2020 was certainly a challenging year on so many levels for K12 school districts. But as the saying goes, ‘necessity is the mother of invention’. For K12 schools, a sudden shift last year from in-person to at-home teaching created a need to provide remote access to instructional resources. While the transition was difficult for some schools at first, many districts were quick to adapt to the new learning environment.
Now some school districts, such as New York City public schools, have decided to nix snow days all together, opting for remote learning instead. Gone are the days where school buildings in NYC will be closed due to bad weather. Starting the 2021/22 school year, “The DOE will shift all students to remote instruction in lieu of cancelling schools due to severe weather conditions,” the DOE wrote in a statement provided to CNN.
With so many districts now fully supporting at-home instruction, schools are more prepared to switch to remote instruction at a moments notice. Due to damage and power outages at several schools in Fort Smith, Texas, for example, teachers and students at Fort Smith Public Schools used their remote learning plan for the day.
Although switching back and forth based on the needs for that day are made easier by remote learning technologies, securing school owned devices while at home and protecting students while online is more important than ever. Web filtering solutions that can decrypt SSL traffic and accurately report on all student’s surfing activities are crucial; basic DNS filters are no longer enough.
Hybrid-cloud based solutions such as the Linewize Web Filter provide school districts with a web filtering system and classroom management tool equipped with selective SSL decryption, red flag safety alerts, teacher/student screen sharing, and cyber safety education for the community.
Other hybrid-cloud web filters like the ContentKeeper Web Filter not only provide selective SSL decryption, but application controls that allow schools to identify & block suspicious apps such as BitTorrent, Psiphon or Ultrsurf that students us to circumvent school web filters & anonymously access the Dark Web.
Whether students will be learning at home, in school, or a combination of both, technology stands at the ready, and security solutions are finally available to provide the digital safety net needed to help districts keep their students safe while online at home.
FilteredNet has been selling webfilters and I.T. security solutions to K12 schools since 1995.
We work with I.T. security vendors covering a range of internet security services, including webfilter solutions such as Linewize by FamilyZone and ContentKeeper.
To learn more about our services, or schedule a demo contact us today.