Organization: Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic
Location: Passaic, New Jersey
Grade Levels: K-12
Devices: Chromebooks, Windows machines
Transforming Digital Safety for Jewish Schools: Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic’s Success Story
Amid the digital surge accelerated by the pandemic, Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic faced increased pressure in the battle against online safety.
While looking for an advanced content filter to add an additional layer of safety on top of their existing router filter, the school discovered Deledao's real-time AI, empowering them to reclaim control over digital learning challenges.
The Challenge: Navigating Cultural Sensitivities and Image Filtering
With the widespread integration of digital technologies in educational settings, Jewish schools encounter the formidable task of discovering an inclusive web filter that is sensitive to their distinct cultural requirements.
In pursuit of a resolution, Jonathan Bub, Technology Coordinator at Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic, aimed for a solution that’d harmonize inclusivity, flexibility, and adaptability when addressing the needs of the Jewish community.
Navigating online images, especially within Google Workspace, proved to be a tricky and sensitive task for them. Existing web filters fail to balance digital safety with providing a smooth digital experience, creating a challenge for the school's staff and students, who were more online than ever.
“Nobody loves filtering, right?” Jonathan emphasized, “It's not something that people run to do. It's annoying and bothersome for the user. But you have to do it. So, you have to get it into a way that this filter's going to be different.”
The Solution: Deledao’s Real-Time AI Image Blurring Capabilities
Before discovering Deledao, Jonathan conducted extensive research, exploring various options for web filters. Deledao’s use of InstantAI™ in filtering stood out, particularly due to its real-time image-blurring capabilities. This feature intrigued him, prompting him to delve deeper.
Upon reaching out to Deledao, Jonathan found that the image blurring feature was close to what he envisioned and nobody else had it. He shared suggestions with the Deledao team on how to better serve Jewish schools in Deledao’s mission to help all types of schools.
The collaborative process led to the development of two critical features:
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Preemptive Image Blurring: An innovative option where images are blurred before real-time evaluation and loaded if they pass the check.
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Modesty Mode: An additional layer of image safety was introduced to give the option of automatically blurring images that did not align with cultural values of modesty.
We wanted a web filter that was sensitive to the needs of our private Jewish school. Specifically, we wanted to proactively solve the issue of online images that did not align with our cultural values. Deledao worked with us to enhance its real-time image blurring capabilities to suit the diverse needs of our Jewish community.
Jonathan Bub
Technology Coordinator
Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic
Jonathan was also apprehensive about potential pushback and concerned about staff learning to navigate the product, especially considering that staff members are online more than the students.
Surprisingly, "it's been golden so far," Jonathan said. "Integrating the product into our workflow was a smooth process."
The Result: Seamless Integration, Positive Impact, and Future Possibilities
Contrary to concerns about the onboarding process, the staff found Deledao's solution easy to use. Jonathan mentioned, “Thankfully, there’s nothing to learn” when it comes to training staff and students on how to use it. Even a principal in her late 80s adapted effortlessly.
Jonathan expressed his happiness and surprise with the product rollout, stating, “I was very happy. Very rarely am I happily surprised with things that are rolled out.”
Deledao's real-time AI image filtering allowed the school to maintain a less restrictive overall filtering policy to allow Google Docs, Google Slides, and other online collaboration tools to be used in class without issues. “It really protects,” Jonathan noted. “I don't need to choose between digital safety and providing online educational resources because I know that I have my images blocked.”
Jonathan sees how adaptable the Deledao filter solution is and envisions broader uses for Deledao within the larger Jewish community, not just limited to schools. This includes potential applications in businesses and nonprofits, showcasing the flexibility and inclusivity of Deledao’s solution.
Meeting the needs of their customers is Deledao’s priority, and this collaboration with Yeshiva Ktana of Passaic is a prime example. By understanding and addressing the cultural sensitivities of Jewish schools, Deledao has not only provided an effective solution but has also opened doors to broader applications within the community.