FAQ

What is Google Suite for Education?

Google Suite for Education (GSfE or G:Suite) is a suite of tools that allows students and teachers to collaborate in real-time to create documents, presentations, surveys, spreadsheets and even websites. All tools are free, ad-free, reliable and secure. You can find more details about the tools we use on the G:Suite Tools page.

Why is Murray County Schools using G:Suite?

G:Suite provides the ability for students and teachers to communicate, store files and collaborate on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations from school or home, all within a secure “closed campus” online environment. It is important to remember an educational Google account is structured and managed differently to a “consumer” or “personal” Google account.

How can I use G:Suite to support my child's learning?

We encourage parents to sit down with their children to look at the school work stored within their child’s Google Drive and Classroom, just as we encourage pupils to share their work with their parents. Parents can also get daily or weekly emails about the tasks assigned to their child. You can find more detail on the Email Summaries page.

Will all my child's work be in G:Suite?

The simple answer is no. G:Suite is used to enhance and develop the experience of the child. As such, teachers will decide when it is appropriate to use G:Suite to share work and when other methods are more appropriate. Most subjects will, for example still require an element of handwriting, so will continue to use jotters where appropriate. However, we are starting to encourage pupils to take snapshots of good pieces of work to upload to Google Drive.

What is a Chromebook, and why did we choose it?

Chromebooks are web based devices that can be used like a traditional laptop and integrate seamlessly with the Google Education Suite (Drive, Classroom, Docs, Sheets,Gmail, etc.) Watch this video for more information. We chose Chromebooks because they are easy to use, versatile, secure, and cost efficient.

How does my student sign into his/her Chromebook?

Grades k-2 -Click the next button, hold up your Clever badge for the camera.

Grades 3-12-Click the blue link that states “Sign in with a different account”, login in using your @stu.murray.k12.ga.us Google account. If you do not know or have forgotten your account info, please reach out to your teacher, school, or the Technology offices.

What if my child loses his/her clever badge?

Please contact your teacher so they can issue a new one. You can also sign in using your email address.

How do I connect my child's Chromebook to WiFi at home?

Power on the Chromebook. At the bottom right of the screen, click on the time clock, then click on the wireless network icon (upside-down cone shaped icon) and select your home WiFi from the list. Enter the password if prompted, and then click “Connect”.

Can my child use his/her Chromebook without an Internet connection?

Yes. In order to do so without internet access, you must have already logged into that Chromebook, AND have enabled offline access.

What if my student has their own laptop or Chromebook?

Students may not bring and use their own devices at school. Murray County School District has no method of ensuring that personal devices are capable of providing students with the same learning experience as the district provided Chromebook. Further, the assigned Chromebooks are provisioned with particular software tools and secure testing browsers identified as necessary for certain required school activities. School Chromebooks may only be used upon login with a school district username and password. These school accounts are under the district's administrative control with students' actions and history recorded.

What if I forget my device at home?

Students 6-12 will bring home their Chromebook device everyday. The Murray County School District Chromebooks are being provided to enhance the educational experience and access at school. If a student forgets the Chromebook, he/she will be unable to participate fully in that day’s activities in the classroom. We do not have enough Chromebooks to loan them out to students who forget theirs at home. If a student forgets their Chromebook at home, they will not have a device for that day. All work assigned and completed on the Chromebook is the responsibility of the student.

What if it isn’t charged?

Students will charge the Chromebook nightly and will begin each day with a fully charged battery. The Chromebook needs to be fully charged for each day as there will be limited capability for students to charge it during the school day due to space and electrical constraints. Students should be careful when plugging in the power cord. The Chromebook should be charged in a location which is both secure and safe so no damage will be accidentally done to the Chromebook when it is charging.

What do I do if I experience technical issues with my Chromebook?

Click HERE to access troubleshooting tips for your Chromebook. If you are still having issues after trying our tips, please reach out to the Technology department or your school librarian.

What do I do if my Chromebook has been damaged?

A: Bring your Chromebook to the Media Center. Explain the issue to the Library Media Specialist and/or fill out the MCS Chromebook Repair Form.

What do I do if my Chromebook has been lost or stolen?

Please contact your school Admin, School Librarian, or Technology department as soon as possible. We have the ability to lock the Chromebook from being used from anyone. The Chromebook cannot be jail-broken to get around our system. If the Chromebook was stolen outside of the school property, you must contact the police and get a police report. The police report will need to be given to the School Administrator or Technology Department.

How will students identify their Chromebook?

All of the Chromebooks will look the same. Each Chromebook will be tagged with a district label. The district inventories all of its hardware so if a Chromebook is misplaced, we can determine who it has been assigned to. Any ID stickers that are on the Chromebook when issues must stay on the Chromebook. Chromebooks must remain free of any writing, drawing, or stickers that are not property of the Murray County School District. Never remove or alter approved Murray County School District or factory labels.

Students will be allowed to purchase cases from school or through private vendors. Ask your teacher or school for more info on the Chromebook model #.

How is the district safeguarding students while they use this technology?

The District uses a filtering system to track and monitor all computer and Internet use on the network to meet CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) requirements. The system is designed to prevent and monitor usage and access. The district may monitor usage and/or activity to fix an issue, investigate a complaint or resolve suspicious activity. The school may review files, history logs, and any other communications to maintain the integrity of the Murray County School District's network, maintain compliance with board policy and applicable laws and regulations, and to ensure that everyone is using their access responsibly. No right of privacy exists in the use of technological resources provided by the school.

Parents are still responsible for monitoring their student’s use of the Chromebook, including Internet browsing at home or in any other location where a student is able to access a wireless network outside of school.

What is the district doing to safeguard my students' privacy?

The general rules and policies of the school are guidelines for good decision making. It is the users responsibility to treat the network, technology, and its users with proper care and respect. By Law, the Murray County School District’s network and everything that connects to it is NOT private and is being monitored. No right of privacy exists in the use of technological resources provided by the school.

As for Google, there are no ads in the G Suite core services. Google does not use any user personal information (or any information associated with a Google Account) to target ads. Google does not sell G Suite data to third parties, and does not share personal information placed in their systems with third parties unless they are required by law.

Further information about Google’s security and privacy commitments can be found at https://www.google.com/edu/trust