Week 5 - September 29 - October 3, 2014
I'd like to take the opportunity to update the WWPS community on what we've accomplished, and our plans for the next week. Week 5, is in the books. It's amazing that we're almost finished getting Chromebooks out to all of our students in grades K-12. Towards the end of the post I've taken the opportunity answer some of the frequently asked questions submitted by administrators, teachers, students and parents.Chromebook Distribution
Chromebooks have been distributed to all 1-12 graders across the district, and to kindergarten students at John F. Horgan Elementary School, and Greenbush Elementary School. We only have to distribute approximately 82 machines to kindergartners at Wakefield Hills Elementary School.
Professional Development Update
Teachers across the district have taken upon themselves to share tips and tools about their Chromebooks. I have spent a lot of time at Deering Middle School this week, and it's amazing to see students and teachers sharing their knowledge about Google Apps for Education, and their Chromebooks. The West Warwick Public Schools will have a cadre of teachers and students presenting at this year's Innovation Powered by Technology Conference on October 25th at the RI Convention Center. It's not too late to register for this free event. It is a great day, and a wonderful opportunity for our teachers and students to share and learn with others across the country.
Mrs. Tarasevich has been making her way into classrooms across the district, and she's excited by what she's seeing. Students and teachers are engaging in instructional opportunities to communicate, collaborate, and create content. We'll be sharing some photos of some of her visits on our website.
Mrs. Tarasevich has been making her way into classrooms across the district, and she's excited by what she's seeing. Students and teachers are engaging in instructional opportunities to communicate, collaborate, and create content. We'll be sharing some photos of some of her visits on our website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Students & Parents
Q1: I've heard that the WWPS has ordered a hard cover for my screen. When will they be arriving?
A1: The WWPS has ordered a hard cover for the top of the Chromebook. The cover is called the Cranium. It is a sheet metal material that is sandwiched between two whiteboard sheets that adheres to the top of the screen. We have begun ordering the hard covers in bulk orders. Our first order of Craniums should be arriving early (Monday or Tuesday) of next week.
Q2: Is there a cost associated with the Cranium cover?
A2: The cost of the cover is $11.00 per unit, and the district is revising existing budgets to provide the cover to students that receive free or reduced lunch. I apologize for the tardiness of this information, but our original inquiries to existing solutions/companies proved to be too costly. The Cranium is a low cost solution that is a more reasonable cost. Our plan is to begin distribution at WWHS & DMS first.
Q3: What happens if my Chromebook gets damaged, or is not working correctly?
A3: Please bring the Chromebook to your teachers (grades K-4), and to the office if you attend Deering Middle School or West Warwick High School. Administrators will alert the IT Department, and we will respond appropriately. The IT Department will determine if a replacement Chromebook should be issued, or if we will attempt a repair on your Chromebook. If we plan on repairing your machine you will be issued a loaner though the LMC. Lester Petrarca, our technician, is working feverishly to get the last of the Chromebooks out to kindergarten students. Lester and I have also been whittling away at some of the break/fix tickets logged in our system. I anticipate that we will clear out the backlog before the end of this week.
A1: The WWPS has ordered a hard cover for the top of the Chromebook. The cover is called the Cranium. It is a sheet metal material that is sandwiched between two whiteboard sheets that adheres to the top of the screen. We have begun ordering the hard covers in bulk orders. Our first order of Craniums should be arriving early (Monday or Tuesday) of next week.
Q2: Is there a cost associated with the Cranium cover?
A2: The cost of the cover is $11.00 per unit, and the district is revising existing budgets to provide the cover to students that receive free or reduced lunch. I apologize for the tardiness of this information, but our original inquiries to existing solutions/companies proved to be too costly. The Cranium is a low cost solution that is a more reasonable cost. Our plan is to begin distribution at WWHS & DMS first.
Q3: What happens if my Chromebook gets damaged, or is not working correctly?
A3: Please bring the Chromebook to your teachers (grades K-4), and to the office if you attend Deering Middle School or West Warwick High School. Administrators will alert the IT Department, and we will respond appropriately. The IT Department will determine if a replacement Chromebook should be issued, or if we will attempt a repair on your Chromebook. If we plan on repairing your machine you will be issued a loaner though the LMC. Lester Petrarca, our technician, is working feverishly to get the last of the Chromebooks out to kindergarten students. Lester and I have also been whittling away at some of the break/fix tickets logged in our system. I anticipate that we will clear out the backlog before the end of this week.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Teachers & Administrators
Q1: What happens if my classroom experiences network issues?
A1: The district is still awaiting installation of additional access points via the Wireless Classroom Initiative (WCI). In the meantime we have ordered approximately 12 access points to handle some heavy use areas at WWHS, DMS and Greenbush schools. These access points should be installed by the end of next week. This will provide immediate relief for most of our network issues.
Q2: What happens if a Chromebook is experiencing a problem like connecting to the network?
A2: This sounds like a trite answer, but you should shut the unit down, and power it back up. Believe it or not this solves most network connection issues. If the student's Chromebooks is still experiencing a problem please report the issue to the HelpDesk via Aspen. We are still working out the best protocol for students regarding an issue with their own Chromebook.
Q1: Why can't my co-teacher and I both access our gScholar account, or Google Classroom?
A3: This is a known issue with both applications, and gScholar and Google are working on a solution. I have emailed my contacts at Google, and I'm awaiting a response from them. Once I get additional information I will make it available. In the meantime there are some work-around solutions that teachers can employ. I will send out directions to teachers early in the week.
A1: The district is still awaiting installation of additional access points via the Wireless Classroom Initiative (WCI). In the meantime we have ordered approximately 12 access points to handle some heavy use areas at WWHS, DMS and Greenbush schools. These access points should be installed by the end of next week. This will provide immediate relief for most of our network issues.
Q2: What happens if a Chromebook is experiencing a problem like connecting to the network?
A2: This sounds like a trite answer, but you should shut the unit down, and power it back up. Believe it or not this solves most network connection issues. If the student's Chromebooks is still experiencing a problem please report the issue to the HelpDesk via Aspen. We are still working out the best protocol for students regarding an issue with their own Chromebook.
Q1: Why can't my co-teacher and I both access our gScholar account, or Google Classroom?
A3: This is a known issue with both applications, and gScholar and Google are working on a solution. I have emailed my contacts at Google, and I'm awaiting a response from them. Once I get additional information I will make it available. In the meantime there are some work-around solutions that teachers can employ. I will send out directions to teachers early in the week.
By the Numbers
- Our wireless network has had over 1800 concurrent users within the last 24 hours.
- We transferred over 890 Gbs of data within that same 24 hour period.
- In the last 7 days we had 3288 active GAFE users.
- They created over 6600 documents, sent over 315,818 emails, and had over 5,770 Google Hangouts.
- We have over 3,400 students, and over 400 staff members using a Chromebook as their educational, technology tool.
Next Steps
We plan on entering the 6th week by distributing the remainder of our Chromebooks to our kindergarten students at Wakefield Hills Elementary School. I also plan on visiting classroom across the district next week to get a first hand look at some of the great ways teachers and students are integrating these tools into their learning. As always contact your teacher, school administrator, or my office if you have additional questions or concerns. Looking forward to a great week 6!
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