Banned Website Awareness Day

(Credit: http://www.aasl.ala.org/aaslblog/?p=3076)

Banned Website Awareness Day was established to raise awareness of the restrictive blocking of legitimate, educational websites and academically useful social networking tools in schools. This movement is pushed by the American Association of School Librarians or AASL. During this day teachers and school administrators are asked to spread the word about the overly restriction of these sites. (AASL)
So why do these restriction occur within schools? In an effort to keep students off adult sites and from coming in contact with any adult materials, many school systems have set up filters to block sites. But, In an effort to block these sites they have also block other sites that could potentially be gateways into adult materials through advertisements and form other users. They also block sites because some students can get distracted checking their Twitter or Facebook pages and not pay attention to their work.
The AASL believes that banning websites can come at the expense of students learning. We are in a day age where we are pushing innovation, technology integration, and real world learning within our educational system. But yet we are restricting some of the websites that could bring us to the technology level we would like to reach. Sites like Facebook and Twitter could have educational benefits. Rather it be through blogging, or by reaching outside the classroom to increase learning, these sites can be used to enrich the classroom experience. 
Many schools are in charged of what they restrict. As a teacher I would bring my concerns to my administration through evidence of how ban sites will be use to integrate technology. If I still could not get through to them I would use a proxy. There will be constant monitoring, as well as some form of synchronized program where i can see what my students are doing. Us as future educators can not let fear keep us from pushing innovation within the classroom. Blocking adult sites is a must, but any other sites should be open to the discretion of the teacher. 

Take a look at this blog about that talks about what Banned Awareness Day is:
http://www.aasl.ala.org/aaslblog/?p=3076