I've found that schools either embraced innovative practices, or they are so locked down that they couldn't bring any personalization to the classroom. Rarely have I seen schools balance the need to be both innovative and safe. To be honest, I'm guilty of pushing innovative resources without considering all the security risks and best practices.
I've recently joined a global conference where one of the speakers shared a powerful message. One of his points took me by surprise, especially considering the edtech audience and topics.
"If we continue to expect more digital skills by our students, then we are equally expected to keep them safe."
His point was directly targeting what I have failed to do in many ways. I've made recommendations to try out the latest tools by sending their students to sign up, giving startup companies access to their data. Many times, they were asking for more information than necessary to access the resources, and other times there was no clarity on what those companies were doing with the student data. In many cases, these new startup companies are overseas and may have different accountability on how they handle student data.
Reevaluating my own methods made me seek out ways to protect our students and teachers when pursuing innovative resources for the classroom. One bridge for innovation and security that has great promise is the use of a single sign-on (SSO). An SSO company that has lately taken great steps towards security is Clever. They've recently partnered with Identity Automation to bring convenience, safety, and automation to the classroom.
I'm encouraged to see that Clever has partnered with some of the great immersive technology companies that you'll regularly find on my blog. The top three companies that I'm excited to share are Merge EDU, CoSpaces, and Nearpod!
What does this mean?
1. By using the SSO for your students, you are no longer sending students to find specific websites (or accidentally finding the wrong website).
2. The student data is protected to keep their information safe while only sending the required information to the company.
3. Your students don't need to remember all the login details to potentially place their login credentials at risk and avoid getting locked out.
4. Students are gaining appropriate access to the resources from immediate enrollment to exit so they only have access at the right time.
I believe immersive technology should be accessible and safe for all students. Breaking the barrier to quickly move into innovation is the goal and I hope more companies will consider offering an SSO option to benefit our students and teachers. I look forward to a more streamlined immersive experience!
Interested in more information? Learn more about the Clever/Identity Automation partnership here.
Continue to follow the #31DaysofARVRinEDU this month as we explore immersive resources.
Thanks to ISTE, we are giving away 10 signed copies of The Immersive Classroom. Post how these tools can be used in the classroom on social media using #31DaysofARVRinEDU and WIN! Two weekly winners will be selected.
