Why do I have to take out my Chromebook in the middle of my Financial Math class to create a hall pass for the bathroom? It makes no sense and adds unnecessary difficulty to the process.
Every year, WJ adds new features that nobody likes. This year, administration implemented digital hall passes. These passes make it complicated to use the bathroom efficiently. You have to open StudentVUE, create a hall pass and choose a specific bathroom. First of all, nobody memorizes their room numbers, so if you go to the wrong one, security will do everything in their power to be in authority.
Last week I used the digital hallpass in my fourth-period class. After it was approved, I left the class and went to the bathroom. On my way back to class, I got stopped by security, and they asked me where I was supposed to be. They can clearly see who should and shouldn’t be out and they were acting like I wasn’t on the list. I had to explain my situation before they let me go back. Miscommunication like this is a perfect example of how ineffective the digital hall passes are.
Apparently, this method worked at another school in Montgomery County, which motivated our school to join. However, I don’t think it works here. I thought that the system last year was more effective because the different colored passes for each floor would ensure that you stayed on the same level your class was on, and if you were found somewhere else, you would be sent back.
The new hallpass system has some positives, such as making sure students are in the halls when they’re supposed to be and making sure they aren’t out of class for too long. But they definitely could be better. If there were ways to prevent them from disrupting instruction, or if there were no specific bathrooms to choose from, that would be ideal. Another way to make them better would be to find an easier way to access them instead of having to bring out your Chromebook and open a site to get one. If the hall passes could be accessed with a designated device stationed in the classroom, it would be easier to just create the pass there and then use the bathroom. If such changes were made, the digital hallpasses would be effective and less of a hassle.
