Today’s K–12 IT leaders are responsible for far more than just managing devices. From network security and data privacy, to software rollouts and tech support, they juggle a wide range of priorities – often with limited time and staff. At the same time, they’re essential partners who support digital learning, needing to ensure that instructional technology enhances teaching in the classroom rather than hinders it.
If you’re trying to strike a balance between these same demands, you know that scalable, intuitive classroom management software is no longer a nice-to-have: it’s a necessity.
Securly Classroom provides tools that make the school day easier for both IT teams and teachers. And there are five new features that provide even more visibility, flexibility, and control.
1. Observation Groups
The Observation Groups feature in Securly Classroom gives designated staff—special education teachers being a common use case—the ability to view individual students’ screens while those students are active in other class sessions.
The observing staff member can monitor student screens in real time, without interference or overlap with the teacher. This visibility is observational only, ensuring the primary classroom teacher retains control over device management, communication, and instructional tools.
With Observation Groups, designated staff can:
- Gain insight into how students engage with digital learning throughout the day
- Identify off-task behavior early so they can provide timely redirection or support
- Tailor support strategies and interventions – a valuable input for IEP teams and student support planning
2. Digital Hall Pass Integration
Keeping students on task while in the classroom is only one part of the puzzle. Hall pass misuse is another way that instructional time is wasted. With the integration of Securly Pass, teachers can now manage hall passes from within Securly Classroom. This integration allows teachers to minimize instructional distractions by:
- Managing hall passes right in their Classroom dashboard
- Approving or denying hall pass requests in a single click
- Easily knowing which students have passes that are active or soon to expire
3. Full (Page-level) URL Blocking
The organization-wide block list and “block only” blocking plans in Securly Classroom let you restrict access to specific web pages without blocking entire websites. For example, you can block access to YouTube Shorts specifically (https://youtube.com/shorts) without blocking access to all of YouTube. Or you can block access to a specific Google Site, without blocking access to Google entirely. This advanced filtering functionality provides teachers (and admins) with a ton of flexibility and control over what resources they want students to be able to use during class.
4. See All Open Tabs on a Student’s Device
Even with classroom management software, it can be tricky making sure every student is on task. Securly Classroom makes it easier. Below the thumbnail of each student’s screen, you can see icons for every site open on their device. Just click on an inappropriate site to close it or block it for everyone in the class.
5. Enhanced macOS Support
Many classroom management tools fall short when it comes to Mac devices, but not Securly Classroom. With enhanced macOS support (currently in beta), IT teams can extend robust monitoring and control to Mac devices. This feature is especially valuable for schools in mixed-device environments, helping deliver a unified classroom management experience across platforms. It provides:
- Full desktop viewing so teachers can see everything on a student’s screen, not just Chrome or Safari
- Application and website blocking so teachers can prevent access to specific programs or URLs during class
- Cross-platform consistency so you get the same visibility and control whether students use Chromebooks, Windows devices, or Macs
Be Better Equipped to Support Digital Learning with Securly Classroom
Whether you’re supporting one school or several, Securly Classroom gives you the flexibility and control you need to support digital learning safely and effectively. At the same time, it empowers teachers with device visibility and easy-to-use tools to defeat digital distractions so they can focus on what matters most: teaching.
To learn more about Securly Classroom, check out these helpful resources: