DIGITAL SAFETY:
MANAGED CHROMEBOOKS.
We are a Chromebook only school.
At HNI we have been adopters of technology in the Classroom as a tool to engage students. Digital students can explore different ways of learning which enrich traditional learning methods. It’s well known that students learn at varying speeds throughout their school life, digital classrooms offer tools for students to work at their own pace.
We want our kids to embrace technology as it’s a necessary skill in the workplace. There are very few jobs that don’t require some interaction with technology, whether it’s in the office or the orchard, technology drives industry and the economy.
It doesn’t come without its challenges. The internet can be a huge distraction which requires time and effort to monitor and control. A common conversation around the staffroom is how much teacher time is consumed checking that students are focussed on the task at hand. We have many examples where students install browser extensions or apps to circumvent school security systems.
HNI Chromebook Management system will enable teachers to forget about continuous monitoring of students. System settings and policies are rolled out to student devices which include approved apps and extensions. Google Safe Search will be turned on and incognito mode turned off.
Q. What does 'Managed' Chromebook mean?
A. At Havelock North Intermediate, we prioritise effective management of our students' Chromebooks through Google Licences for Education. This approach ensures that our learners can fully engage in their education by minimising distractions. With Google Licences for Education, students are logged into their individual school accounts, restricting access to non-HNI accounts during school hours. This not only maintains a focused learning environment but also ensures the enforcement of our school's internet safety policies. For instance, Google Safe Search filters explicit and dangerous content from the internet. Additionally, we have the capability to block specific social media and gaming sites. Students are unable to use incognito mode or delete search history, allowing for easy monitoring of their online activities on school accounts. This has resulted in improved learning outcomes at HNI by reducing distractions.
In the event that a chromebook is lost or stolen, we have the ability to remotely lock it down and display a message requesting its return to Havelock North Intermediate. This further ensures the security of our students' chromebooks.
We will begin the introduction of Google Licences to our new students early on in Term 1.
To add these Google Licences to student chromebooks, a factory reset will be required. Most data on Chromebooks is stored safely online; however, some data may be saved locally on the chromebook, typically in the "downloads" or "camera" section. If you wish to preserve any locally saved data (on the chromebook, not in the cloud), it is recommended to either upload it to Google Drive or save it on a USB stick or similar external storage chromebook.
After the Chromebook has been reset, it will be set up to use only school accounts during school hours. Outside of school hours, including weekends and holidays, students will have access to both personal and school accounts. User accounts will need to be added again, so students should remember their personal account username and password.
If Family Link was previously set up, it should still be linked when they log in with their child account. If it’s a new setup, you may need to re-enable parental controls.
Rest assured that all online data will be safely stored, ensuring minimal disruption to the chromebook. Additionally, Wi-Fi passwords will need to be re-entered. This works in conjunction with Family Link which will be added again when you add the child account back to the device.
To ensure your child's safety while online at school, their chromebook needs to have this management in place. If a child does not have this, their device will need to be kept at home and they will be issued a school device to use instead.
We appreciate your support in ensuring a safe and focused digital learning environment for our students.
Q. How can you ensure my child is safe online when they are at home?
A. When a device is enrolled to a school’s domain with a Chrome Education license, that device will act in the same way no matter if your child is at school, home, or a friend’s house. This is because it is device settings rather than network settings that are being applied. Therefore, safe search settings, various levels of YouTube restrictions and blocked URL’s can be applied to the device 100% of the time when using HNI accounts.
Q. How can you ensure that this will be a tool for learning rather than a toy?
A. Because the device can be locked down to users of the school domain during school hours, schools can disable various apps and extensions that may become a distraction from learning. For Chromebooks that can access Android apps through the Google Play store, only school approved apps will be shown. Schools can also block various online games that they deem are not enhancing learning in any way. Parents are investing in the device to help transform learning for their child, therefore, it is important to create an environment that allows this to happen.
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