A software named Hapara Highlights has recently been installed to students’ Chromebooks allowing teachers to monitor student activity in real time. The purpose of this software is to keep students safe online and focused on classroom assignments.
ASL teacher Logan Kramer said that students often get distracted by gaming media diverting their attention from their assignments, but Hapara Highlights will motivate students to stay on task helping them to finish their work and limiting the homework load.
“It’s gonna really help students who tend to get off track and have a hard time keeping themselves away from YouTube and games. They will hopefully have less homework and their grades are better because of [the software],” Kramer said.
Since many students get distracted on the computer, this program lets teachers put notes on their screen, take screenshots, freeze tabs, and close tabs on students’ Chromebooks.
Sophomore Molly Jones said her Spanish teacher, Cady Villmer, had tested out one of the new features to demonstrate the control.
“We were all working and she froze all of our tabs except for the one that we were on. It was strange to watch,” Jones said.
Language Arts teacher Cindy Golden said that she has sent her students notes reminding them to get back on task and she has also used the freeze feature to grab her students attention.
“I have done [the] announcement that pops on [a student’s screen reminding them to get back to work].I have [also] done [the freeze feature that can] lock them out of everything for a minute, when I want their attention,” Golden said.
However, many students believe that this application is an invasion of their privacy. Sophomore Quincey Rainey said that he understands why schools implemented Hapara Highlights but he feels that it allows teachers too much access.
“I think it’s good for school because there are kids who always play on their Chromebooks, but I [think] it’s kinda weird. If I have something private I am trying to look at, [teachers] can see it,” Rainey said.
Despite many students agreeing with this statement, student Chromebooks are not owned by the students. The district owns the Chromebooks, giving them the right to apply this new software. Math teacher Jamie Roberston said she disagrees with the student notion that Hapara Highlights is an invasion of privacy.
“The Chromebook is property of the Rockwood School District’s. We do not have access to see what [students] are doing once [they] leave the school,” Robertson said.
Likewise, Golden differs from the idea that Hapara Highlights intrudes on student privacy.
“I don’t think it’s an invasion of privacy necessarily. I’m not snooping around by any means, I’m just checking that you are focused on what you’re working on. For instance, if we are working on an essay in class I know that they are not on Wordle or Connections,” Golden said.
