1:1 Chromebook Program

Learn the details of our 1:1 device program

 

The North Haven Public School District offers 1:1 Chromebooks for grades K-12. Grades 3-12 are "take home" devices.

A quickly growing majority of jobs today require technology skills, many jobs our students today will have do not even exist yet because of the speed of technology advancement. Teaching our students how to use technology as a tool for their education and integrate it naturally into the events of the day will not only provide a more interactive and engaging learning environment but also better prepare them for their futures. 1:1 device ratios allow for technology to be used in classroom instruction in a more real-world way. Computer time does not need to be scheduled, students do not need to leave their classrooms, instructional time is regained and computer use happens as it does in workplaces and universities - when it needs to rather than when it can.

 

All students in grades Kindergarten through 12 will be 1:1. 3-12 will be assigned a Chromebook with their name on it and a carry case and are expected to bring it back and forth from home to school each day. K-2 will keep their devices at school, but parents may request for their child to bring their chomebooks to and from school.

 

Click here to read the Acceptable Use Regulations.

 

 

Like textbooks, team uniforms and other school property issued to your child, there is a responsibility to take appropriate care of these valuable resources. The Chromebook is no different but it does represent a cost to the district and consequent liability to students and parents. We have a warranty in place to cover the Chromebooks covered for manufacturing defects and general problems that may occur, but we know loss, theft, accidents and occasional poor choices may also happen. In these instances district practices require a fine be levied to cover the repair or replacement cost of district property, depending on the circumstance.

 

Anyone with a broken device should send an email to [email protected] to explain the problem they're experiencing with the device.  If there is physical damage, the email should also include a photo of the damage, and explanation of how the damage occurred. The IT department will respond to this email "ticket" with troubleshooting information and, when appropriate, steps to take to return the broken device and get a replacement. 

 

All district Chromebooks should be charged at home overnight and brought to school fully charged. For emergencies, students may bring their chargers to school, and it will be up to the discretion of their classroom teacher an appropriate location to charge their device. There will be a charge cart in the Library at the Middle School, and in the IT office in room 221 at the High School.  

 

When not in their carry-case, students should carry their Chromebooks with the lids closed using a 3-point hold (one hand on either side with the laptop against the torso). They should not be stacked with other materials on top of them, but should be the only thing the student is carrying at that time. When carrying the Chromebook from room to room, all students must carry their Chromebooks in the provided protective (zipped shut) carry cases. Cases are the size of a textbook and may be placed into a book bag or carried using the strap or handle. No other item may be placed in the Chromebook storage area of the bag; however, an outside pouch is available to transport pens, pencils, small notebooks etc. District Chromebooks and cases may not be vandalized with markers, writing, or other permanent changes. Only a removable sticker should be used to personalize the device with the student's name. Chromebooks and carry cases are assigned to students but remain the property of the district.

 

Chromebooks are Wifi devices. They function in a limited capacity without internet (as most computers do these days).  All classrooms and common areas where a Chromebook might be used in the schools are equipped with Wifi. North Haven Public Library also provides free Wifi to students who do not have access at home. Chromebooks do not work with a hard-wired internet connection (there is no jack in the laptop to plug a cord into) but do work over 4G access points, such as those provided by cell phones and cell phone providers. Additionally, many "plug and play" ethernet adaptors will work with a Chromebook if you only have a hard-wired internet connection at home. Students who do not have Wifi access at home may contact the IT department by sending an email to [email protected] to request assistance.

 

Chromebooks assigned out to students should be used only by those students only and not other household members. The Chromebooks are configured to only allow access to students using their northhavenschools.org accounts.  As it is a violation of school regulations to have any other person use a student's login credentials, the Chromebooks may not be shared.

 

Our student G-Suite accounts are equipped with filtering and monitoring software that works on Chromebooks even off of the North Haven network. These devices truly are intended to be used for educational purposes only. Our filters filter web content, websites, and videos by category, enforce safe-search rules, and other things necessary to provide a safe digital learning environment. To help keep students safe online and deter the non-educational use of the device, the filters work 24/7. While the monitoring software is designed to help identify students who may be considering actions that may harm themselves or others, staff do not monitor the devices around the clock. They receive alerts and history is recorded that may be reviewed at a later time if there is a concern. Severe content alerts may send screenshots to appropriate administrative staff members; however, we will never access your student's camera or microphone on their Chromebook without their (and your) express consent. These situations are rare and usually used to provide students out for extended periods of time with video conferencing into the classroom to help them learn from home. While we make strong efforts and use the latest technology to protect our students on the web, no method is ever perfect. Students found to by bypassing or attempting to bypass safety filters will be subject to disciplinary action as determined by the school administration. Please see our Regulations for Acceptable Use of Technology for more details

 

Yes, many home printers can be connected to Chromebooks for printing. At school, students can walk right up to a copier and log-in to their Google Drive on the copier to print any documents they need to or may send their document to the "Secure Queue" to be released at any copier. One of the benefits of a 1:1 district is that document sharing through G Suite or Office 365, as well as the use of Google Classroom, can cut down our need for printing. This is good for the environment and also saves teachers and students time at the copiers.

 

While the Chromebooks only have 16GB hard drives, each student is afforded 2TB of online cloud storage: 1TB in Google Drive and 1TB in Microsoft One Drive.

 

Yes, most USB mice and wireless mice are compatible with Chromebooks, as are most headphones and USB drives. 

 

Yes, all currently enrolled students who will also be enrolled for the following school year will be able to use their Chromebooks over the summer. Graduating students and students leaving the district will be required to turn their device in their school's main office on the last day of school they attend or prior to graduation. 

 

Yes, 1:1 programs are very common in schools and the percentage of schools participating grows every year.

 

No. Chromebooks are intended to allow digital learning to be integrated into the daily curriculum. We want students to be comfortable and familiar with using technology in order to succeed both in school as well as in the future. Because student-owned devices both lack the type of classroom management and filtering that the school Chromebooks do, as well as may require technical support during the school day that the district can't perform on personally owned devices, a Chromebook is provided to every student and the use of personal devices in the classroom is solely up to the discretion of the classroom teacher. We hope all students will take advantage of the resources made available to them via the internet using these devices.