The rapid advance of digital technology shows no signs of slowing any time soon.
Given this, it stands to reason that building a strong level of digital literacy and proficiency that ensures students have marketable and valuable skills is now a core part of the education system.
Unfortunately, the situation isn’t so simple. While it’s true that our new digital world demands skills in this area, educators are finding that technology in the classroom comes with its own set of pitfalls and perils.
In 2025, students use between one to four fours per day using educational technology on tasks ranging from research to drafting essays. However, this is accompanied by another more worrying trend: 46% of teachers report that student engagement has declined since 2019.
Most of us know how easy it can be to lose time to the internet or doomscrolling, and for students the draw is likely even harder to battle. As technology erodes engagement in the classroom, one education startup has launched an innovative new software tool that puts control back in the hands of educators.
The launch of Classroom Manager
ManagedMethods is best known as the leading provider of Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 cybersecurity, student safety, and compliance for K-12 school districts.
With a focus on affordable, effective software solutions that cater to the specific needs of K-12 educators, the launch of its new Classroom Manager solution is a testament to this in action.
The company’s latest product is a cloud-based classroom management tool built for online instruction. With an intuitive suite of features that monitor students’ browser activity and provide granular control, educators now have a way to manage screen time to optimize learning and help students to avoid distractions.
What’s more, the tool also supports personalized learning, helping teachers to easily adjust the level of instruction given to individual students, and offering more support where needed.
According to Charlie Sander, ManagedMethods’ CEO, the launch of Classroom Manager follows on from an extensive period of planning and development to directly map the features of the software products into ones that help educators excel at online instruction.
Here, Classroom Manager puts control back in the hands of teachers and makes it straightforward and intuitive to manage the online activity of an entire classroom of students. Educators can keep students engaged and focused during class by guiding them to relevant content and redirecting them away from distractions if needed.
Teachers can also use Classroom Manager’s Scenes feature to granularly allow or block access to online content for certain groups of students in the class, helping to engage students who need specific learning resources.
Keeping students safe online
While distractions and engagements are one of the downsides to technology in the classroom, online access also comes with more serious risks for students.
Most households use parental controls to help their children avoid safety risks. What’s more, 1 in 6 adolescents worldwide have experienced some form of cyberbullying, meaning that many families are choosing to ban social media access entirely.
When it comes to learning at school, educators have a duty of care to protect their students from online harm. Here, Classroom Manager provides an AI-powered Content Filter, which is designed to help schools comply with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and E-rate requirements.
Combined with the additional controls offered with Classroom Manager, teachers have an even more comprehensive tool to use for online learning that keeps students safe and focused on lesson plans.
A bright digital future
With ManagedMethods’ new product offering, K-12 school districts no longer need to decide between poor engagement or a ban on technology in the classroom. The launch of Classroom Manager means that educators regain better control with learning to ensure students can excel in the classroom and build key skills in digital literacy.
