How do we get go guardian in fcps?

[Anonymous]

It’s weird fcps doesn’t use something like go guardian where teachers can block sites or limit the sites kids can be on during school. MCPS uses GG. Can individual schools implement it or does it have to be systemwide? The internet has enough distractions as it is, we need some guardrails for kids, esp young kids whose self regulation is still developing.

[Anonymous]

Okay so lightspeed does block some sites but it seems like GG offers more tools to rein kids in so they just aren’t surfing, teachers can see more on what they’re accessing, etc

[Anonymous]

So this description of lightspeed in one fcps school sounds similar to go guardian features where a teacher can monitor, restrict access to certain sites, etc.are those tools used throughout fcps or does it vary school to school? https://poems.fcps.edu/announcements/new-feature-now-available-enhance-learning-technology-classrooms

[Anonymous]

Have FCPS hire competent IT leadership.

[Anonymous]

Parents need to push for it. Speak at school board meetings. Research the specific features of GG vs LightSpeed and make a case for why GG is better. It needs to be rolled out the same way county wide or at least the same way by school level.

[Anonymous]

FCPS has lightspeed as an option for teachers to use in schools. However, each school that wants it has to pay for it out of their very limited budgets. Lightspeed monitors kids in real time, allows blocking of sites, restricting of sites to only that one the student should be on, allows teacher to lock students screen, close open tabs, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has lightspeed as an option for teachers to use in schools. However, each school that wants it has to pay for it out of their very limited budgets. Lightspeed monitors kids in real time, allows blocking of sites, restricting of sites to only that one the student should be on, allows teacher to lock students screen, close open tabs, etc.

If Lightspeed does this, FCPS hasn’t taught the teachers how to use those functions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has lightspeed as an option for teachers to use in schools. However, each school that wants it has to pay for it out of their very limited budgets. Lightspeed monitors kids in real time, allows blocking of sites, restricting of sites to only that one the student should be on, allows teacher to lock students screen, close open tabs, etc.

If Lightspeed does this, FCPS hasn’t taught the teachers how to use those functions.

It’s coming. Not all schools have it yet.

[Anonymous]

So is more effective use of lightspeed like blocking, restricting to help kids stay on task coming?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s weird fcps doesn’t use something like go guardian where teachers can block sites or limit the sites kids can be on during school. MCPS uses GG. Can individual schools implement it or does it have to be systemwide? The internet has enough distractions as it is, we need some guardrails for kids, esp young kids whose self regulation is still developing.

Even with GoGuardian, the kids still manage to play games. It is not possible to block chrome/Google and the kids use it as a back door into games. Google Doodle often includes games.

All you can do is lock a kid’s screen. Then, they have an excuse why they didn’t complete an assignment.

It’s sad because it is an issue of dependency, if not outright addiction. Parents aren’t taking it seriously enough. If they did, there would be daily protests outside of the headquarters of Google until a better product was developed that prevented 5th and 6th graders from creating and sharing Google docs with hundreds of game links.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has lightspeed as an option for teachers to use in schools. However, each school that wants it has to pay for it out of their very limited budgets. Lightspeed monitors kids in real time, allows blocking of sites, restricting of sites to only that one the student should be on, allows teacher to lock students screen, close open tabs, etc.

If Lightspeed does this, FCPS hasn’t taught the teachers how to use those functions.

Did your school pay for Lightspeed for the teachers? If not, then you don’t have it.

We were taught how to use it and it is amazingly simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So is more effective use of lightspeed like blocking, restricting to help kids stay on task coming?

Ask your principal to pay for it. Otherwise, no. Unless the district decides to pay for all of the schools - which it should do, but probably won’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s weird fcps doesn’t use something like go guardian where teachers can block sites or limit the sites kids can be on during school. MCPS uses GG. Can individual schools implement it or does it have to be systemwide? The internet has enough distractions as it is, we need some guardrails for kids, esp young kids whose self regulation is still developing.

Even with GoGuardian, the kids still manage to play games. It is not possible to block chrome/Google and the kids use it as a back door into games. Google Doodle often includes games.

All you can do is lock a kid’s screen. Then, they have an excuse why they didn’t complete an assignment.

It’s sad because it is an issue of dependency, if not outright addiction. Parents aren’t taking it seriously enough. If they did, there would be daily protests outside of the headquarters of Google until a better product was developed that prevented 5th and 6th graders from creating and sharing Google docs with hundreds of game links.

It’s working in my school. They’ve monitored the kids centrally and blocked the current work-arounds that kids were using. Plus, I could set it to allow only Lexia, for example, and then that is literally all that is allowed. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than what we had - nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has lightspeed as an option for teachers to use in schools. However, each school that wants it has to pay for it out of their very limited budgets. Lightspeed monitors kids in real time, allows blocking of sites, restricting of sites to only that one the student should be on, allows teacher to lock students screen, close open tabs, etc.

If Lightspeed does this, FCPS hasn’t taught the teachers how to use those functions.

It’s coming. Not all schools have it yet.

Are you sure about that? I'm a teacher in FCPS and have heard nothing about it.

[Anonymous]

I used to teach for FCPS and now teach in a different state due to moving for my spouse's job. We use something called "Net Support," and it is fabulous. In addition to blocking websites above and beyond what district filters do, we can see what students have on their screens from our computers. It's great because when you physically walk around, the kids will change tabs immediately, but monitoring from your computer gives you better visibility. You can also send the students messages to let them know you see that are either on or off task. For the life of me, I don't know why FCPS doesn't have something similar to this.