For countless students, Google Chromebooks serve as an easy way to access the internet and take fast notes in class. They save paper; they make writing essays a breeze and allow students to collaborate on assignments. However, with recent web restrictions, students have become very limited in terms of what they can access. These restrictions have reached an all-time high with the introduction of GoGuardian, an online application that gives teachers the ability to monitor Chromebooks in the classroom.

Teachers now receive reports, following every period they teach, on what websites were opened by students and the times of use. Students don’t receive any info about when or where a teacher can check their activities.

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all,” said senior Anna Giddins. “It’s freaky.”

The new access teachers have could be cause for concern, especially for student privacy. However, the new IT Director, Mr. Catania, explained that the program is meant to give teachers a handle on their students.

“It simply allows teachers to manage the class. They can get everybody onto a website at the same time and send individual comments to the students,” said Mr. Catania. “It just gives them better classroom management.”

He also explained, however, that GoGuardian shouldn’t be viewed as an invasion of privacy from the student perspective.
“Board policies clearly state that there’s no expectation to privacy,” said Mr. Catania. “The network is meant for everyone. Students, staff… everyone.”

Mr. Kelly, 9th grade Global History teacher, believes GoGuardian is the perfect tool for keeping his students from browsing the web. He is of the opinion that it acts as a deterrent that keeps students from even inadvertently breaking the rules and allows him to spend valuable time teaching rather than disciplining.

“I think it’s great,” said Mr. Kelly. “It’s keeping students on task, and I mean the school gave you the Chromebooks to actually learn and not research Yahoo, or fantasy baseball.”

The success of GoGuardian is being tested this year and, depending upon its success, will be used again next year. Teacher feedback and reports will play a big role in shaping the use of this program in the future.