Classroom Management in Alberta - Hard Sell

[julyan1]

Hello all,

We are currently trialing Impero in our school division, here in Alberta.

The two of us who have been working with it, love it. It's like having another tech working with us.

Schools love it as well.

The hard sell is to my director and to senior admin who are saying this sort of software goes against where education technology is supposedly going.

 

"Teachers should be instilling responsibility into their students about proper web and technology use. The need for a software platform which allows you spy on students is obsolete and unnecessary."

 

I see Impero as an extra set of hands which also allows us (tech dept) to do more with less.

Classroom Management software is not something I have seen in any other Alberta school division but it seems to be utilized quite a lot in Britain and Europe.

My questions are…

Why are you using it?

Are there any studies from Britain supporting it use?

What are some clever ways of using it that has made your jobs even better/easier?

Thanks!

[julyan1]

No one has anything to help me out?

[russdev]

No one has anything to help me out?

 

Hello

 

Sorry I missed this post first in case not obvious I work for Impero (most people know but as you are new thought better be up front).

 

The problem with any type of software like Impero is perception you for yourself have seen the useful side in terms of network management. However at moment as you said they are seeing it as software to control the students vrs software to enable the school.

 

1) First things first take advantage of the free remote training on offer if haven't and get our training guys to show you how a teacher can use Impero.

 

2) Next think about issues the school are facing got talk to teachers start to map the features with in Impero and where they can solve your teachers issues.

 

3) Find the teacher champions look at what teachers can help you spend sometime with the software with them and training them, discuss how they can use them.

 

A few things you need to start to focus on. Look at e-safety angle and education side for example software can be set block very bad sites but others where you want to a more pro-active education stance can be set to alert but allow students to access the website.

 

Look at screen and action menu and how those tools can be used by teachers for example the send, collect file, exam module. Lock screen is a great example I used all time in fact when I was working in schools we used screen locking feature all the time. An example giving students a timed period to do the work and locking screen at end of time. It helped students understand time management an important skill when comes to exams.

 

Also bring it back to e-safety laws within Canada the fact they even if nothing was blocked everything is logged so there is a record of what has happened. The all round logging of Impero is probably another aspect to focus on. As while you can log the internet not all things happen on internet.

 

An example we had a call from a network manager a teacher had seen student viewing something porn on internet as entered the room but had closed it down. They had checked the logs nothing they knew date, time, machine and user nothing in the web logs. They phoned us and we looked at the logs for the whole system not just the internet and low and behold the windows caption and application logging showed they had access pictures on there network share. Not very obvious names for example science_1.jpg and english.gif. Once the network manager looked at the said pictures find hard core porn on.

 

However points number 2 and 3 are very important and if get the teachers on board once you have done that 90% of your work is done as then can prove the software helps you, teachers, students education, leadership and the school.

 

Hope that helps. I am sure others will come along with specific things from there own usage.

 

Russell

Edited January 22, 2013 by russdev

[julyan1]

Thanks Russell!

All excellent points.

Have there been any studies on the use of this sort of software?

[russdev]

Honestly not sure I will have a look around and see what there is...

 

Russ

[RTFM]

I believe the reason we didn't buy Impero is because Senior Management thought £13,000 was a lot to spend on 'classroom management' (which is what we mainly intended using Impero for) when 'upskilling' or training / helping staff to deal with their class appropriately would be more useful.