Beginning this year, paper sign-out charts are becoming a thing of the past. Students must now use a new digital form to leave and return to class.
To sign out of the classroom, students now need to scan a QR code in the classroom on their iPad. They select the name of their teacher and where they are going on the form that pops up and hit submit. Once back, they scan the QR code again and repeat the steps. This tracks where they are going and how long they are out of the classroom.
Kelly Lawton, an assistant principal, said, “The data is immediately available and can easily be disaggregated by time, student name or date.”
Now, how exactly is this new method effective? This could possibly be a great addition because teachers can know exactly where their students are and how long they have been out of the classroom.
Deanna Williams, a teacher at Weir High School, said, “It is easier to read than the sign out paper, and we can see at an instant who is supposed to be out of the classroom. This would also help if we were to go into a lockdown to know who should be out and where they are.”
If there is an emergency, teachers and administrators can see who is out of the classroom and where they are so that they can be brought back to class or taken out of the school safely. You can immediately see all the details about the student’s whereabouts.
On the other hand, some students have had small issues with the new sign-out being digital.
Megan Brinkley, a sophomore, said, “I like it but, in some classes, it doesn’t work due to the lack of internet connection.”
When the internet is slow or not working properly, it can be difficult to get the form to load and work. Students must still sign out on paper just in case.
Overall, most students like the new hall pass over the agendas. Some think it’s too much to have to sign out and then also have your teacher sign your agenda.
Gracie Beagle, another sophomore, said, “I think it’s better than the agendas. Mostly because you have a sheet log on the computers, and it avoids you getting in any trouble due to knowing where you were and when you were there.”
With the new hall pass, students are no longer required to take their agendas with them or get them signed by their teachers.
