Oswego College District 308 plans to implement a system that can permit academics to observe college students’ use of Chromebooks.
At their Jan. 22 assembly, College Board members unanimously authorized the acquisition of “Securly Classroom,” an internet device that provides instructors the flexibility to handle and monitor college students’ experiences on their Chromebooks of their lecture rooms.
The district offers Chromebooks to college students in first by twelfth grades. Securly Classroom will price the district $34,386.95 the primary yr, which covers February by August 2024. That prices contains Securly Classroom, entry to Securly’s Studying Portal, personalised coaching recordings and an implementation charge.
The next yr of Securly Classroom will price the district $48,437.05. The necessity for Securly Classroom was mentioned on the Jan. 8 College Board assembly.
“That is an thrilling alternative and gear that our academics have the potential of utilizing to assist with motivation and likewise engagement and likewise some classroom administration items,” Religion Dahlquist, the district’s affiliate superintendent for instructional providers, mentioned in addressing College Board members on the assembly.
Dahlquist famous that academics wouldn’t be required to make use of the monitoring system.
“That is an non-compulsory device,” she mentioned.
Brent Kiger, the district’s director of expertise and infrastructure, talked to College Board members about Securly Classroom and the way it works.
“It is going to assist college students keep targeted,” Kiger mentioned. “The trainer will be capable of section or isolate or group specific web sites that can be utilized throughout the lesson. It is going to permit them to lock to 1 specific web site. It additionally offers the trainer the flexibility to shut tabs that aren’t pertinent to the lesson.”
Securly Classroom additionally will give academics the flexibility to create teams of internet sites that may’t be assessed by college students. As well as, it is going to permit academics to close off gadgets.
“When gadgets aren’t wanted, the trainer will be capable of lock the display screen, freeze the display screen and ensure they’ve everybody’s eyes them,” Kiger mentioned.
It will probably additionally monitor what’s on a pupil’s display screen. “Not will the trainer really feel like that they have to be behind the room to guarantee that all people’s doing what they should do,” Kiger mentioned.
As well as, the system will permit academics to ship class-wide bulletins or begin chats with particular person college students. In flip, college students will be capable of work together straight with their academics utilizing the system.
“In a case the place a pupil could not really feel comfy in asking the query in entrance of all people, effectively now they will chat with the trainer,” Kiger mentioned.
Seventy-one different faculty districts in Illinois use Securly Classroom, mentioned Kevin McDonald, the district’s director of knowledge programs and assist.
Kiger and McDonald instructed College Board members that information on use and trainer satisfaction with the product shall be collected throughout the 2024-25 faculty yr and reviewed when contemplating whether or not or to not renew the contract and establish extra coaching alternatives.
