Now that technology is ever-present in the classroom, it can be difficult to ensure all students stay engaged. The lure of digital distractions, coupled with difficulties in managing multiple tabs, can hinder students from effectively acquiring vital skills for using technology efficiently and safely — skills that are crucial well beyond their academic years.
Sandra Naranjo, a sixth-grade English language arts teacher at Helen Keller Elementary in Lynwood, California, has successfully navigated these obstacles with the help of GoGuardian Teacher. With GoGuardian Teacher, Sandra is cultivating a classroom environment where technology enhances learning rather than distracts from it, ensuring her students are both engaged and equipped for the future.
Storm before the calm
During her teaching career, Sandra encountered the early stages of Chromebook integration at her school. In the “wild west” days of laptops without classroom management edtech tools, Sandra was left trying to help her students remain on task through a collection of strategies. She found that when left unchecked, learners would occasionally veer off task, particularly when exploring platforms like YouTube.
Sandra needed a consolidated solution that would help her gain deeper insight into how her students were remaining engaged and enable her students to learn how to responsibly use technology while learning.
GoGuardian Teacher improves oversight
GoGuardian Teacher is exactly what Sandra needed. With features like content filtering, tab limits, and real-time monitoring, she gains the ability to orchestrate a focused learning environment.
"GoGuardian makes it so easy for me to set up a scene for my students where I can block out, say, YouTube when it’s not a part of the lesson for that day, ensuring they remain focused,” she shared.
She is able to help her students learn how to limit distractions themselves and more easily navigate their computers. GoGuardian Teacher’s tab limit feature allows Sandra to limit her students to only four tabs, decreasing distractions and helping them learn self-discipline, even when they didn’t realize she has turned them off.
Sandra also highlighted the significance of GoGuardian's annotation feature, allowing her to guide students visually and address concerns promptly. This proactive approach to managing technical issues ensures a smoother learning experience for every one of her students.
“During small group instruction, while I work with a group of students, I’ve used the annotation feature to guide them to where they need to click (a specific Google Classroom assignment, something in StudySync-our ELA curriculum, or Newsela) without having to leave the students I am working with,” she explained.
Integrations for a harmonious teaching environment
In tandem with GoGuardian Teacher, Sandra also utilizes its sister product, Pear Deck, to elevate the classroom experience. Pear Deck allows teachers to create and deliver interactive presentations in the classroom. The ability to seamlessly integrate Pear Deck with GoGuardian Teacher provides a comprehensive solution for managing technology while also ensuring student engagement.
Sandra expressed interest in exploring the ability to launch a Pear Deck directly from GoGuardian Teacher, recognizing its potential to further streamline her teaching workflow. Sandra envisioned this integration as a game-changer for instantly addressing gaps in student understanding.
Excitement for the future
Sandra’s story illustrates the transformative impact GoGuardian Teacher has in her classroom. From tackling distractions to fostering student engagement, this edtech tool has become an indispensable component of her teaching arsenal. As she continues to evolve her teaching methods, she's excited to explore new and exciting features as they emerge.
