San Diego Unified cut off classroom access to Google tools such as Gmail two weeks ago after the company changed the way some of its searches work -- a move to protect privacy that made pornography more accessible.
That change allows students to get around filters that block inappropriate images. School technology chief Darryl LaGace said in some cases, students could search for pornography and view thumbnail images from videos, though they couldn't actually visit the sites.
Because the school district has to monitor and block websites that could be harmful to minors under its own policies and federal law, it blocked Google tools such as Gmail or Google Docs, which allows users to edit documents and share them online. Those tools are linked to the new, revised search.
Google itself is still unchanged and available for searches, but teachers say any Google service requiring a log in, including calendars or building a website, is gone. If San Diego Unified hadn't done so, LaGace said it could have been at risk of losing federal money for technology. But he isn't happy about the block, calling it "a crime."
Cutting off Google sites has wreaked havoc on schools that are increasingly going digital.
Jennifer Roberts at Point Loma High School teaches her English class with a laptop for each student. Her students often use Google Docs to write papers and edit each others' work. They had just started up their own blogs through a Google service when the school district shut it down.
"I agree with keeping kids safe. I agree with filtering things," Roberts said. "But there has to be a better way to solve this."
Blocking Gmail is also a serious pain for teachers who have replaced their school district e-