Web Content Filtering and Email Information for Chippewa Falls School District Staff

 Overview of Lightspeed:

The Chippewa Falls School District uses Lightspeed as its content filtering and SPAM filtering client.  In the spring of 2010 the district moved to Lightspeed for three main reasons:
 

1) Cost Effectiveness - The district will save money on a yearly basis by having one client provide the web filtering, email filtering and anti-virus.

2) Staff Control - The Lightspeed client allows staff to override those sites that otherwise might be blocked.  It also sends staff an email each day with those messages that were retained as SPAM.  This prevents staff members from having to find a site to log in and make those changes.

3) Growth - As the district grows and moves into more mobile devices Lightspeed will assist us with this transition.  

 Information for staff on web content filtering:

The web content filtering for students and staff are set to the Children's Internet Protection Act.  The district by law has to abide by these parameters.  Staff have the option to override many of the websites for their review.  The short video below will show you how to override a website to gain access as well as request a website be unblocked.  

 Using the staff override feature ( 4 minutes)

Unblocking Sites for Students

It is important for teachers to plan ahead when they are unsure if a site is unblocked or blocked for students.  If staff are not sure if a site is available for students they should submit the form below and a response will be sent back to them within 24 hours if that site is open to students.  If the site is blocked they can request it to be reviewed by their building technology team. 

 Is this site blocked for students?

 Information for staff on email and SPAM filtering

Each morning, staff will receive an email reminder from Lightspeed summarizing for them what has been blocked for SPAM and what was sent to your inbox.  Staff have the ability to block those emails they don't care for as well as allow ones that might have been blocked.  The previous SPAM filter made staff log into a special site with a specific username and password to change these permissions. The Lightspeed mail summary comes to you each morning and saves you time.   Watching the video tutorial below will provide you with directions on how to accomplish this.

Video Tutorial on blocking SPAM from your inbox. (5 minutes in length)