralhs.vic.edu.au wrote:
> > Do you give the students a starting balance on each account and, if so, how much
> >
> > thanks 
> > Fiona (the other kind of Bain)
> > Balmoral
> > "Bane, Janet A" <bane.janet.a at edumail.vic.gov.au> on Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:32:09 +1100 wrote:
> >   
> >> Hi Kim
> >> there is a very simple solution to this problem - start charging the kids for their internet usage!  I think you would find that most schools do.  Our system is called Gaia Print and Net charger.  Not only do we charge for internet usage, we also charge 10c per print out.  Its amazing what "needs" to be accessed and what doesn't when they have to pay for it!
> >>
> >> regards,
> >> Janet Bane
> >> Patterson River SC.
> >>
> >> ________________________________
> >>
> >> From: ipm-bounces at edulists.com.au on behalf of kgration at myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au
> >> Sent: Wed 13-Dec-06 3:31 PM
> >> To: ipm at edulists.com.au
> >> Subject: [Year 12 IPM] Proxy avoiding web sites and individual user accounts
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> 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:// <https:///>  rather than http:// <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
> >>
> >> ---
> >> Kim Gration
> >> ICT Manager
> >> Myrtleford Secondary College
> >> http://www.myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au <http://www.myrtlefordsc.vic.edu.au/>
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> >
> > ---
> > fiona at balmoralhs.vic.edu.au
> > http://www.balmoralhs.vic.edu.au/
> > _______________________________________________
> > http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> > IPM Mailing List kindly supported by
> > http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
> > http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc
> >
> >   
> 
> Important - This email and any attachments may be confidential. If received in error, please contact us and delete all copies. Before opening or using attachments check them for viruses and defects. Regardless of any loss, damage or consequence, whether caused by the negligence of the sender or not, resulting directly or indirectly from the use of any attached files our liability is limited to resupplying any affected attachments. Any representations or opinions expressed are those of the individual sender, and not necessarily those of the Department of Education.
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.edulists.com.au - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe
> IPM Mailing List kindly supported by
> http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and
> http://www.vitta.org.au  - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc