WOODBURY- Nonnewaug students are seeing the challenges of Region 14’s new Chromebook restrictions. These new chromebook guidelines provide students with only limited access to certain websites; this prevents students from being off task and provides them with less distractions.
“We want kids to be here for the right reasons,” said Nonnewaug Assistant Principal Declan Curtin, “ and not being unfocused on sites that distract them from the real learning that occurs.”
At some points, the internet could be inappropriate or provide misinformation to users.
“In school we have to protect the information that goes between the cloud and the student,” Curtin said. “When inappropriate things occur we want to make sure that it stops.”
Although students may agree, they sometimes find it difficult to do schoolwork, having all websites blocke
d. NHS junior Luke Lodice has seen this challenge first-hand.
“There have been a couple times where I wanted to do something on the Chromebook, that wasn’t even bad, but it was still blocked,” said Lodice.
Lodice also feels students should have a bit more access and privilege on the school provided laptops in order to complete school assignments.
“Most students should be trusted with at least some less restricted access, “Lodice said. ”It is on them to choose what they are going to do with their time.”
NHS’ Library Media Specialist Deborah Flaherty feels the importance of limited access allows teachers to control their classroom.
“I think that with the new securly system it gives teachers more say of what teachers have going on in their classrooms,” said Flaherty.
New to this school year is Securly. Securly is an app that enables teachers to monitor students’ screens in real time and manage open tabs on their Chromebooks to help maintain focus on learning activities.
Flaherty noted that features within Securly and the safety restrictions are all in an effort to help students.
“The reality is that you might be doing something completely innocent and how the internet works you might end up in things that you shouldn’t be,” Flaherty said.
