FAQs
For Parents
Why did the district choose a 1:1 Initiative?
• Every student can have the necessary information "anytime" and "anywhere"
• Supports differentiation of instruction and personalized learning
• Provides a continuous interactive environment
• Allows for individual practice and extends learning
• Provides an opportunity for grade 8 students to prepare for the transition to the HS where it is BYOD without having to expend money on a device
Will students be getting training?
Students will have orientation lessons on how to use the Chromebooks. Students will also be involved in lessons regarding the Acceptable Use Agreement and digital citizenship.
What are the expectations for the model?
Specific guidelines and expectations can be found at the following links
Students will have a Chromebook assigned to them in the same way textbooks are assigned.
All Chromebooks will be handed out with covers that must remain on the Chromebooks at all times.
Students must maintain the Chromebook and cover as they do textbooks and return them at the end of the year.
What happens if the Chromebook my child is issued has technical issues and/or is in need of repair?
If a student’s Chromebook is not working, they can drop their assigned Chromebook off at the library and exchange it for a working one.
Will my child be able to bring the Chromebook home?
Yes. They will be expected to bring their assigned Chromebook home every night to charge.
Will my child be able to use the Chromebook at home?
Students can use the Chromebooks at home by connecting to their family's wireless network. Students will access the Internet by connecting to the wireless at home. The school settings and filtering will continue on the Chromebook at home.
Can my child leave the Chromebook at school?
Students must take the Chromebook home each night for charging. We do not have secure charging available for every student at school.
Does my child have to use the school Chromebook at home?
No, students can use their family devices at home and use their families filtering.
How will my child connect to the Internet with the Chromebook at home?
Students will access the Internet by connecting to the wireless at home. The device will be filtered by the school's filtering product as well as any filtering the family may have set up on a home firewall/router.
Will there be filtering on the Chromebook while my child is at home?
The school devices have filtering on them with the school settings. Students cannot uninstall this filtering, it is a forced install. Students can always use a family owned computer while at home and use the filtering software and settings of the family's choosing.
Can my child use a personal account to log into the school Chromebook when at home?
No, each student must use their school account to login. The Chromebook settings are locked and cannot be altered.
What if I want my child to be able to access different things on the Chromebook like Netflix?
It depends on the program they want to access. If it is blocked at school, no. If anything has to be downloaded or added to the machine, students will not be able to access the program. If the program only requires a browser window and it is not blocked at school, yes.
How does the district decide what to filter?
Our general philosophy for web filtering is summarized below:
The educational benefit of the Internet outweighs its potential for harm, and access to it should be as open as possible after taking into account Federal law, age appropriateness of the user, network security, and District administrative policy.
More specifically:
For all users, we block content as required under Federal law (i.e., CIPA), as well as content identified by the filtering services to be dangerous to our users/IT infrastructure (e.g., phishing websites or websites disseminating viruses or other malware)
Web filtering is less restrictive as the student age increases - thus the elementary level is the most restrictive while high school level the least.
Categories which are vague or subjective (e.g., "Discrimination") are allowed when age-appropriate.
Categories which have moral or political dimensions (e.g., "Sex Education") are allowed when age-appropriate.
Web filtering is performed by using two levels of granularity:
Categories - Included in our filtering system. Both vendor staff and AI technology categorize websites throughout the world.
URL Filtering - URL filtering enables us to allow or block a website by its address or URL. This can be used to override categorical filtering for a website, or to block a website which is not yet categorized.
For Students
Where can I find the Acceptable Use Agreement for middle school students?
http://bms.westportps.org/general/acceptable-use-policy or https://cms.westportps.org/general/acceptable-use-policy
Do I have to use the Chromebook at home?
No. Students can use a family device at home and just charge the school device.
Can I add anything to my Chromebook?
No, the settings on the Chromebook won't allow students to add anything of their own to it.
Can I decorate my Chromebook?
No, it is always fun to decorate and make something your own, but the district must continue to service the machines and we must keep them all standard looking.
How will I be able to tell me Chromebook from others if I can't decorate it?
Before you get a Chromebook a sticker with your name, grade, and homeroom will be placed on the bottom.
Why can't I bring in my own device?
There are more and more types of software that we push out through the Chromebooks that are needed by your teachers for class. These software applications are not available for download or they do not work the same on your own device. We need to make sure that what you bring to class has everything needed.
Can I log in with a different Google Account on my Chromebook?
No, the settings on the Chromebook won't allow you to log on with any account other than your school Google account.
What happens if my Chromebook stops working in school?
Ask you teacher for the best time to take your Chromebook to the library media center. Once there, turn it in to the library para. You will be given a loaner.
What happens if my Chromebook stops working at home?
You can use any machine at home. If your device stops working at home, switch over to a family device. When you arrive at school, take your Chromebook to the library media center and turn it in to the library para. You will be given a loaner.