Does the location of a web page matter?
HE SAYS:  

No 
Location is irrelevant.  What's more important is the message, not where it's located.  

Many individuals are failing to see how the Internet is changing  broadcast communications.  Traditionally, communications such as print, radio, and television were distributed across well defined areas.  The Internet has suddenly changed all of this. There are no longer any boundaries.  Information is no longer available to just a few that limited to a specific area. 

Schools are funded in part by the federal government which can not, by law, limit the freedom of speech.  Just as the courts have determined that students consititutional rights are not shed at the door of a school, they are also not shed on the school web server either.   

There should be no difference between what a student does on the school server or any other server.   I understand that if a web site is illegal, then it's illegal.  I have no problem with that.  However, just because you don't agree with someone else's viewpoint doesn't make it illegal or unworthy of publishing.  
 

What implications does this present for allowing students to publish web pages? 

Schools need to tackle the real issue - that students need to be taught about slander, libel, copyright, etc.  Just limiting students to where they can speak doesn't solve the problem.  
 

Additional Resources 
I don't have any additional resources on this issue and I think it's important to explain why.  Just look at Sally's resources - they are predominately legal in nature.  The courts have already ruled that school web pages are different from personal web pages.  Therefore, most educators have already decided that they need to be on the other side in order to protect themselves legally.  However, the legal decision may have nothing to do with what they really believe.  
 

HOME
SHE SAYS:
 

YES 
This is directly related to the previous question.  All web pages reside on a web server that belongs to someone or some group.  As long as they own the server, they should have editorial rights over the content and viewpoints that are expressed through it. 

Just as any business has the right to assure that the equipment and resources are used for the good of the company, schools have the same right.  Schools can limit a web servers use to only those activities that are directly related to its ultimate mission - education. 

Student material needs to be controlled on the school server, but if students have something else to say they are certainly welcome to get their own personal account on another service provider.  
 
 

What implications does this present for allowing students to publish web pages? 

Again, schools should be reassured that they have the right to control the content on their web servers. 
Usage of the web server needs to be in accordance with the goals and mission of the school district, which is to educate.  Schools should take caution when criticizing a student's personal web site.  This is clearly out of their boundaries if it is not actually on the school server. 
 
 

Additional Resources 

A Legal and Educational Analysis of K-12 Internet Acceptable Use Policies 
Willard, Nancy 
The section entitled "Limited Educational Purpose" cover various considerations for school districts to protect abuse of the Internet.  If students want total free speech, then they need to get their own personal web site outside the school. 

Court rules suspension over web page violates student's free speech 
Federal judge rules that students website that was produced off school time and stored on his own personal server space through a local provider can not be disciplined by his school.  It was ruled that schools do not have the right to interfere with what students say outside of school. 

Court: Student web site can trash teacher  Downey, Gregg 
A federal court rules that a Ohio school district could not discipline a student for the content of his personal homepage dispite the fact that it trashed his band teacher.  The case made it evident that the location of the webpage does matter.  
 

HOME