There are many alternatives to Screen Monitoring Software which teachers can use to keep students engaged and on task.
Good Citizenship
Digital Citizenship is a must for all students at all grade levels. More and more teachers are integrating technology into their classrooms and with increased access comes increased responsibility. Digital Citizenship needs to be addressed before students ever start using technology and reinforced throughout the year.
Layout is Everything
Classroom layout is a good deterrent to off-task behaviors. Sitting students where their screens can easily be seen can help minimize unstructured web browsing. There are many different layouts you can choose from based on the seating you have on hand. Tired of rows of desks? Why not explore Flexible Seating?
*Students are less likely to risk playing games or using social media if they know that at any moment their teacher will appear behind them.
Keep Things Simple
Switching between multiple apps during a lesson can become distracting to students as some struggle to log on and others use the downtime to browse the web. Best practice would be to find a small number of apps or sites you use regularly and stick to those while gradually experimenting with new ones.
Pausing the Internet
When students are not allowed to be on their devices, having them tilt their screens to a “45 degree angle” for Chromebooks, or put their “Apples up” on the case of iPads will allow the teacher to see who is not being compliant and have the assurance no one is using their devices.
Have a Plan B
There will always be situations where a student is not complying with the rules or lose their privilege to devices. It is always a good idea to have an alternative assignment ready in case of outages or for students who have lost the use of their devices.
