In the classrooms of Albuquerque Public Schools, where technology blends with education to influence the futures of over 70,000 students, Kristin Garletts, an edtech support specialist with the district, is at the forefront of integrating GoGuardian Teacher into the daily educational routines, making the learning environment more focused, manageable, and safe.
We had the opportunity to chat with Kristin and discuss how GoGuardian is making a difference in her district. She provided insights into the smooth incorporation of GoGuardian Teacher within her district's routines. According to Kristin, GoGuardian Teacher addresses the modern challenge of keeping students engaged during lessons, revolutionizing classroom management, and enhancing student safety.
Shifting focus
Before implementing GoGuardian Admin and Teacher, Kristin highlighted the prevalent issue of students being off-task, a concern exacerbated by the rapid transition to one-to-one device deployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With 70,000 students equipped with devices, maintaining focus and ensuring safe internet usage posed significant challenges for teachers.
"We've had issues with kids being off-task, and teachers had no idea,” she emphasized. GoGuardian Teacher emerged as a solution, providing educators with real-time insights into student activities and facilitating proactive intervention to keep them engaged and on track.
Partnering with caregivers
Beyond classroom management, GoGuardian addresses caregiver concerns regarding online safety. Kristin noted a decline in complaints since the implementation of GoGuardian Teacher, attributing it to the transparency offered by the GoGuardian Parent app. Caregivers now have insight into their student's online activities, fostering healthy communication and responsible technology use both at school and home.
“I love it. I think it's a fantastic and easy-to-use app. Being a parent myself, it's really easy to switch between my kids, shut off the internet, and just see what they're doing both during the day and at home. This makes me better informed, enabling me to ask more specific questions about the technology their teachers are using and what they have access to, which has been great. It has also facilitated conversations with families about how, when kids are at home and the devices are with them, parents have access to tools to protect their students online.”
Encouraging usage
The process of integrating GoGuardian Teacher into Albuquerque Public Schools involved comprehensive training initiatives. Kristin's team’s approach to continuously support her district with GoGuardian involves a detailed training program, aimed at enabling educators to use this tool effectively without feeling overwhelmed.
Kristin spearheads various training sessions, ranging from school-wide seminars to one-on-one sessions and self-paced courses to help teachers and support staff feel comfortable and confident using GoGuardian to support learning.
Her goal is to empower educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to leverage GoGuardian Teacher effectively without adding to their workload.
“In my trainings, I focus on setting up and rostering classes, using the calendar feature so it runs in the background. This way, you can block what you need to without doing anything in the moment. Teachers have a lot on their plates already, and they're incredibly busy. We aim not to add more to their workload. So, with GoGuardian Teacher, my focus is on making it a tool that simplifies your tasks, not one more thing for you to worry about."
Something for everyone
In terms of impact, Kristin highlighted the versatility of GoGuardian's suite of tools, particularly praising GoGuardian Teacher for enhancing communication.
Kristin recounted a recent interaction with a speech therapist facing logistical challenges in communicating with her students. Traditionally, the therapist would navigate the school campus to individually summon students for one-on-one sessions, a process riddled with inefficiencies and disruptions.
Recognizing the potential of GoGuardian Teacher, Kristin introduced the therapist to use it to streamline communication with students and optimize instructional time.
By utilizing GoGuardian Teacher's messaging features, the therapist can seamlessly notify students of their session appointments discreetly and efficiently. This newfound capability not only eliminates the time lost due to the therapist walking to retrieve each student but also affords students a sense of privacy, as they are now discreetly messaged to meet with the therapist instead of being called out in class.
The therapist, initially unaware of this functionality, expressed profound gratitude for the time-saving and student-centric solution, affirming its indispensable role in enhancing the efficacy of specialized interventions within the district.
Evolving to meet educational needs
Albuquerque Public Schools, with 154 schools serving approximately 65,000 to 70,000 students, stands as a testament to GoGuardian Teacher's scalability and efficacy in large educational settings.
With a constant influx of teachers seeking professional development opportunities, there's a palpable enthusiasm for tools that simplify classroom management and elevate the learning experience.
Looking ahead, Kristin expressed optimism about GoGuardian Teacher's continued evolution. As a company committed to listening to customer feedback, GoGuardian's responsiveness and dedication to improvement resonate deeply with educators.
GoGuardian has emerged as a transformative force in education, empowering teachers, parents, and students. Through proactive classroom management, robust caregiver engagement, and continuous innovation, GoGuardian is reshaping the educational landscape, one classroom at a time.
As Kristin aptly summarized, "It's easy to get started. It's not cumbersome. I really like that."
Simplicity and efficacy are paramount in the dynamic realm of education, and GoGuardian delivers on both fronts with unwavering dedication.
