Minimize off-task behavior with these Chromebook admin policies
For many teachers, technology is the new textbook; the primary way their students interact with information.
Using technology as curriculum opens up lots of new opportunities, and quite a few new challenges.
Here’s the truth: while technology can open up awesome learning possibilities, it also introduces new forms of distraction and off-task behavior.
I asked more than 400 teachers to share their biggest challenge to using more technology in the classroom. Many of them cited classroom management as their biggest challenge.
Consider these statements:
“I have a hard time getting my students to see technology as a resource and not using it as a crutch or a “cheater” tool.”
“My biggest concern is the lack of responsibility by the students in using school supplied technology.”
“…it is very hard to teach using the Chromebook and at the same time, monitor what each student is actually doing on the Chromebook.”
If you use Chromebooks in your classroom, it is inevitable that a student is going to push the limits of what is acceptable.
Does your school have Chromebook administrator settings in place to address off-task and disruptive technology use?
If your school is going to encourage the intentional use of technology in the classroom, you need to modernize your approach to addressing the misuse of technology.
When I began teaching, the rules were pretty simple: if you broke the technology rules, you couldn’t use the technology.
Simple rules like this may not work in a technology-rich classroom.
A student who loses their computer privileges becomes a punishment for the teacher who now has to develop an entirely new lesson plan for that student!
Managing a classroom full of devices requires new management strategies. The old method of taking the tech out of the hands of the student should be the last option on the list.
Here’s the good news: our ability to manage classroom technology has also improved.
Today, we can manage technology access with much greater precision than ever before, making it possible to address off-task behavior with targeted management strategies.
Chromebook Administrator Settings for off-task behavior
Chrome administrator settings allow school districts to set up special restricted profiles for students who are not following classroom technology guidelines, while allowing them to continue using their Chromebook for learning.
Giving a student after school detention for watching music videos or playing games on their Chromebook during class is a punishment that doesn’t match the behavior.
Why not enforce “technology detention” when students make poor choices related to the use of technology.
The goal of these Chromebook administrator settings is to point students back to school or classroom expectations and encourage self-monitoring and discipline rather than top-down management.
Technology detention, or a Chromebook “penalty box”, is one strategy that school administrators can use to encourage the productive use of technology in the classroom.
Ready to modernize your technology classroom management policy? Let’s dive into the technical details for these Chromebook administrator settings to see what we can accomplish.
How to set up a restricted technology Chromebook profile
In order to set up a technology penalty box for your Chromebooks, there are a few requirements:
- G Suite for Education – the policies outlined here require that your school is using G Suite for education.
- Managed Chromebooks – many of the policies below will only work on managed Chromebooks. Some settings will apply on non-ChromeOS devices, but not all.
- Restricted Technology Organizational Unit – It is recommended that you set up a special organizational unit (OU) called “Penalty box” or “restricted tech” within your student organizations.
When a student violates your technology policy, their account will be moved into the restricted tech OU which will apply the restrictions to their account.
Organization Unit: a “folder” within the Google admin console used to organize and manage devices and users. For more information on creating and managing OUs, read this help article from Google.
You may want to create multiple restricted OUs with policies for different violations.
Create a custom solution that works for your district
There are a variety of settings that you can use Chromebook administrator policies to create your restricted profile. Not all of these options may be right for your district. Pick and choose the options that work for you.
Ultimately, you will need to work with your entire school community to determine the appropriate configuration for your district.
The more voices (teachers, administrators, parents, and students) who are involved in this process, the better. Bring your student counsel into the discussion and ask them what should happen when students violates the technology guidelines for your school.
The hope is that the punishment of going into “restricted mode” will serve as a deterrent for off-task behavior.
The following is a list of different restricts that you can apply to your restricted Chromebook profile to serve as a deterrent for off-task and disruptive technology use.
⏯️ Restricted Media Access
Access to inappropriate or distracting media is a big challenge faced by classroom teachers. A good web filter will block content posted to the web, but won’t block content that students are accessing from a USB stick, Google Drive, or a cell phone.
Streaming non-instructional music and videos was listed as one of the top off-task behaviors in Chromebook classrooms.
A simple change to ChromeOS admin settings will place heavy restrictions on viewing music and videos on a Chromebook.
One of the most powerful restrictions on this entire list is the ability to block the use of the headphone jack.
Note: This setting mutes a student device, regardless of whether the headphone jack is in use.
Admin Console Path: Device management > Chrome > User Settings > Hardware | |
---|---|
Setting | Restriction / Effect |
External Storage Devices | Disallow external storage devices – this will prevent students from loading media files from a USB drive or cell phone onto their Chromebook. |
Audio Output | Disable Audio Output – completely mutes the device. All audio playback is disabled (with or without the headphone jack) |
Restricted Webcam and Microphone Access
Another potential issue is the inappropriate use of the webcam and microphone. These input devices have awesome classroom applications, but can also be used to capture images and audio without permission.
Restricting the use of the webcam and microphone should only be done in specific situations where a student has demonstrated poor judgment.
Admin Console Path: Device management > Chrome > User Settings > Hardware | |
---|---|
Setting | Restriction / Effect |
Audio Input | Disable Audio Input – prevents the use of the microphone. |
Video Input | Disable Video Input – prevents the use of the webcam. |
🖼️ Block All Images
Sadly, there are some extreme situations where students demonstrate a blatant disregard of school policies. The option to block ALL images a very aggressive setting in the Chromebook admin console.
This setting will still allow the use of tools like Google Classroom, Drive, and Calendar, but all navigation icons and buttons will be removed. This setting should only be used in extreme situations as it does make navigation difficult.
Admin Console Path: Device management > Chrome > User Settings > Content | |
---|---|
Setting | Restriction / Effect |
Images | Block All Images – blocks all images on the web (very extreme, use carefully) |
🎮 Block Games and Social Media via Javascript
Teachers have listed playing games as the top off-task behavior they observe in their classroom.
A good web filter should block the majority of gaming sites, however, new sites pop up all the time and can sneak through even the best filter.
Access to social media is another potential classroom distraction. Again, a good web filter will allow your district to determine which social networks (if any) your students can access on their Chromebook.
💡 Looking for a web filter for your district? Listen to my conversation with the CEO of Securly, a free web filter for Chromebooks!
Students who are known to actively seek out gaming sites or social networks that are not blocked, or who have discovered ways to circumvent your web filter, may need additional restrictions placed on their account.
Most gaming sites and social networks require the use of Javascript. Blocking Javascript is an aggressive way to prevent students from accessing distracting websites.
Javascript is a commonly used protocol for media-rich websites. Blocking Javascript will likely cause problems for educational sites as well. Use this restriction carefully.
Admin Console Path: Device management > Chrome > User Settings > Content | |
---|---|
Setting | Restriction / Effect |
JavaScript | Do not allow sites to run JavaScript – this setting will prevent most gaming and social networking sites from loading. |
Allow These Sites to Run Javascript | Add additional services used in your district to this list!
mail.google.com drive.google.com classroom.google.com sites.google.com docs.google.com sheets.google.com forms.google.com drawing.google.com calendar.google.com maps.google.com earth.google.com jamboard.google.com |
Restrict Personalization Options
Students enjoy customizing their Chromebook with apps, extensions, and themes. Restricting the ability of students to add and remove content from their Chromebook is a good reminder that the use of classroom technology is a privilege that must be earned and maintained through wise choices and personal discipline.
Restrict Apps & Extensions
When app restrictions are enabled, any apps or extensions that are not approved will be removed from the student device the next time they sign in.
Admin Console Path: Device management > Chrome > User Settings > Apps and Extensions | |
---|---|
Setting | Restriction / Effect |
Force Install Apps and Extensions | Before removing apps from the student device, make sure that you force install any apps or extensions that are being used in the classroom:
Add the instructional tools used in your district to this list! |
Allow or Block All Apps and Extensions | Block all apps and extensions except the ones I allow – this setting will remove any content previously installed to a student account that is not on the approved list (above) |
Wallpaper Takeover
Students enjoy customizing their Chromebook by selecting a custom wallpaper. This privilege can be revoked if a student uses an inappropriate image or makes poor choices.
Wallpaper takeover ideas:
- Upload a simple image of your district logo (i.e. boring)
- Upload a colorful wallpaper to serve as an indication to teachers that this student has restricted technology access
Admin Console Path: Device management > Chrome > User Settings > General | |
---|---|
Setting | Restriction / Effect |
Wallpaper | Upload a jpg image at the correct resolution for your device.
Note: Students are unable to change the wallpaper as long as an image file remains present in the admin console. |
💡 Your Chromebooks are like tiny little billboards scattered across your school district! Check out these ideas for using Chromebook wallpaper for district communication!
Restrict Sharing and Communication
Collaboration is a key aspect of the Google Suite of tools, but sometimes collaboration crosses the line to become cheating or inappropriate communication.
The following settings will add additional restrictions for how students can communicate with other students or individuals outside of the district.
Note: your districts may have some of these settings already in place; increase these communication restrictions as appropriate.
Restrict Gmail Delivery
If students are unable to regulate their use of Gmail to communicate with classmates during school hours you can implement delivery restrictions so that they can only send messages to a select group of users.
Note: in order to set up this restriction you will want to create a Google Group of approved recipients.
Admin Console Path: Apps > G Suite > Settings for Gmail > Advanced > Compliance | |
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Setting | Restriction / Effect |
Restrict Delivery | Restrict email delivery to an approved list of recipients. |
Video and Text Chat
Google Hangouts is a great tool for real-time text and video communication, but it can also be a distraction in the classroom. Students who demonstrate an inability to make wise choices with these tools can have their access revoked.
Note: Disabling Google hangouts will also disable the chat found inside of Google Docs.
Admin Console Path: Apps > G Suite > | |
---|---|
Setting | Restriction / Effect |
Google Hangouts | Turn OFF – this will disable the ability to use classic Hangouts chat and video calls using Hangouts Meet. Will also disable chat inside of Google Docs. |
Hangouts Chat | Turn OFF – This is the new version of Hangouts instant messaging that will eventually replace classic hangouts. |
Where do we go from here?
The Chromebook administrator settings outlined above should be used as a temporary reminder to students that the use of school technology comes with responsibilities and expectations.
When applied appropriately, these policies provide sufficient discomfort to remind students of these responsibilities while allowing them to continue using technology to complete their daily assignments.
I don’t like restricting student access to technology, however restricted access is better than no access at all.
How does your school handle technology detention?
I would love to hear how your school handles off-task situations. Do you have Chromebook admin settings like the ones outlined above?
Something different?
Something better?
Leave me a comment and let me know what is working for your district!
John Sedwick says
These are all great ideas for a “penalty box” OU. What suggestions do you have for ways to streamline getting the students in these custom OU’s? For example, our users are placed in OU’s by Active Directory, so any change that is make will either switch back at the next sync or has to be done in AD (which is more of a hassle?.
admin says
Hey John!
Yes, if you are using AD sync, it is more challenging. You would need to make the switch in AD.
A lot of the schools I consult with are moving away from syncing AD and Google. If they are a Chromebook district, students have very little interaction with Microsoft systems, so adding them to AD isn’t that useful.
Maybe something to consider?
Noah Hernando says
We have tried to do this with our student OU’s in Google admin, but the problem that we run into is that wen we block all other apps and extensions, it blocks the core G Suite applications like Docs, Sheets, Drive, etc. Is there a way to block unapproved apps without blocking the core G Suite applications?
As an added note, we have the Android Applications blocked in Admin because there are a number of applications there that are unsafe and we do not want to give our students access to the Play store.
admin says
Are you blocking apps and extensions through the admin console or by using your web filter? Blocking access to apps and extensions through the admin console won’t block the core G Suite service…each app has their own independent setting. Follow the steps in this article and it should work as expected.
For education domains, all Android apps must be explicitly provisioned to users. Enabling the Google Play store does NOT give students access to any content. You must choose the apps you want them to have access to.
Cayden Nichols says
Hey im a student but im really responsible is there any way to take it off
John R. Sowash says
No
Anonymous Person says
Is there any reason why I keep getting more restrictions for some reason. I’m not even able to access youtube for my assignments without getting blocked when I used to be able to like a week ago. Weird thing is that other classmates don’t have this problem.
John R. Sowash says
Google made a change to how it handles accounts for students under the age of 18. Your school IT admin needs to review the policies and adjust them based on your school requirements.
Isaiah says
Can an admin turn on the camera and watch/record without us knowing about it?
John R. Sowash says
No
James B says
Yes, but it requires more work than most school admins want to put it. It’s not a power Google provides.
John R. Sowash says
This is a custom setting based on your school’s policies and preferences.
Mrs. Darnell says
I have a student who is not allowed to use technology for mental health reasons. Is there a way in the Admin Console to block internet access to everything except for websites approved for classroom use, such as Google Apps (docs, slides, etc.), Kahoot, Quizlet, etc?
John R. Sowash says
Kind of…if you disable Javascript, very few websites will work. Just add exceptions for Drive, Forms, Classroom, etc.
I would also check to see if your web filter can handle this task. Filters are typically better equipped to block specific sites.
Joan says
Our students have certain blocks. Is there anyway to block the guest site on the same computer?
Boz says
Hey John, SO how would i go about getting students to stop using other students CBooks?? It’s horrible, and was wondering if there is a way to get a student to login to there CBook but nobody else CBook?? I know that’s probably a stretch but worth asking. I don’t know everything about Google Admin or the settings so trying to learn along the way. Thanks in advance!!
John R. Sowash says
This is possible, but you would need to put every device in its own OU.
Can you tell me why this is causing issues? Chromebooks are specifically designed to be a multi-user device. Actions taken by a student are tied to their login, not the device, so it should be pretty easy to hold students accountable for their behavior, even if they are using someone else’s Chromebook.
Bob Thompson says
Hi John,
I have had a request to disable some of my devices (Chromebooks) after a specific time in the evening. Some kids are staying up late and we have been asked for assistance.
Is there a way to lock/power down the Chromebook after (for example) 10 PM and then have it unlock at 7 AM?
I have been going through the Devices>Chrome>Settings but nothing is jumping out. (FWIW, we only allow domain registered accounts to use the devices, no guest access)
Thank you for your time.
John R. Sowash says
Hi Bob,
No, there isn’t any setting in the admin console that will prevent device use after a certain period of time.
There is a setting called “off hours” which will temporarily suspend your admin policies, but it won’t shut down the device.
Most services that have time parameters are managed at the WiFi level (my kids Kindle tablets disconnect from the Wifi at 10pm). I think you would need a service like GoGuardian to accomplish this goal.
Bob Thompson says
Thanks John,
I appreciate the answer.
Bob
K says
What if the school gave my family a Computer to keep. No returns? It’s been 3 years and I want to use the computer for my self and school but I can’t download certain software cause if admin. Will the school remove the restrictions for that I will have control over the computer now?, if I asked them too?
John R. Sowash says
It’s always worth a try! There is no way to remove district restrictions on your own.
Elijah says
I just got put in the penalty box