WHY ARE CERTAIN URLs BLOCKED?
To aid in CIPA compliancy, the edredi browser restricts student browsing to only the websites the teacher has designated as Resources. However, these websites sometimes have associated links that are needed but could be blocked because the web address does not begin with the same URL that was entered into the Whitelist URLs field.
For instance, a Resource with the URL, http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Vice_President.htm, any associated website that starts with this address, such as http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Vice_President.htm#2, would be allowed, but http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/VP_Hannibal_Hamlin.htm would be blocked because the URL's ending changed from briefing to generic. See highlighted example below.
ADDING A URL TO A WHITELIST
When adding a URL to a whitelist, the same rule for adding a full URL in the Website field is the same as when it's added in the Whitelist field of the Resource, where it is necessary to include "http://" or "https://" when a URL is entered into the field, like in the example below:
In some cases, students may need to be allowed to visit websites associated with the main website. At times these secondary websites are blocked because their web addresses do not fit the same URL pattern as the main site. In other words, the website does not begin with any of the same URL(s) that are already entered into the whitelist.
To allow access, these additional URLs need to be added to a whitelist - a list of URLs that are unblocked while the edredi tablets are in locked mode. There are two scenarios when to use the whitelist option under the Website Resource's properties page:
ALLOWING ACCESS TO A WHOLE WEBSITE
To allow students access to an entire website, the main web address is normally all that is needed:
1. On the Properties Page of the Website Resource, select the pencil icon next to the Whitelist URLs field.
2. Add the same URL as the main website to the Whitelist URLs section:
This confirms that all addresses that begin with the same web address will be accessible to the students.
GIVING ACCESS TO CERTAIN WEBSITES
To give access to certain web addresses connected to the main website, please do the following:
1. On the Properties Page, select the pencil icon to open the Whitelist URLs field.
2. Add each desired URL to the Whitelist URLs section.
NOTE: After typing in the first URL, be sure to press ENTER before typing in the next URL. This confirms that only the added addresses are valid and will be available to students. See whitelist example below.
For best practices on how to whitelist, please see Suggested Whitelist Methods.
It is always a good idea to check all links of interest on the website while in Locked/Student Mode. This will help determine which URLs are blocked and need to be added to Whitelist URLs.