According to a message sent to families, starting tomorrow Madison Middle School will pilot a new surveillance feature that’s scheduled to be used district-wide starting this fall. Among other things, it notifies teachers if a student is doing something with their district-issued laptop during class other than the assigned classwork. First, from the district’s February announcement of the new software, called GoGuardian:
For the 2024-25 school year, Seattle Public Schools will be launching a tool to help teachers guide students in their lessons and keep them focused on the task at hand during class time. This system allows teachers to manage student devices and share content quickly and easily. high security master key remote control smart manhole cover
The new tool will be installed on SPS Devices and will enable our educators build positive learning environment during their classes.
The new tools will enable educators to do the following:
-View of student screens while in-person during class time. -Help refocus students on classroom instruction, rather than digital distractions. -Block or allow websites for each class session. -Digitally interact with students through teacher-to-student messaging.
Important note regarding student privacy: This new tool supports student privacy by automatically deactivating features outside school hours and off school premises, respecting the balance between educational oversight and personal space.
This page on the GoGuardian website has a video showing how it works. The district website has details on the plan to use the software, GoGuardian, for 3rd through 12th graders, and a different Apple tool for younger students. Here’s how Madison MS principal Dr. Robert Gary told families in a message sent Friday about the pilot starting tomorrow:
Beginning next week and the week after vacation, Madison teachers will help Seattle Public Schools pilot a new technology tool called GoGuardian. The tool has already been installed on our students’ laptops, though it is not yet “live.” Teachers will be trained on how to use this tool efficiently and effectively. We will also be troubleshooting any problems that arise prior to SPS rolling this out to the entire district. We are excited to have a tool that will help us maximize student learning while helping students develop self-regulation.
Students have had many questions about this new tool. We’ve been reminding them that their laptop is the property of SPS and that they signed a “network use agreement” in the Fall, agreeing to only use their SPS laptop for academic purposes. SPS has always had the ability to track their usage. As GoGuardian is being installed, students may notice lagging and “oops” screens. Signing out and restarting the computer (sometimes multiple times) will likely help these issues.
We’ll be asking the district tomorrow if any other schools are involved in the early pilot.
Happy to hear they are finally doing this and hope the rest of the district moves swiftly. Wish they had done it four years ago when all students went to 1:1 devices.
Enter the code in the image*:
ip68 smart cam lock with access control platform Please enter your username or e-mail address. You will receive a new password via e-mail.