Enabling Classwize Features

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This article is intended for IT Administrators.

Classwize has a number of powerful features designed to make it easier for teachers to manage their classes. Configuration Administrators and Global Administrators can configure these features in School Manager's CONFIGURATION > CLASSWIZE interface to make them available to teachers in Classwize.   

Syncing with Google Classrooms

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Selecting the Allow teacher to sync Google Classrooms checkbox adds the SYNC button to the My Classes page in Classwize and lets teachers sync their Classwize classes with their Google Classrooms.  Enabling this feature does not affect global syncs that are scheduled on School Manager.

To enable manual syncing with Google Classrooms:

  1. In School Manager, navigate to CONFIGURATION >  CLASSWIZE

  2. On the Teacher Requirements section, select the Allow teacher to sync Google Classrooms check box

  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select SAVE

Allow Creation - Let Teachers Create Classes

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Enabling Allow Creation adds the +ADD CLASS button to the Classwize Toolbar. This feature allows teachers to create Local classes (classes that only exist in Classwize). 

Local classes are created and directly managed by the Teacher. Local classes will not sync with Wonde, Google Classroom, Azure, or your school's system.

To enable Allow Creation:

  1. In School Manager, navigate to CONFIGURATION >  CLASSWIZE.

  2. Under the Classrooms section, select the Allow Creation check box.

  3. Under the Features section, select Modify Students in Class.

  4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select SAVE.

Enable Modify Students in Class

You must also enable the Modify Students in Class for this feature to work correctly.  Students in Restricted Groups cannot be added by teachers to any local classes even when the Modify Students in Class feature is enabled.

Allowed Time Periods

Allowed Time Periods are used to set the time periods for running local classes. This can prevent teachers from creating local classes that run outside of school hours. Time Periods are also required to configure access to the Student Journey Report in Classwize.

To add an an Allowed Time Period:

  1. Create a time period object in CONFIGURATION > OBJECTS > TIME PERIODS.
  2. Navigate to CONFIGURATION > CLASSWIZE.
  3. Select the desired Time Periods from the Allowed Time Periods dropdown list.
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select SAVE.

Reporting

Reporting lets selected teachers create Student Journey Reports and Screenshot History Reports in Classwize. When Reporting is configured for Classwize in School Manager, the Reports menu appears for them. It takes a few steps to enable Reporting. You can find out more in our guide to  setting up teachers' access to Classwize Student Journey Report

Features (Class Tools)

Use the Features option to enable or disable which Class Tools teachers can access in Classwize to manage their classes. When you enable a feature, it appears on the Classwize Class toolbar.

Option

Function

Availability (Student Device)

Considerations

Bypass Code

Allows the teacher to generate a code to allow the user to bypass the filter.

Full:

  • Chrome
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • The code generated can be used by anyone who has it to access any signature that is not Locked Blocked.
  • You can see a list of current and expired bypass codes by going to FILTERING > BYPASS CODES in School Manager.
  • Access to Bypass Code configuration is available only to Global and Filtering administrators.

Class Announcement (one-way) 

Teachers can send a simple text announcement to all students in the class.

Full:

  • Chrome
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • We recommended also enabling the Message Student (one-way) feature when allowing Class Announcement (one-way). 

  • The Teacher's message will appear directly in the Chrome browser, and as a system pop-up in Windows and Mac when turned on.

Chat
(two-way)

Allows the teacher to send and receive messages with students. 

Full:

  • Chrome
  • Chat is a two-way messaging between the teacher and the student only.

  • Contact Linewize Support to enable or disable this feature for your school.

Class Schedule

Allows the teacher to schedule classes.

Full:

  • Chrome

Partial:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Scheduled classes start and end automatically, and all filtering rules for that class will be active while the scheduled class is in session. 

  • Scheduling a session means that it will automatically start and stop on the same day, at the same time, until the user changes the schedule. 

  • Users cannot manually end a scheduled class once it has started. 

See Scheduling Classes for more information.

Close tab 

Allows the teacher to close a student’s open tab.

Chrome only

  • The student is notified when the teacher closes the tab.

  • Currently, this feature only works for Chromebooks with the Connect for Chrome - Education client or Chrome browsers with the Connect for Chrome - Education extension installed.        

Focus

Stops students from accessing the internet except for Focus sites or apps set by the teacher.

The teacher may choose to force the Focus resources to open in new browser windows or tabs.

Full:

  • Chrome

Partial:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Any already opened web pages will stay open, but the student won’t be able to open new sites or follow links unless the site is a Focused Site.

  • Streaming media on already open pages may continue to stream for up to 30 seconds. 

  • For Chromebook users, the teacher can also force-close all other tabs, stop new tabs from opening, and stop students from browsing away from a Focused Site.

  • Focus sites may not display or work correctly if the site relies on a Locked Blocked signature.
    For example, if YouTube is Locked Blocked, Khan Academy will not show YouTube videos, even if the teacher has Focused the class on Khan Academy.

See Introduction to Class Tools for more information.

Message student

Teachers can send simple text messages to a student in the class.

Full:

  • Chrome 

Partial

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • The teacher's message appears directly in the student's browser in Chrome, and as a system pop-up in Windows and Mac when enabled.

  • We recommend that you also enable the Class Announcement (one-way) feature when turning on Message Student.

Modify Students in Class

Lets teachers add or remove students to reflect who is present in their class. 

Full:

  • Chrome
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Enabling this tool allows Teachers to create their own Local classrooms.

  • The Teachers’ changes will be temporary if the classroom is synced from another service, such as Google Classroom or Wonde. The changes will be removed the next time Classwize syncs with the other service.

  • Teachers may inadvertently undo modifications to their Google Classrooms if both Modify Students in Class and Allow teachers to sync with Google Classrooms are turned on. 

See Managing Students in a Class for more information.

Open Site

Opens a site in a new browser window or tab for students in the class.

Full:

  • Chrome
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Students can close the tab or browse away from the tab after it's been opened.

Pause Internet

Allows the teacher to temporarily stop one or more students from accessing the internet entirely.

Full:

  • Chrome,
  • Windows,
  • Mac
  • There may be a delay between the teacher applying Pause and the Pause taking effect, usually with streaming media.

  • On Chromebooks, this feature also closes all tabs.

Reward

Temporarily unblocks an otherwise blocked signature.

Full:

  • Chrome
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Reward can't unblock any signature set to Locked Blocked in FILTERING > CONTENT FILTERING.

  • Like Focus, Reward sites may not display or work correctly if they rely on a Locked Blocked signature.

Rules

Lets teachers create rules to temporarily override rules set in School Manager's FILTERING > CONTENT FILTERING.  

Full:

  • Chrome
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Allows the teacher to use Rules to override your school's filters; block sites that have been allowed; and allow sites that have been blocked.

  • Teacher Rules will never override Locked rules set in School Manager’s FILTERING > CONTENT FILTERING.

 

Support Chatbot

To learn more about the Support Chatbot feature, please contact Linewize Support.

In-School Support Details for Teachers

Add your IT contact details to be displayed when a Teacher selects the Support button in Classwize:

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The teacher will see the support details in Classwize when clicking the Support button:

classwize in-school support details

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