Starting this school year, the program Go Guardian was installed on every student’s Chromebook. The use of the program has stirred feelings of both reassurance and uneasiness among students and staff.

Go Guardian allows teachers to view a student’s Chromebook screen, history, and monitor what tabs students access. “I feel it keeps students on task and students pay a lot more attention. Before students would always play games on their computer,” eighth-grader, Aleena Monge, said. Monge describes how before teachers used Go Guardian many students would go to websites such as Netflix during instructional time.

The Chromebooks used by students are provided for free through the school, however, some students still feel like Go Guardian is an invasion of privacy. “I feel weirded out that teachers can see my screen, and I think it breaks that line of confidentiality,” sophomore, Leia Gomes, said. Gomez acknowledges that the Chromebooks belong to the school, yet still feels that teachers have access to too much information through Go Guardian.

Teachers have access to student’s search history and can even block certain websites or close tabs. “I feel it is useful for tests or when students are doing assignments online,” Ms. Perfecto, a science teacher, said. Perfecto said Go Guardian is helpful when students take tests online and want to ensure students are on task.

Although she believes Go Guardian is beneficial to student’s learning, science teacher, Ms. Navarro describes how this program is not the only way to ensure students are on task. “I strongly believe that the best way to make sure students are on task is by building relationships and making sure the curriculum is relevant to them and they understand what they are doing,” Navarro said. Go Guardian provides teachers with a summary of the student’s online activity, but Navarro states, that in the end, having good communication with students helps them succeed.

With students’ online history available at the touch of a button, feelings of apprehension and concession are felt among students and staff towards Go Guardian.