Enforce a Blocking Plan

INTRODUCTION

Dyknow's Blocking Plan feature enables Dyknow Teachers to block or allow student device access to select websites and/or applications. Blocking plans provide fantastic flexibility for Teachers who set different expectations about on-task and off-task behavior by Class, by student, and by day.

Blocking Plans can be created before/after or during an active monitoring session.

Blocking Plans must be enforced during a monitoring session in order to be active.

This document is a resource for Dyknow Teachers to understand how to:

• Enforce a Blocking Plan
• Remove an enforced Blocking Plan

ENFORCE A BLOCKING PLAN

Follow the steps below to enforce a Blocking Plan during a monitoring session.

1. Login to Dyknow.

2. Click Start Monitoring for the relevant Class.

3. Click Modify Blocking; the Blocking modal will appear.

4. Determine whether you want to enforce a Blocking Plan you previously created or create and enforce a new Blocking Plan; review options below:

Enforce a Blocking Plan already created

If you want to enforce a Blocking Plan you already created, click the Plan field and select the desired Blocking Plan. The Blocking modal will refresh to show the details of the selected Blocking Plan, providing you a chance to edit, if needed, before enforcing.

Enforce a new Blocking Plan

If you want to enforce a new Blocking Plan, use the Type field to select either Allow Only or Block Only and create a new Blocking Plan to enforce.

• Allow Only Blocking Plans are more restrictive, enabling Dyknow Teachers to select the websites and/or applications they WANT to allow students to go to. All other programs and websites will be blocked, except those designated.
  • For example:
    • During a test, Allow Only the website where the test is being given, and a browser for that website to launch.
    • During direct instruction, Allow Only note taking tools, such as OneNote, Google Docs, and Microsoft Word.
• Block Only Blocking Plans are less restrictive, enabling Dyknow Teachers to select the websites and/or applications they DON'T WANT students to go to. All other programs and websites will be accessible, except those designated.
  • For example:
    • During academic research, Block Only sites such as Wikipedia.
    • During group work, Block Only music sites and apps such as Pandora, Spotify, and iTunes.
• Enter the domain (e.g. google.com and youtube.com) or subdomain (e.g. docs.google.com) URLs for the websites you'd like to block/allow in the Websites field.
• Enter the names of applications you'd like to block/allow into the Applications field.

Enforce a Segmented Blocking Plan

To enforce two Blocking Plans:

• Select the Turn on Segmented Blocking button;
• Select a previously created Blocking Plan, or create a new Blocking Plan, to enforce for Group 1; and,
• Select a previously created Blocking Plan, or create a new Blocking Plan, to enforce for Group 2.

5. Select the time you'd like the Blocking Plan to expire or "release" the students in the End Time field.

Note: You will still need to click the End Monitoring button to end the Class. Review our Timed Blocking Plans article for more info.

6. Click Enforce.

Note: Students will be unable to reopen blocked applications or access blocked websites until the enforced Blocking Plan is modified or released. If you block domain URLs (domain.com), it also blocks the subdomain URLs (subdomain.domain.com). If you block subdomain URLs, it does not block the main domain URL.

Once your Allow Only Blocking Plan is enforced:

• Any applications that are open on the student's device but not included in the Allow Only Blocking Plan will be hidden from view.
• Any websites that are open on the student's device but not included in the Allow Only Blocking Plan will be redirected to studentontask.com.

Once your Block Only Blocking Plan is enforced:

• Any applications that are open on the student's device and included in the Block Only Blocking Plan will be hidden from their view.
• Any websites that are open on the student's device and included in the Block Only Blocking Plan will be redirected to studentontask.com.

REMOVE AN ENFORCED BLOCKING PLAN

Follow the steps below to remove an enforced Blocking Plan during a monitoring session.

To remove an enforced Blocking Plan for all students in your monitoring session, click the remove blocking hyperlink (in grid view).

To remove an enforced Blocking Plan for an individual student, bring that student's device into big view and click the Remove Blocking Plan button.