Proposal to restrict Chrome extensions

Current Policy:   Students can select and install any chrome extension they would like on their chromebook device.   We do block a few specific extensions that are known to cause issues or are inappropriate.

Problem:  There’s a growing number of inappropriate extensions and we’re seeing students who download too many extensions which cause problems for their Google account, which impacts any chromebook they use.

Suggested Change in Policy:   We will “white list” or allow a set of known reliable extensions. Staff and students can request specific extensions that need to be allowed using the online form at:  http://www.wdmcs.org/departments/technology/chromebook-1-1/chrome–extension-approval-request/ 

Note:  Only students will be restricted, staff will continue to have access to all chrome extensions.

 

Questions for you:

1.  Any thoughts/concerns related to making this change?

 

2.  Do you have any specific chrome extensions that you want students to be able to access and use?
Use the form to add them: http://www.wdmcs.org/departments/technology/chromebook-1-1/chrome–extension-approval-request/

more details:

Q1. When would this change happen?

A1.  We’re looking at the end of May.

Q2. Will students be notified of this change?

A2.  Yes, we’re working on a message that will be sent to student electronically, as well as posted online and in Infinite Campus

Q3. Will students be able to submit extensions that they want access to?
A3.  Yes.  The form available at http://www.wdmcs.org/departments/technology/chromebook-1-1/chrome-extension-approval-request/ is for staff or students to make requests.

Update on 1:1 Policies & Procedures

Update on 1:1 planning on March 28th, 2017:

Q1. What’s the update on policies and procedures related to the 1:1 rollout?
A1.  A few weeks ago, each building principal was sent a Google Doc checklist containing 15 questions that each building should be considering as part of their building rollout.  On April 6th, during Admin Job Alike meetings, we will collect feedback from the schools and attempt to standardize any aspects/policies that the group identifies as needing to be consistent among grade levels.

Q2.  How do I get involved in the discussion about 1:1 policies/procedures at my building?
A2.  You’re welcome to contact your building administrators.

Q3.  What are the items/questions on the checklist that were sent to schools?

#1  Between now and spring break inspect Chromebook carts; turn in Help Desk tickets.  Why?  It takes time to repair broken devices and they need to be repaired before this summer, so we are ready to have them available for students.

#2  Between spring break and last week of school

Continue to put in Help Desk tickets

#3  Last week of school

• Ensure techs have padlock combinations for carts
• Bring carts to media centers (or designated space)
• Techs will help with moving individual Chromebooks as needed
• Adam Rinehart (district tech) will contact each Teacher Librarian to ensure inventory.

#4  Please tell us what room/location you will be storing the Chromebooks at the last day of school?  (Ideally, this is also the same location where you will store the Chromebooks during the summer and the same location where students will sign them out at the start of school)

#5  How are you rolling out the Chromebooks at the start of the school year?
District Advice: We recommend that secondary schools look at Back to School registration.  For elementary schools, we recommend assigning them to students the first few days of school and not allow students to take them home until signed parent forms are returned.  The actual take home date for elementary students may depend on the age of the students.

#6  How will parents be presented with the agreement to sign?  (this relates to when/how you will assign them to students).  Also consider: where will you store the signed forms?  Also consider:  Are there additional aspects/notes that you want added to the student/parent agreement?  (the current agreement is available at: https://wdmtech.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/final-ntn-agreement.docx )  We’ll be looking to make modifications to this agreement this spring and our intention is to have one agreement for all schools, so please let us know if there are additions/changes you would like to see.

#7  What if a parent refuses to sign the agreement and take the device home? What happens?
Our recommendation:  New Tech Network schools have reported that this will happen with only a few families.  In those cases, the teachers kept the device at school.  They found over time that many of them requested to go ahead and take it home.

#8  What policy is your school using with regards to the requirement to take the device at all? Can students use personal devices in lieu of the chromebook?
District Advice:  We have no advice for you on this topic – we want to know what you are thinking on this topic and then we may end talking at job alike meetings to look for consistency among grade levels.

#9  How do you want to handle printing?
Printing can be turned on for Chromebooks – but it is per printer.  If you decide to turn printing on for a specific “printer“ – then all students in the building have access to that printer.  You are welcome to contact Brian Abeling or Mark Vance and they’ll work through the details of printing with your team.

#10  What happens when a student forgets to charge their device at home?
District advice:  NTN schools report that most students come with their device charged.  When someone brings a Chromebook and it’s not charged, it’s not the end of the world.  Generally, have the student look for a seat near an outlet.  The takeaway here – it’s important to make sure you have this discussion with your staff – so everyone is on the same page.

#11 What happens when a student forgets to bring their device back to school?

District advice:  What we’ve learned from NTN schools is that your staff needs to have a consistent answer.  If you offer the students a loaner when they forget – they will forget it again.

#12  Where are you going to store the spare chromebooks?
District advice:  So far, most NTN schools store the spares in the media center (since they are checked in/out through the library management system). However, this does not mean the teacher librarian has to be responsible for handling all repairs/checkin or that they are the only person responsible for it.

#13  How are you collecting them at the end of the year?

District advice:  We don’t have a set answer for you, as each of the New Tech Network schools does it differently. Considerations:  Will students need the device all the way through final assessments? Should they be turned in after finals or before?  How will you organize/store the devices to make it easy to find and re-assign the same device to students next fall?

#14. Can students keep them over the summer?
District advice:  In general, the answer is no –  which is due to the high mobility rate of most families, meaning that you could be missing a large percentage of your devices if they not checked in during the summer.  However, if you have students who are assigned to summer program (Stretching Minds) or taking summer coursework or online courses, then yes, you are welcome to consider checking them out on a case-by-case basis.

#15. What are your plans / needs for training?
The district is providing two days of face-to-face training in April for all Teacher Leaders – and you are encouraged to ask for their assistance in planning building-level training.  In addition, the district will be providing professional development courses related to 1:1 and Canvas, but that training is optional.