Why is technology so important for today’s classrooms?
 It is absolutely essential that we provide students in the AASD with 21st century competencies and expertise that they will need to be successful in today’s digital workplaces and learning environments. Without equitable access to technology for all students and teachers across the District, it is inevitable that some students will fall behind in essential skills. These core skills include:

• performing online research

• creating multi-media presentations

• working with multiple database systems, spreadsheets and their applications,

• word processing,

• understanding programming concepts, and

• learning to appropriately communicate in our 21st century world.

• Technology gives our teachers the tools to provide students with:

• Immediate access to current information displayed visually for greater understanding

• Personalized learning opportunities that tap into student needs and interests

• Greater connections to a wider set of educators - including teachers, parents, and mentors outside the classroom

• Learning opportunities beyond the regular school day through online access to course presentations and materials

 

 Today’s students must be able to interact in a meaningful way with the ever-changing technology that they experience in their daily lives. It is the ongoing reality of their futures.

Are high school students being given computers?
 No. High school students will be assigned a computing device through a check-out process similar to checking out a textbook.

Will students keep the devices year round?
No. Devices will be checked back in to schools at the end of the school year at the same time textbooks are checked in.
What happens if the device is damaged?


As with all assigned District resources (e.g., textbooks), students are accountable for care and use of assigned devices. Misuse and malicious damage to devices are the responsibility of the student and are handled in the same fashion as malicious damage to other District property. The user would be responsible for reasonable repair costs or its fair market value on the date of damage. Students will not be responsible for normal wear of the devices.

What happens if the device is lost or stolen?
 We have evidence that AASD high school students are prepared for the responsibility of using and caring for computing devices. Our current experience with students bringing personal devices to school, as well as feedback from other school districts indicates that lost or stolen hardware is rare. If the property is lost or stolen, the user would be responsible for the fair market value on the date of the loss. The District is currently evaluating insurance options for student portable devices.

How will the schools prevent misuse?
All AASD students annually sign an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). The AUP provides families and students the knowledge and rules for acceptable and non-acceptable use of District technology resources. One of the roles of our schools is to educate students about the proper, responsible, and socially acceptable use of technology. We are committed to holding students accountable for carrying out these expectations and anticipate that there will always be a need to re-educate students. Partnering with families to support student appropriate use of technology and media is an ongoing part of our educational journey.

Does the school control the use of the device at home?
The device selected will be subject to school filtering of the internet during the school day. When a student leaves the school, they will be accessing a public or private internet network (e.g., home internet access). When students are “off campus,” their access to filtering will be based on controls of the network they access. For example: If a family has unfiltered internet access at home, the device will access all content. If parental controls are in place on the internet at home, devices would be subject to this level of filtering. Again, partnering with families to support student appropriate use of technology and media is an ongoing part of our educational journey.

What happens if I do not want my student to bring a device home?
 If a parent chooses not to allow their high school student to bring home a school issued device, students will still have access during the school day. Students would check out their device in the morning and check it back in at the end of the day for safe storage.