Shannon Bosetti teaches sixth grade in Redding School District.
I have been teaching and communicating effectively with students for 13 years, and when my classroom went 1:1 with Chromebooks, it completely changed my pedagogy. I find it much easier to differentiate instruction and to tailor my teaching to the needs of each individual child inside and outside the classroom. I can also expand learning for a student who really wants to dive into a particular topic and stay connected as they explore a new arena.
Teachers communicating with students in a 1:1 classroom environment not only helps the learning come alive, but equips students with the technology skills that will be imperative to their future success. For example, for an ancient Egyptian character report last year, my students conducted all the research on their chosen character, but they also created a Google Slides deck to present to the class, which enabled them to master Google Slides. The last step was that they created a Kahoot quiz to ensure the other students in the classroom understood the concepts they presented. The students were teaching and learning from each other, and this got them excited about the subject matter in a new way.
Staying Connected in Class
GoGuardian Teacher has further enhanced the benefits of going 1:1 because GoGuardian helps me stay connected both inside and outside of the classroom. It is integral to my communication with students in the classroom. Inside the classroom, I feel more at ease because I know my students are aware that I can monitor and help guide their progress online...and when I say “monitor,” it’s never in the negative sense of the word. With GoGuardian, I can monitor students’ progress on the Chromebooks and send them questions to check-in, such as: “Where are you in the process? Do you need my support?” Communicating effectively with students is so much easier with GoGuardian.
I also like using the GoGuardian Teacher Summary feature, which gives me a synopsis of how students are spending their time while on their Chromebooks. It will indicate students who are browsing too often and getting distracted, which allows me to communicate with them immediately and get them back on track. It also shows the students who are staying focused, so I can thank them for their work and for using the technology as it’s meant to be used. In this sense, GoGuardian Teacher is another channel that keeps me in sync with my students and their academic progress.
Checking In When I’m Away
Outside the classroom, GoGuardian has also been extremely useful. When I’ve been away for a teacher training, GoGuardian has enabled me to ensure that my students are following the lesson plan I provided to the substitute teacher. It also makes communicating with students while I’m remote a million times simpler. Now that I have GoGuardian, I always tell my students: “When I’m away...I’m never really away!” At one point, I was out sick and I logged into GoGuardian to check-in on my students. I noticed that a group of students had an extra tab open listening to music while they were supposed to be reading a text. So I immediately sent a general message to everyone saying, “Don’t forget, it’s really difficult to read a text and listen to music at the same time and give it your full attention. Please turn off your music.” I received 15 messages in response from students saying, “I’m so sorry Mrs. Bosetti! Thank you very much for reminding me!” What's great is that communicating with students in the classroom can be done remotely with GoGuardian.
With GoGuardian, we don’t lose ground, and it minimizes any impact my absence would have because the program keeps me continually connected.
Expanding the Classroom
GoGuardian Teacher doesn’t just provide tools to enhance the brick-and-mortar classroom dynamic. It expands the classroom…with software, digital teacher aids, and technologies that enhance and expand my lessons. GoGuardian helps teachers communicating with students remotely do their job better. With GoGuardian, I feel more connected than ever before with my students, and I don’t have to worry as much. I can rest easy knowing my students are focused on learning and safe from inappropriate content and harmful behavior on the internet. One of the reasons that I teach is because I love kids, and I love the look on their faces when they are having an “aha!” moment or when we’ve made a connection. My experience is that great technology like GoGuardian only strengthens that connection and helps students actualize their full potential. Communicating with students through GoGuardian will do wonders for your classroom too.
Communicating with students can be a challenge while distance learning. Luckily, we live in a world with a wide variety of technology options to help teachers bridge the gap. GoGuardian is a helpful tool to assist teachers needing to communicate effectively with students throughout COVID-19. It allows educators to monitor students’ progress and keep them all up to speed with digital lessons. GoGuardian Teacher™ even helps keep tabs on what students are doing on their Chromebooks. GoGuardian is here to help students progress to their full potential.
