A new software has been released and installed on school computers, and it’s causing quite a stir.
Blocksi is an activity monitoring software that was created to increase productivity in students. The app allows teachers to view their students’ screens in real time, to make sure that the students are paying attention, rather than wasting time on other things.
Some believe that this app is an infringement of privacy and therefore disrespectful to students. With that said, is it not disrespectful to ignore a teacher and play Snake while they teach? A classroom runs on mutual respect. For those who are confused on how far this software can go, no teacher is able to view your activity outside of their classroom session. That means any online activity in a specific class is monitored by that teacher alone. When a student is at home the app goes dormant, as it’s not connected to the school network. As a reminder, a student’s Chromebook is not their property, it is being lent to them.
The app offers so much more than just screen monitoring. It allows teachers to block dangerous websites to protect students, especially elementary age students. The app can help to prevent cyberbullying or online threats, as well as exposure to violent or inappropriate content. It uses AI and machine learning to prematurely block dangerous content before students view it. This is something other activity monitoring apps, such as Bark, don’t do. The app also helps teachers share and communicate content, such as websites, videos, and presentations. They can send a tab to the students’ computers, which not only saves time, but makes it much easier to take online tests or use other online resources. Teachers can also share students’ screens, but not without a student’s consent. The student will get a notification on their Chromebook asking if they would like to share their screen. They will need to click ‘share’ from their device. Once the student accepts, their screen will be shared with the rest of the class. This can be beneficial for sharing presentations and group work. Teachers are also able to block access to other tabs during test taking and assessments, which can prevent cheating and get more accurate test scores.
Despite all of the discourse surrounding this new app, there are just too many benefits to completely discount it. True, there will be bugs and problems that need fixing, but that will only make the app more beneficial.