Classroom Management

AristotleInsight::K12 Security Updates Improve Chromebook Classroom Management

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 09/08/16

A security technology company has just updated its flagship product for schools. Sergeant Laboratories announced a new release of AristotleInsight::K12, which provides technology for managing students as they work on their computing devices.

The latest version provides functionality for locating missing devices, measuring usage, monitoring printers and filtering online activity, with an emphasis on addressing the needs of Chromebook classrooms.

The new release includes an agent for simpler Chromebook monitoring. Teachers can filter, monitor and geo-locate Chromebook devices. That includes being able to view a list of blocked websites and tell when a student has bypassed a filter to view a restricted site. The geo-location feature allows the teacher or IT person to check the first time a Chromebook was active, the last time it was active before the loss, which student last logged onto the device and what an active user is doing on the device.

Web filtering functionality in the software is intended to help schools comply with CIPA, the Children's Internet Protection Act. Along with ensuring acceptable use compliance on sites visited, the feature also allows educators to monitor students' online activities in other ways. For example, the teacher can receive real-time notifications when inappropriate communication signaling bullying has taken place among students.

"With the help of feedback from educators, we have added functionality that includes monitoring of Chromebooks and CIPA-compliant web filtering," said company CEO Eric Anderholm, in a press release. "This will make the task of keeping students focused much easier for teachers, while still allowing them to integrate technology into their classrooms."

Among the 1,800 schools that have tried Aristotle Insight K12 are the School District of Altoona and Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District, both in the company's home state of Wisconsin.