Impacting education and student development for over 20 years, ClassLink is a well-known and extremely valuable IT resource. Whether in K-12 education or Higher Ed, ClassLink helps classroom instructors and educational administrators remove some of the accessibility barriers their students may experience when searching for learning resources. The ClassLink platform is used in over 2,200 school systems across all 50 states, and it helps educators maximize instructional time, simplify rostering, and improve access to digital resources. Read on to see why we’re talking about it in this Rising Resources post.
Essentially, ClassLink is a single sign-on portal that administrators can roll out in a single building or across their entire district. Within ClassLink, teachers can curate and house digital curriculum resources and easily share them with colleagues as well as children. This singular access point for organizing teaching materials really helps streamline efficient instructional practices and helps save teachers much-needed time. Plus, in an era in which accessibility is such a relevant topic, the tried-and-true ClassLink system helps to improve access to relevant learning resources for more and more students.
Accessing the ClassLink launchpad.
ClassLink is used throughout K-12 education and even up into higher education at the college level. As the digital revolution in education has continued to boom over the last couple decades, the number of student (and teacher) devices has skyrocketed as well. With these devices, which students can use on a 1:1 basis, they can access more relevant and carefully curated resources. And, that is when ClassLink comes in—by allowing school leaders to organize and distribute these valuable resources more efficiently. Perhaps more importantly, however, it allows students to access more resources than ever before in one place.
In designing the ClassLink platform, their team focused on eliminating the need for kids to remember many different passwords. As we’ve mentioned, it's a single sign-on platform that enables access to all apps and files from anywhere. It’s also accessible from any device with a modern browser. This is valuable because it eliminates the need for educators or students to jump from tab to tab during the school day while wrapped up in complex lessons. Using ClassLink helps them find all tabs and files they need in one place. Teachers can even share their screen and display all the information they’re seeing for the whole class to view.
Getting started with a ClassLink login.
As you might imagine, it’s easy for educators to create a ClassLink account. Once they have their account, students can work with educators and choose their preferred log-in method. There are three ways students can access ClassLink and they are all actually pretty unique and efficient. The first of those is known as the QuickCard. This involves providing your students with their own individual QR codes printed on a unique ID badge. If they have student IDs that they carry around school, printing out the QR code and attaching them to these badge is the perfect solution. To use it for logging in to ClassLink, all students must do is scan the QR code of their individual ClassLink QuickCard using their computer’s camera. This instantly logs them in to their account and they’re on their way.
Another way for students to access the platform is with the simple ClassLink facial recognition technology. Much like how we unlock mobile phones, ClassLink has a face ID feature built in. This also allows students to sign in to ClassLink quickly, efficiently, and safely simply by taking a selfie. They just have to first provide a photo of themselves before enabling the Faces feature but, once it’s loaded in the ClassLink system, they can use this sign-in method as often as they’d like. Plus, just like the QuickCard option, Faces works on all devices, including desktop computers, laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, and mobile phones. There is also a Remote Login option, which involves students downloading the ClassLink app on their phone and holding it up to their computer screen when logging in through a browser.
ClassLink features and benefits.
With the ClassLink launchpad, students and teachers can maximize their time and simplify their access to important apps and platforms. Once they launch ClassLink in their schools, students can access the most popular educational apps all from one place—and on any device. Whether using a school-issued device or a personal device, children will have no access troubles thanks to the ClassLink system. They can find and use thousands of the most popular learning platforms without needing to sign in to each individually. Plus, if you do not want students creating their own accounts, they can simply sign in using an existing Google, Microsoft, or social media profile.
Some of the apps that are compatible with ClassLink are Canva, StoryboardThat, PowerSchool, EdGems, Curriculum Pathways, and many more. School officials can also customize the entire ClassLink experience throughout their school or district. It’s possible to create custom iOS and Android apps all within ClassLink and design unique login pages for any school district. Whether a web app or a Windows app, students can access and run them through ClassLink with only their browser. Best of all, they don’t need any plugins or additional downloads to run ClassLink. In time, teachers can also access analytics about which resources are providing the most value, view reports, and monitor insights.
Starting out and simplifying student access.
With ClassLink, educators can feel confident that they’re providing students with inclusive opportunities to access impactful learning. Their team has also created a lot of helpful content, including webinars and case studies, for educators to learn more. To start exploring ClassLink, head over to their website. After you’ve explored their offerings, feel free to check out the STEAM and maker tools on our store. Contact us anytime if you have any questions and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more.