Grand Blanc
Community Schools
Internet Filtering & Safeguards
All Chromebook devices will be setup to filter inappropriate content. Filters, while extremely accurate, will never filter 100% of inappropriate content. Inappropriate content including games, images, etc. are added just about every second of the day and a filter can only update so fast. Please supervise your student and set up expectations with them prior to the device being used. This is a great time to sit down and talk with your child about Internet safety and good digital citizenship.
Student Monitoring is done primarily through two products: Go Guardian and Bark for Schools. Through Go Guardian teachers can view student device screens at school, review Chromebook history, and create unique classroom environments on the device for instruction and testing purposes. For more information on these products, please visit goguardian.com and bark.us. The district does not have access to the Chromebook cameras.
GoGuardian
How are we using Go Guardian? GBCS has chosen GoGuardian Admin and Teacher services to:
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Help protect students against harmful and inappropriate online material
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Help students stay “scholarly” and more focused when learning online
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Help assess students’ progress towards class assignments
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Facilitating communication between teachers and students during class time
About Go Guardian
- When and how does Go Guardian operate?
- What are the school’s responsibilities?
- What are my parental/guardian and child’s responsibilities?
- How does Go Guardian help protect my child’s privacy?
When and how does Go Guardian operate?
Go Guardian’s web-based services operate on our school’s managed G Suite for Education Chrome accounts (i.e. when a student is logged into Chrome or a Chromebook with his/her school email address).
Go Guardian Admin
GBCS helps protect your student during the school day and beyond by:
- monitoring/blocking key flagged terms
- monitoring/blocking harmful searches
- blocking inappropriate videos, images, sites, and more
In the event that a student accesses material that is deemed harmful or inappropriate, school counselors and/or administrators can be notified and will work with the student/parent to review/resolve the issue when necessary.
Starting in late October 2021, students will start to see a message on their school devices informing them that GoGuardian is active and monitoring (example).
Go Guardian Teacher
GBCS enables teachers to utilize GoGuardian Teacher during school hours with on-campus students to:
- monitor student chromebook activity
- block sites not appropriate to the class
- limit the number of pages/tabs students have open during class
- automatically deploy certain pages when class starts
In the event that a student appears to be off-task or needs help, Go Guardian also allows teachers to discreetly send a message to the student's chromebook.
What are the school’s responsibilities?
GBCS selected Go Guardian to help our students stay safer online. We are committed to helping students be responsible digital citizens and Go Guardian is one of several tools we use to help accomplish this.
GBCS teachers, administrators, and counselors have been trained in the use of Go Guardian products and the importance of parent/building communication to help ensure a safe digital environment for our students.
What are my parental/guardian and child’s responsibilities?
We ask that students use their school-managed Google accounts and school-managed devices for educational purposes within the guidelines set forth in the district Acceptable Use Policy.
When a student is off-campus, parents/guardians are responsible for supervising internet access and usage. We encourage you to discuss rules for appropriate internet usage with your student and to reinforce lessons of digital citizenship and safety with him or her. We also highly encourage you to report any potential cyberbullying or other sensitive issues to your student's building.
How does Go Guardian help protect my child’s privacy?
To help your child remain scholarly and safe online, Go Guardian collects certain personally identifiable information about your child. Go Guardian has consulted with privacy experts, participates in privacy organizations, is a proud signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge, and has been awarded certifications by iKeepSafe for complying with both the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act and California student privacy laws.
For more detailed information about Go Guardian, you may visit Go Guardian’s website, Trust & Privacy Center, Go Guardian’s Product Privacy Policy, and the COPPA Notice and Disclosure Form.
Bark for Schools
How are we using Bark for Schools? GBCS has chosen Bark for Schools Monitoring and Filtering services to:
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Help protect students against harmful and inappropriate online material
-
Help students stay “scholarly” and more focused when learning online
About Bark for Schools
- When and how does Bark for Schools operate?
- What are the school’s responsibilities?
- What are my parental/guardian and child’s responsibilities?
- How does Bark for Schools help protect my child’s privacy?
When and how does Bark for Schools operate?
Bark’s web-based services operate on our school’s managed G Suite for Education Chrome accounts (i.e. when a student is logged into Chrome or a Chromebook with his/her school email address).
GBCS uses Bark for Schools to help protect your student during the school day and beyond by:
- monitoring Google products (mail, docs, etc...) for signs of potentially harmful issues (cyberbullying, threats, etc.)
- blocking inappropriate videos, images, sites, and more
In the event that a student accesses material that is deemed harmful or inappropriate, school counselors and/or administrators can be notified and will work with the student/parent to review/resolve the issue when necessary.
Bark for Schools also allows parents to play an active role in monitoring online activity through a secure Parent Portal. Additional details on the Bark Parent Portal will be sent to all GBCS parents in the coming weeks.
What are the school’s responsibilities?
GBCS began using Bark in the summer of 2020 to add an additional layer of support in our quest to help our students stay safer online. We are committed to helping students be responsible digital citizens and Bark is one of several tools we use to help accomplish this.
GBCS administrators and counselors have been trained in the use of monitoring products such as Bark and the importance of parent/building communication to help ensure a safe digital environment for our students.
What are my parental/guardian and child’s responsibilities?
We ask that students use their school-managed Google accounts and school-managed devices for educational purposes within the guidelines set forth in the district Acceptable Use Policy.
When a student is off-campus, parents/guardians are responsible for supervising internet access and usage. We encourage you to discuss rules for appropriate internet usage with your student and to reinforce lessons of digital citizenship and safety with him or her. We also highly encourage you to report any potential cyberbullying or other sensitive issues to your student's building.
Parents are also encouraged to sign up for the Bark for Schools Parent Portal to help monitor their student's online activity outside of school hours. Bark sends invitations to parents/guardians who are not signed up for the parent portal on a weekly basis. Once a parent accepts Bark's invitation and sets up an account, they are able to log into Bark's Parent Portal to review alerts shared by buildings and more. For more information on the Bark Parent Portal invitation process and what to expect, please visit Bark parent portal invites.
How does Bark for Schools help protect my child’s privacy?
To help your child remain scholarly and safe online, Bark for Schools collects certain personally identifiable information about your child. Bark participates in privacy organizations and is a proud signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge. They comply with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), CIPPA, and COPPA.
For more detailed information about Bark, you may visit Bark’s website, Privacy & Security information, and Bark for Schools Safety Compliance Information.