Student Privacy in Remote Learning

Our remote learning environment poses many challenges to overcome.  Figuring out how to maintain student privacy is one of them. Maintaining student privacy is not just a good idea, it is tied to federal law. Below are some resources that you can use to help maintain student privacy in your new classroom environment.

Zoom Room

Zoom just recently changed a default setting in its school accounts so that only the host can share their screen.  This can be changed by the host though, as needed. This is wide open since no account is needed to join a meeting.  Only the host needs an account.  You may consider adding a password to your Zoom session to make it more secure. Visit zoom.us to get started with an account.

courtesy of @mullalyteach

In respecting our students' privacy and maintaining our own from home, it is recommended to either have a plain wall as your background OR use a virtual background.

The virtual backgrounds can be fun to use.  There are a few standards available or add your own custom image.  

From a laptop: When your Zoom Room is open, find the Preferences in the upper LEFT corner. You can add other images or video as desired. If you want to get fancy, you can find royalty-free stock video clips at Videvo.net.
From an iPad: Tap on the 3 dots in the upper RIGHT corner of your screen. Tap on Virtual Background to change.

A few more notes:
- It is best practice to turn on the Waiting Room feature
- There will be a Password for your students.  Please reset it to something easy for them.  Perhaps make it your last name.  This does not need to be a huge barrier for them to get in.

Safe YouTube

Eliminate the distractions of the suggested videos that come with YouTube.  Consider using safeyoutube.net.  This will work inside of SeeSaw, Canvas, and Google Classroom,  and does jive with our district's web content filter.

Passwords

Passwords and class codes should not be posted on publicly accessible sites or documents.
If you want to share passwords, do it through ClassLink, SeeSaw, Google Classroom, or another resource that IS password protected.  Click here to download this infographic

SeeSaw

Please do NOT share SeeSaw Class Codes with your families at home.  Instead, you can send them their Home Learning Codes.  These are available to all of our teachers, whether using the free version or paid version. Be mindful of your class settings, particularly whether or not students can see each others' posts.

Flip Grid

Flipgrid is a safe and secure way to engage with students through video.  It can maybe be thought of as the grown-up version of SeeSaw.  It's target audience would probably be middle and high school students, but it can be fine for elementary students who have already had classroom experience with it.  Click here to download this infographic.

Please let me know if you have questions about these or any other student privacy resources.

iPad Stands and Reflectors

Pad Stand and Reflector Update:

After several design iterations, I think we have a good updated design for the iPad stands and reflectors that you were using for your classroom Osmo kits.

I actually have 2 different bases available, and will be looking for your feedback as to which one you would prefer for your students.

Please do not throw out your current reflectors and stands.  I will trade with you as I have time to get these to your rooms.

The new reflectors have much less material, but should be more durable.

If it wiggles too much on the iPad, set a pencil on the ‘hook’ on the back.

The field of view for the app should be much better as long as the reflector is slid to the center of the iPad.

The new style of stand is cut out of clear polycarbonate and is held in place by a pencil.

Our test group enthusiastically approved it.  I will also have a modified 3D print which can be fastened to your wood base.

The Osmo apps have been a popular station for both literacy and math rotations at the K-2 level.

I am excited to have them finally up and going again.  The ‘old’ stands did not work with these new student iPads.

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From 11/1/19:

Every K-2 classroom teacher should have a couple Osmo kits, which includes that manipulatives that work with the different Osmo Apps that may be found in Self Service on the iPads. The Osmo bases in the box only work if you take the iPad out of its protective case....

However, we now have custom-made bases and reflectors that will work with your student iPads, so now students may use any of the Osmo apps without removing them from their protective cases.  It also means that you can better customize your students' learning experience by using your teacher-created account.  Each student should be using their own iPad now rather than sharing them like we had done in the past.

	The plastic base was 3D printed and the wood base was cut on the cnc router table at the high school.
	The reflector was 3D printed. The mirror is an inexpensive craft mirror I found on Amazon.
ss	It should be very easy for any student to get started on their own.  I have noticed that the sticky on the back of the mirrors sometimes does not hold.  A drop of glue will do the trick there if it happens to yours. We had a successful test run with the summer school students, and it seemed to work well.  If you have any difficulties, I would really appreciate your feedback.

Best Practice: It would be best practice for students to use a teacher-created classroom account.  Many of you have already done this.  It is optional, but will be a much better learning experience for students. The Osmo apps are best suited as a part of a learning rotation.  I like the Osmo Numbers app the best, followed by Osmo Words, Osmo Newton, and Osmo Masterpiece.  My 6-year-old likes Osmo Monster the best, but it's better for free play than it is to meet meaningful learning objectives. Lesson plans and teacher guides are available on the Osmo website at this link. A new teacher classroom account may be created at this link. This also where you can log in to customize your students' learning experience.  They will log in with your Activation Code.

I would be happy to partner with you or your team if you would like some classroom support with the Osmo iPad Apps.

Your students may use the base for more than just the Osmo apps, whether in portrait or landscape mode.  Please let me know if you would like additional bases or reflectors.   There were at least 2 sets made for every K-2 classroom.