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Classwize offers multiple ways to control what students can access on their school devices. Three important terms to know when creating rules in Classwize are Signatures, Categories, and Websites. Understanding these three methods of blocking the internet will help you use Classwize Rules in the most effective way possible.
On Classwize, signatures are associated with a specific website, and block all other websites with that website's domain. For example, blocking the ”Google” signature would block “sites.google.com”, “news.google.com”, and any other website that has “.google.com” in their web address. Signatures can also block desktop apps; if you block the “Spotify” signature, for example, students will be blocked from both spotify.com and the Spotify desktop app. To find a signature, when creating a rule search for the name of the website, and select its name when it appears in the drop down.
Creating a rule using the "Google" signature
Another way to manage student access is through categories, which are groups of similar websites. For example, if you want keep students from listening to music in class, you can block the “Music and Audio” category, which will block Spotify, Amazon Music, Youtube Music, and other music streaming websites. Classwize has a large number of categories; use the search bar when making a rule to find one that works for you.
Finding and using the Music and Audio category when making a rule
Finally, Classwize also allows you to block a specific website. This is most useful if students are accessing a specific website that either does not have a clear category, or if it is not covered by an expected category. To block a website, you can enter in the specific url. For example, www.instagram.com will block the Instagram website.
Adding the Instagram website when making a rule.
You can also block a specific website that a student is currently on by clicking on the tabs icon on the bottom left of that student's tile and selecting the “Rule” option next to the offending website:
Finding the tab menu on the student tile
Select "Rule" next to the website you want to block.
By using signatures, categories, and websites when making Classwize rules, you can better limit what your students have access to and help keep them focused on their work. One reminder: if you want students to only have access to a small number of websites, using focus mode can be more effective than trying to block a long list of sites. For more information on focus mode, please see the following article: How to Use Focus Mode in Classwize