TECHNOLOGY IN USE & FAQS

Today’s students are digital natives who live in a world where information creation and consumption is constantly occurring. Because we envision a learning environment where technology continues to be an integral part of success, the district is pleased to embrace student access to computer technology and digital resources, including the Internet and Granby Public Schools Information Technology Network. We are dedicated to integrating technologies that unlock our potential and connect us locally and globally. As we leverage existing and emerging technology as means to learn and thrive in the 21st Century, understanding when and how to effectively and appropriately access the tools and resources of a world-wide network are imperative.

What is One to One Computing? One to One Computing is an acronym meaning that all users in the environment have either a personally-owned or school-assigned computing device. For the purposes of this program students will be assigned a device owned by the school district. The school district believes it has selected a device with all of the necessary hardware and software features for use in the school's technology environment.

Why One to One? The Granby Board of Education and administration have agreed on the concept of One to One computing. This aligns with our district mission to grow powerful thinkers and effective collaborators, as well as with our efforts to enhance instruction to increase student critical thinking and engagement. Access to technology allows us to design tasks in which students collaborate locally and globally, access, synthesize and communicate information, take ownership of learning through research and make their thinking visible through communities of learning. In addition, the Common Core State Standards articulate expectations that students use technology, including the internet, to interact and collaborate with others, conduct short research projects, gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources and integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations.

What is the purpose of the program? The purpose of the program is to help align modern teaching and learning practices to our existing curriculum standards through increased staff and student access to digital tools and resources required for 21st century learning. With a limited amount of computer lab space and classroom computers available, our teachers are finding it more and more difficult to incorporate modern day educational practices and technologies into their lesson plans. These practices require additional access to the internet and other digital resources which have become the standard in education today.

What devices will be assigned to students? Google Chromebooks are issued to students.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I setup my home printer to work with the Chromebook? For instructions on printing from a Chromebook, click here.

How will internet safety be upheld?
Students will have the same internet access they have always had while in school. The district will continue to filter its internet service as required by federal law (HIPPA, CIPA, etc.) through its Connecticut Education Network web filter and our own firewall and internet/web filtering system which protects users from access to inappropriate websites and security threats by filtering incoming and outgoing traffic. Students are strictly prohibited from connecting to the internet via cellular service while on campus. (Granby-issued Chromebooks are not cellular capable devices) Student devices are locked down and internet and use is tracked and logged within centralized management software.. By default all student Chromebooks are set up with restrictive administrative privileges and configured with "Google Safe Search" as a baseline internet filter for the device when it is used off campus and connected to a wireless network other than the school network. Please be aware that no internet filtering system is 100% foolproof. The district feels that it is important for students to be responsible "Digital Citizens". If parents have any questions or concerns about internet use on their child's device please reach out to the school administration. Granby will focus students on responsible use of devices through explicit instruction. In addition students will be guided by the acceptable use policies and guidelines for computer and network use.

How can I check the internet history on a Chromebook?
Student web history is logged and devices are tracked centrally by the district technology department. Students and parents can view the most recent web history on the device by clicking the settings button in the top right corner while logged in (the three horizontal lines), and then clicking on history, or hit CTRL+H. How will teachers be trained? All teachers in grades 7-12 will receive professional development focused on designing instructional practices using technology that support the curriculum.

How will technology be used in each classroom every day?
Technology will be used responsibly as a tool for students to access and become consumers of information, producers of knowledge, collaborators and problem solvers. It will be used as a tool to foster communication and critical thinking, as well as for assessing student growth.

Who will be responsible for maintenance of student devices?
Students will be responsible for the care of their own devices. The school and district technology department will provide general maintenance work and technical assistance. Our media center specialists will be providing ongoing curricular and software support. It is in everyone's best interest to help students whenever possible. Parents and students will be responsible for any excessive damage or loss of the device as is the case with textbooks and other school-owned equipment that is assigned to students. 

IMPORTANT: Parents are advised to keep a record of device information in case an incident does occur. This information should include: brand and model, and the device's serial number.

How will students charge their device? Do they need to plug it in while in school?
The Google Chromebook has a battery life of up to 8 hours. Students are expected to come to school with their device fully charged.

How much do the standards and state assessments drive an increase in use versus what we are currently doing?
State and federal assessments require students to be assessed on line. The common core state standards for college and career readiness require students to:

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.6 Use technology, including the internet to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others;

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest

Mathematical Practices 5. Use appropriate tools strategically.

The federal and state technology goals require districts to write plans addressing the following questions:

  • What will your district do over the life of this local educational tech plan to ensure that learning experiences are empowering, engaging, and supported by digital tools?

  • What will your district do over the life of this local educational technology plan to ensure that technology is used for assessment?

  • What will your district do over the life of this local educational tech plan to ensure that educators are prepared to teach 21st century learners and are connected to technology resources that support teaching and learning?

  • What will your district do over the life of this local educational tech plan to ensure that all students and educators will have access to a comprehensive infrastructure for teaching and learning?

  • What will your district do over the life of this local education tech plan to maintain or redesign processes and structures to take advantage of the power of technology to improve teaching and learning while maintaining efficiency?

How will instruction using technology be delivered?
Instruction will be guided by the design of curriculum and the integration of 21st century skills expected to be incorporated at each grade level, specifically demonstrated in the performance assessments and performance tasks. Teachers will receive job embedded professional development in the implementation of the meaningful use of technology as a tool in the teaching and learning process.

Will students be allowed to use their Chromebook for the Smarter Balanced Assessment?
At this time we anticipate that students will be able to use their devices.

What if a student’s device does not work during class?
If a students’ device does not work in class, they may be asked to sign out a spare device or share with a peer. Students are expected to bring their device to school fully charged. If a student has an issue with a device they should bring it to their school's media center specialist for further assessment and diagnosis.

What happens if a student’s device crashes?
Student work is stored in Google Apps which is cloud based. As a result, all data is stored with real-time backup. Should a device break or malfunction, students may pick up right where they left off with any other computer.

Can my child use a Google Chromebook offline to complete work?
Real-time collaboration, research, or anything else that requires an internet connection will not work, however the creation of documents while offline will work. Please click here to learn more about Google Apps for Education.