In this article we're going to discuss the safe classroom for K-12 online schools with Google Workspace for education.
Online education is booming now more than ever. And it cannot be any better for students and society as a whole. There are tons of opportunities in online learning. The main thing is that geographical and locational boundaries are taken away. But there is one pressing question. How can a K-12 online school create a safe classroom?
There are built-in tools the admin can access to make safe classrooms. Things like content blocking and filters. This will help kids stay away from malicious sites. However, that is not enough. You also need to bring the kids and parents into the conversation.
Educating about online danger and the proper use of tools is very important. Tools can be used for both good and bad. Parents and kids need to be taught the right use and proper online behavior as well.
How To Create A Safe Classroom For K-12 Online Schools
With the rise of technology and online classrooms, students have access to more information than ever before. Students can learn essential things right in front of their computers. Online education essentially takes away boundaries.
This opens up immense opportunities for everyone and students as well. Parents can monitor their kids, and the costs of education are also reduced in some cases. It is a win-win.
However, being online means that there are some inherent risks. Let's take an in-depth look at how online education can be much safer for K-12 online schools.
Work With Parents for safe online K-12 Schools
The first and most important step is to get the parents involved. At the end of the day, the kids will spend most of their time with the family and their parents. Isolating the parents from the scenario is going to get no one anywhere.
Show all the tools that kids will be using when they are attending online classrooms. You also need to discuss the potential misuse of these tools as well. And parents should also educate their kids on the right use of the internet and connected devices.
Educate Kids About the Digital World
Another very important piece of the puzzle is the kids themselves. Kids need to be educated about the digital world and what opportunities there are. But the dangers cannot be overlooked either.
There is a common saying that when something is on the internet it is there forever. Well, this is very true. Discussing digital footprints with kids is very important. Students need to think seriously about what they do and share online.
That means, they need to think about what kind of digital footprint they are leaving behind. And also, how to interact with others and how to make the proper use of the tools that are available to them.
Use Safe Doc
Safe Doc has tons of different safety options to ensure that learning happens in a safe and productive environment. K-12 IT admins might come across a different scenario when it comes to online schooling.
For example, you can control how your students interact with the classroom. So, you can prevent kids from posting inappropriate comments or cyberbullying.
Then there is also the issue of general internet safety issues. Like meeting dangerous strangers online or accessing harmful content and websites. Some steps like content filtering and blocking malicious apps and websites are necessary to ensure a safe learning environment.
A safe classroom is only as safe as the content the kids can consume. The goal is to allow helpful sites and content to be easily accessible.
Wrapping Up
K-12 education is necessary. And since it can now be done online, the opportunities truly are quite endless. But in search of ease and convenience, you cannot forget about the big picture. Kids' safety and a proper learning environment are absolutely necessary. Taking all the best practices into account seriously and using Google's security features that are built-in with Google Workspace for Education will give any K-12 online school a safe classroom environment.
