At the beginning of the pandemic, learning became entirely online to reduce the spread of the virus, and as regulations have changed, many schools have not returned to in-person teaching full time. Instead, hybrid learning has been a preferred option to protect teachers and students.

Hybrid learning on the increase

By February 2021, hybrid learning in K-12 schools increased to 24.8%, a 9.7% increase from January. As the data shows, many schools have adopted a hybrid teaching approach, but they have failed to consider how they are protecting their students inside and outside of the classroom.

School security systems are necessary to ensure the safety of the students, and there are tools to protect them in the virtual and physical classroom. While this is important to consider when adopting a hybrid learning approach, so is adjusting children to online learning.

Supporting students with learning technology, familiar or unfamiliar, is also essential to their education as they will struggle to learn if they cannot use the technology properly.

Is Your Online Classroom Secure?

With virtual learning, students and teachers are at a higher risk of cyberattacks. Attackers can steal data and perform ransomware attacks and phishing scams that could have detrimental effects. To prevent cyber attacks, you need to consider how you can place protections to keep your faculty and students safe.

• Password protect all of your meetings with a different password each time
• Run checks on your systems and ensure that there are no vulnerabilities
• Set up firewalls
• Run seminars on cybersecurity and how to stay safe for students and teachers
• Recommend cyber security systems to students for their laptops
• Adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act by securing all student data securely with backups
• Place cyber security systems on all laptops out on loan

Is Your Campus Secure?

In schools, physical security systems need to toe the line of feeling protected and feeling comfortable to maintain a positive learning environment that fosters studying. It is a difficult balance to strike, but with our recommendations, you will put advanced security systems in place that will be highly secure and streamline your processes.

Smart Locks

Every school must possess some form of a security system, and it has to adhere to strict rules to maintain compliance with regulations and protect students properly. School door locks are a crucial part of this which is why using cloud-based access control systems to control your locks is ideal.

School access control systems need to protect against truants, allow appropriate access, and adhere to building and fire codes. They need to be flexible to the situation and ultimately protect your students and teachers from all harm. Modern, cloud-based access systems are perfect to adapt to different security threats, day or night.

Video Surveillance Cameras

School security cameras are the top way to manage the safety of students and teachers as they provide your administrators with the technology to be aware of security threats to your school. With video security cameras, administrators can manage all areas of the school without a physical security presence needed.

These systems have features such as alerts and AI tools that can quicken response times and offer students a greater level of protection. As well, these features are ideal for identifying criminals if you select good cameras with high-quality resolution and motion detection. Overall, it better protects the school and those in it from all forms of harm.

Visitor Management Systems

It may not seem necessary, but visitor management systems are vital to protect students from the endless stream of visitors that enter the school daily. On a day-to-day basis, schools can see guest speakers, governors, parents, and contract workers come through the school and interact with the children.

By taking each visitor’s details and awarding them access to certain areas within the school, students are away from strangers and better protected overall. An efficient management system will control visitor access and reduce the administrative burden of managing guests during their visit.

What Remote Learning Technology Are You Using?

To offer a well-rounded and inclusive education, you need to ensure that you use technology that the students are familiar with and have access to at home.

Technologies such as Microsoft Office and Google Drive are well-known systems where all services are available on one platform. If documents, powerpoints, messaging, and meeting software are all located in one area, it’ll be easier for students to access them. As well, schools often use these same systems, so children are already familiar with them and can use them.

Suppose you consider integrating new technologies like Blackboard and Zoom. In that case, you should create clear instructions and run sessions with the children to ensure that they understand how to use the technology. Difficulty using the technology could impact attendance, discourage students, and affect their learning, so it is vital to familiarize everyone with the technology.