Embedded Files
To close the digital learning gap, we must make sure that students have access to technology and high-speed internet outside of school.
Device Status
Device Status
Submitting Chromebook Tickets.pdfGuiding questions:
How many day users does the campus have? What factors contribute to the number? If the number is high, what are your next steps?
We only have day users who cannot take their VILS device to and from home and school due to their Chromebooks having been sent out for repair. When students cannot use their VILS device during the school day for any reason, a non-VILS loaner Chromebook is issued to the student, usually by their homeroom teacher or by the technology liaison. This typically occurs when students' devices have been sent for repair but can sometimes happen when students forget to charge their Chromebook or bring it with them.
How are the inventory data and data usage reports guiding campus-wide culture and next steps?
When we conducted device checks throughout the year, only a small group of students reported that their devices were missing. However, many students reported that their Chromebooks were in need of repair. The data showed a high number of repairs but a low number of students with suitable loaner devices. Since then, the school's VILS team has reached out to the district's IT team and it has been able to provide support to repair and repurpose more devices that can be used as loaners.
What systems do you have in place to support repairs and replacements? If none, how can you modify your systems?
When students' devices are in need of repair, one of their teachers, typically their homeroom teacher, submits a repair ticket/IT Work Order through the district's help desk ticketing system, SYAM. Once the ticket has been created, the student should receive a loaner device until theirs is repaired and returned. The device in need of repair is brought to a secure storage space in the library until it is collected by the IT technician. The technician collects the device from the library and will assess the ticket and condition of the device. They will usually ship the device to AGI for repair. Once a device is sent back from being repaired, the technician receives it, labels it, and places it in the mailbox of the assigned student's homeroom teacher so it may be returned to the student.
We are currently looking for ways to include the student tech team in this process. We will either have them sort the devices by repair type when they are in the library waiting to be repaired and/or sort and label them after they have been repaired and sent back to the school. In either case, the tech team's involvement in the process will support the work of the IT technician and should help to expedite the whole process.
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP
Guiding questions:
How are parents, students, and teachers supported on a consistent basis on digital safety?
Many of our students are supported in digital safety consistently through instruction from the library media specialist (LMS), either by taking the LMS's class or through a collaboration between the classroom teacher and the LMS. Additionally, lessons and activities around social-emotional learning (SEL) and responsibility are conducted during periodic advisory sessions. These will often include how to be responsible and stay safe when using technology. Finally, digital safety and wellness is reinforced through a series of digital citizenship lessons that the entire student body goes through. We were the only middle school in the district last year to have gone through a pre-assessment, all lessons, and a post-assessment.
How do you foster student ownership with device and data usage?
Periodically, the principal and VILS coach will present topics related to student ownership of their devices by appearing on the school's live morning announcements. Additionally, during grade-level assemblies dealing with student responsibilities and conduct, aspects of digital citizenship, and responsibilities and consequences for district- and VILS-issued devices are addressed.
Finally, as shown in the document below, students and their families are presented with a letter explaining the district's vision for digital learning and issuing 1:1 devices. This letter also explains student responsibilities pertaining to acceptable technology usage as well as potential charges as consequences for misuse.
STUDENT TECH TEAM
STUDENT TECH TEAM
Guiding questions:
How is the student tech team serving in a leadership role on campus and supporting IT help tickets?
In the second half of the school year, the student tech team got to play an active role as West Rocks hosted Norwalk administrators, politicians, and representatives from Verizon and Heart of America for the kick-off event of our new state-of-the-art innovation lab. The student tech team also spent the second part of the year exploring passion projects based on individual interests, and began a whole-group podcast where every member of the team had planning and/or production responsibilities.
How has the student tech team supported teachers, students, and families? (students created videos, flyers, or mini sessions)
The student tech team created and maintains a "technology resources" website that is linked on the school's website. On this site, the students have provided screencasts to provide tutorials for fellow students and staff, created an easily-accessible link for teachers to submit IT repair tickets, and publicize their digital citizenship resources. Additionally, the website is used to support staff by embedding monthly digital learning newsletters created by the VILS coach and the school's LMS.
How are you increasing the capacity of your student tech team members?
The student tech team gathers for weekly meetings on Tuesdays for 30 minutes. In the first half of this school year, they worked on creating and publishing resources on digital citizenship, maintaining the technology resources website, and learning about some of the newer digital learning platforms the district has adopted such as Canva in order to support their fellow students and staff with their use. In the second half of the year, opportunities to increase the capacity of the tech team members include adding a second day of the week when the students use 30 minutes to pursue passions projects utilizing technology. Topics and students' projects range from coding and game design to audio and video editing and production to website building to digital animation. Furthermore, the tech team helped with the Verizon innovation lab kick-off event and even started its own student-led podcast called "Panther Bytes."
Element Reflection
Element Reflection
Self Reflection on the Element: (Choose one: Emerging, Aligning, or Optimizing)
Optimizing
Strengths: How did your campus exemplify illustrating this element?
Strengths in this element include putting a lot of effort into maintaining our device inventory through systems and device checks, focusing on device care and responsibility, digital citizenship, and supporting teachers with device care and other digital learning resources.
Next Steps: What could you have done differently to better align with this element?
More consistent support from IT and try to involve the STT in helping with the IT troubleshooting/ticketing/repair process
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