Google Chat is a communication software developed by Google built for teams that provides direct messages and team chat rooms, similar to competitors Slack and Microsoft Teams, along with a group messaging function that allows Google Drive content sharing.​ 

What is Securly Classroom Software?

​Securly ​Classroom​ software​ is a cloud-based classroom management tool for Chromebooks, giving teachers ​the ability to guide, monitor​,​ and communicate with students during class. ​This helps remove distractions and keep kids focused on learning.​

Teachers​ can guide the class by​ ​instantly push​ing​ web pages to individual students or the entire class. ​This g​ets students on-task quickly, especially when using long URLs.​ T​hey​ can ​also ​save links to their commonly accessed sites into a “collection” which they can launch on all devices in class with just one click.​ To get the attention of the class, ​they ​use Screen Lock to provide a custom message​s.

Teachers can keep kids focused and on-task by removing distractions from student devices.​ Similar to Push URL, Site Lock can be used to open specific web pages on student devices, while blocking all others. Site Lock can be used for all students, specific groups, or individuals. When a teacher is reviewing a list of all open tabs on a student’s devices, Tab Control allows them to select and close any site on that device. ​Plus, t​eachers can block specific websites within their classroom, even those allowed by the district’s content filter.

Teachers can monitor all current activity across all devices at a glance to easily spot an off-task student. Securly is looking at the student's TSD issued account, not the device. It does not see any locally stored documents. It also does not see any information about what the student was doing on their computer with a personal account like an @gmail.com or @yahoo.com or other personal account. It  provides a thumbnail view of all screens in class to see that everyone is on task. Teachers can zoom in on any screen, including all available open tabs​ ​and then close any websites not related to the coursework in a single click. ​It also gives ​them access to all student browsing histories that occur during class. Teachers can check history for any of their own students at any time, while administrators have access to the history for all students.​ This is used to monitor appropriate online behavior according to the Student Technology Use Policy and Agreement.​

Teachers can send class-wide announcements or start one-on-one conversations with individual students. All teacher-student messages are logged in a chat history, and can be reviewed by the teacher or admins at any time.​ Students are able to get the teacher’s attention or ask for help using this special alert that appears as a glowing hand on the teacher’s device. Teachers can send announcements to the entire class (“You have 10 minutes to finish your test”) or to individual students (“Please see me after class”). Students must acknowledge the message by clicking on it before they can continue working.

​As you can imagine, managing a classroom of students on technology while teaching is challenging during normal times, much less during remote learning. ​This software gives teachers the tools needed to teach, organize, and manage the class in real time.