This year we were a little older and wiser and made sure we installed things properly on the student image. We installed a remote administrator and the proper settings are hidden so that even if the students deselect Remote Management their computers can still be accessed.

As you have done we have tried to prepare students for this by telling them what ARD is and how it will be used. Teachers have conversations with students, as it was being rolled out, about the importance of being on task, how easily they can be distracted with applications, etc. It will only be used by teachers to monitor students in their current class as not to invade their sense of privacy. However, admin reserve the right to do random searches. The expectation are that students while on campus will be running the Mac OS (some of our students have installed windows too), they are not to mess with the settings to avoid detection or it becomes a discipline issue.

When training the teachers how to use ARD we tried to emphasis educational and more positive uses of ARD. One example I suggested was to project all student desktops on the screen while doing individual work so the teacher can roam around the room helping students and quickly see what students are doing with a quick glance up at the screen. Now this might sound like a form of policing, and I will agree it is, but you can turn it around to be a teaching moment by saying students can see what each other is doing and possibly get ideas. Or a teacher may notice that one student is doing something particularly interesting or well and draw attention to it with the class, enlarge that students desktop on the screen and ask the student to explain or demonstrate what they are doing. Here you are praising good behavior, students are sharing, and a student becomes the teacher. This is just one way for teachers to use ARD in a positive way instead of a negative policing way. Our teachers are coming up with more and more creative ways to use ARD positively each week.

Things have gone much smoother this year and we are seeing a much better reaction to ARD by both teachers and students. We have had little issues here and there but overall it has been a much smoother and positive experience.

I am looking forward to hearing ways you and your teachers use ARD. I know you are doing good things in Shanghai.

Bruce