Whether the prospect of your kids learning from home through their school's virtual classrooms makes you thrilled, concerned, or anxious, it is or belief at Sixpence IT that parents should have the final word and authority on what digitally enters their home and what their children are exposed to.

When considering your preferred style of parental controls (e.g. monitoring vs reviewing), there are several solutions that we can recommend. For anyone who spent a good deal if time in AOL's Instant Messenger around the turn of the century, they know that online, live-exchange communication technology can generate very real and reasonable concerns for parents. This is exacerbated by the fact that most all younger people will have a higher level of technological familiarity than the average parent.

While this article does not address parental control of technologies such as Snapchat or TikTok (which are high-risk in themselves), what it does discuss is how parents can monitor and/or review any and all activities that are taking place on their home computers, with special application for virtual learning.

Express your expectations to your child/student

The best thing to start with is to have open, honest, non-judgmental communication with your child. Let them know your concerns. Let them know they can come to you with questions. Kindly remind them that you are the one paying for the internet in your home. You may have the final word, but make sure they know their voice will be heard as well.

What this will do is to build a foundation of trust between you and your student, instead you feeling like you're being their "big brother" or "spying on them." Trust goes a long way to accomplishing the goals of cyber safety you have for your home!

Utilize Screen Recording Software 

The easiest way to remain aware of the sights and sounds your child is exposed to is by using "Screen Capture" or "Screen Recording" software. Remember that audio and video recordings of an individual must be protected in accordance with federal and state law and your school system policies. However, anything that is displayed on your computer screen is something that you as a parents have a right to be aware of! The main thing to be concerned about is the distribution of any recorded sessions. This can run afoul of piracy (in cases where copyrighted content is recorded) or privacy issues (where a student may be recorded divulging confidential information). Barring these two issues, there are several screen recording applications you can download and run very easily we recommend you check out the following:

1.  Screencast-O-Matic

Screencast-O-Matic is an online screen recorder and video editor that supports both webcam and screen recordings.

While the application doesn’t let you record in HD, it does have options to record in 800×600, 640×480 and other standard definitions, which makes it ideal for recording and uploading quick videos. 

It also assists users in zooming, drawing, and adding overlays on the video files. 

Screencast-O-Matic also has additional features including options for editing computer audio and synchronization of recording with video footage.

Keep in mind that most of the editing features are offered in the paid version of the app. However, you can use the free version to upload content to YouTube. 

Price: Free or $1.50 per month

Supported OS: Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iOS

2. ScreenFlow

If you’ve been searching for a Mac screen recorder with audio capabilities, then you’d love ScreenFlow. 

Its range of features includes the options to record your Mac at retina resolution, group video components and settings, and add background audio to the recorded footage.

You’d also love the “Styles” and “Templates” tools that come as part of the software.

Styles lets you save visual/audio settings for certain elements like drop shadows or color filters for a recorded segment.

Templates, on the other hand, lets users arrange, insert and configure groups of annotations in advance, such as text placeholders and outro segments. 

So if you’re looking to make the most of your screen recordings, ScreenFlow is unlikely to disappoint.

Note, this software is not available for Windows users.

Price: $129

Supported OS: Mac, iOS 

3. Filmora Scrn

Filmora Scrn lets you capture gameplay, webcam, computer screen and audio simultaneously without placing any limits on the duration of the video.

It gives you the option to record in 15-120 frames per second. Higher FPS is ideal for recording gameplay with loads of action. 

The software also lets you add annotations like text to improve the viewing experience for your audience. Also, you can modify the size, color and shape of your cursor to make it look unique. 

With Filmora Scrn, you don’t need a separate video editing tool because the screen recording software itself boasts a wide range of editing tools to help refine your video recordings. 

It can import from over 50 file formats, and you also get the option to export your recordings in multiple formats as per your requirement. 

Price: Free or $29.99

Supported OS: Windows, Mac 

4. OBS or SLOBS

My personal favorite, OBS and it's streaming big brother, SLOBS are very powerful, completely free software. While they're clearly made for streaming, they have built-in, push-button recording that's a snap to use.

SLOBS is built on OBS and they're cross compatible. So if you start a project in OBS, you can migrate it to SLOBS, and vice versa. Both interfaces look very similar. SLOBS is more for live streaming, but if you don't set that part up, both OBS and SLOBS are great recording programs. They take a little learning, but if you get stuck, call us at Sixpence IT and we can walk you through the setup so you'll be ready to record in just a short time!

Implement a good firewall

This is a high recommendation, whether you're thinking about remote learning or not. This can protect your home network from intrusion, viruses, and malware. It can also provide controls to block specific websites, or whole categories of websites.

Many home routers have some level of firewall capabilities built-in. However, depending on your model (especially if it is provided by your internet service provider), getting to those settings may be difficult or completely blocked by your ISP altogether. You can purchase a personal home router/firewall and configure it to work with your ISP's equipment so that you are back in control. If you don't feel comfortable purchasing or configuring a personal router/firewall device yourself, one of our primary services at Sixpence IT is to do just this! Give us a call or email today for more information.

Conclusion

Having a good relationship with your kid(s) or student(s) is the best way to get information. Additionally, a properly configured firewall and some recording software can keep your home safe and keep you in the know!

Other than talking to your student or child on your behalf, Sixpence IT is prepared to implement all of the above measures. Call or email us today and we'll set up a free consultation to talk with you about how we can help!