Natick Public Schools

Laptop Information Session MS School Parents – June 10, 2015

because it’s the right thing…

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Engaging students and making education relevant is critical...for our schools to continue to effectively and fully prepare the citizens and leaders of tomorrow.

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But know…it’s not the ONLY thing. Learning in a technology environment is still a social endeavor.

Tools to Enhance the Learning Process

Student Equipment 13” MacBook Air Specifications:

13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy display - 1.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz) - 128GB flash storage - 4GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard ram

3 Year Warranty Laptop Charger Protective Bag

Tools to Enhance the Learning Process

Robust and Secure Infrastructure

School Wide Wireless Internet Filtering

Mobile Device Management

Robust and Secure Infrastructure

Students will not have administrative rights to the laptop!

Standard software image is maintained district wide.

Allows faster deployment and fewer surprises in the classroom!

Internet Filtering Services

 The web filtering service we implemented within the district follows laptops everywhere they go.

 Supervision is still recommended in school and home – use of a filter is no guarantee – no monitoring solution is fool proof  Our filtering solution provides detailed reporting by username and computer ID. School staff has the ability to view the content of a student laptop at any time

Robust and Secure Infrastructure

Mobile Device Management 1.

Software Distribution 2.

Establishing Policies 3.

Remote Monitoring 4.

Inventory Control

Robust and Secure Infrastructure

Carts for Secure Storage and Charging while in School

Summary of Student Safety & Security

• No Administrative rights to the laptop • Roaming Internet Filter at School and Home • Email provided to students archived for 1 year • Anti-Virus Software provided • Casper Suite for Mobile Device Management and Monitoring

Help Desk Center & Technical Support

 Technology Team is based at each school and has a Help Desk staffed by a certified Apple technician.

 Technical support is available from 7:30 am until 3pm.  Students can stop by the Help Desk Center with questions and problems during homeroom or other appropriate times.

After Hours Technical Support

 The school district has purchased an Apple Care Protection plan with each laptop.

 This allows you to contact Apple directly for help with hardware or software issues:  800-APL-CARE (800-275-2273)  http://www.apple.com/buy/locator/service

Laptop Warranty & Annual Fee

 All computers are covered by Apple’s warranty against manufacturer’s defects for three years.

 On-line payment and NPS Student & Parent/Guardian laptop agreement will be available for 2015-2016 school year up until Tuesday June 23, 2015.

 After June 23 rd , the NPS Student & Parent/Guardian laptop agreement needs to be signed and $75 check made out to the Natick Public Schools before laptops are distributed at the start of school.  The Natick School District’s Laptop Computer Accidental Damage/Loss Policy is in place to cover most issues that may arise with the laptop

What the $75 will not cover...

If the machine is dropped (Apple voids the warranty) If the laptop/charger was “stolen” because it was left UNATTENDED If damage is due to not following the Required Use Policy

Laptop Accidental Damage/Loss Policy

Tiered approach for damage and repairs: -

Tier I

$0 (Minor wear and tear covered by annual laptop fee) -

Tier II

keyboard) $100 (Moderate damage or part replacement, ie: broken -

Tier III

$200 (More expensive repair due to spill damage, cracked screen, dropped laptop) -

Tier IV

– Full value of the device if lost or stolen. GPS tracking will be used when a police report is filed.

Parent Resources for Laptops

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Laptop Rules & Regulations for MS

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http://www.natickps.org/departme nts/technology/laptopprogram/eig hthgrade.cfm

Middle School Distribution and Discipline

Middle school laptops will be distributed by teaching teams within the first few weeks of school accompanied by an extensive safety orientation, organizational assistance, and instruction on being a successful student in a 1:1 environment

. This is now a part of how we teach study skills grades 5-8.

The middle school behavior rubrics outline discipline expectations and consequences.

Logins/Passwords

 Students have been issued their login and password information.  Students should not change passwords. The same username and password is used for network access, iPass, Moodle and Destiny, Google, etc.

 Students must not share their password with anyone!!

Data Backup

 Students are ultimately responsible for backing up their data.

 Students can now sync personal files to Google Drive. Instructions will be provided with laptop.

 For students creating a lot of large files, like photos and videos, they may prefer to provide their own flash drives or external hard drive to backup.  Laptops will be collected by the last day of school each year and completely wiped to start next school year clean.

Laptop Care

Carry in provided case at all times – limit other items in laptop bags Charge nightly Visit Help Desk Center at first sign of trouble (don’t put it off) Do not walk around with laptop open Do not leave unattended (charger and laptop) Avoid eating and drinking near laptop Careful when using around young children and pets Property of NPS, entrusted to the student to benefit their education

Taking Care of Your Laptop

 Do not leave ANYTHING on the keyboard when closing your laptop  Don’t use your computer as a folder to store papers  Keep your laptop in your carrying case when you aren’t using it.  Keep your laptop away from dampness or wet weather, such as rain, snow, and fog

Taking Care of Your Laptop

 Keep your laptop away from extreme heat or cold. Leaving it in an unventilated car or in the sun could damage it. If your laptop has been exposed to cold conditions for a long period of time, let it warm up to room temperature before you use it.

 Close the lid gently from the center and wait for the sleep light to pulse before moving the laptop.

 Remember, laptops don’t like to be bounced around, and screens will break if enough pressure is applied to them.

 The laptop must be returned in similar condition – no stickers, scratches, writing, engraving or defacement.

Using Your Laptop

 Set up your laptop on a stable work surface  Keep your laptop away from water or other liquids  When attaching the power adapter to the laptop, make sure the cord isn’t stretched too tight; it should be a little loose  Don’t insert things, especially metal, into any openings of your laptop

Using Your Laptop

 Be patient. Sometimes computers take a few seconds to think –so don’t start pounding on the keys if your laptop doesn’t respond right away  Plug in your laptop when you get home from school so your battery will be fully charged for the next day. Your laptop does not have a replaceable battery  If you have problems with your laptop, stop using it and ask your teacher for assistance, and/or report it to the school computer technician.

Cleaning Your Laptop

 Don’t spray liquid directly on the laptop  Do not mark the laptop in any way with markers, stickers, etc. Each laptop is labeled with a district identification barcode and student id label. Do not remove these labels

Battery Tips

 Bring laptop to school fully charged each day  Use until discharged – don’t short charge – let the battery go completely dead at least once a month  Please bring your charger to school each day in the event you need to plug-in.

 Review battery conservation tips in ‘Section 2 : Care and Maintenance” section of the handbook.

Protecting Your Laptop

 Be wary of theft – it’s very easy to walk away with a laptop -Keep in constant contact with your laptop -Do not leave your laptop unattended -Whenever possible, lock up your laptop

Internet Safety and Safe Use in the Schools

Student Training • Students receive training on the use of the laptop • Students receive training on Internet safety • Ergonomic advice/training on 1:1 site

Internet safety guidelines for Students

1. Never give out personal information 2. Never use parents’ credit card online 3. Never share passwords with anyone 4. Never arrange a face-to-face meeting 5. Don’t open e-mail if you don’t know who sent it 6. Don’t click on banner adds or pop-up ads on websites 7. Never use bad language or send threatening e-mail

Suggested Guidelines For Home Internet Use

Parents should set and enforce rules for home Internet use • Have computer in a common room (not in the bedroom with the door closed!) • Time limit on Internet, instant messaging, social networking sites, online gaming, etc.

• Parents should ask and know student’s personal username and password

Home Internet Safety

Suggestions concerning e-mail • Parents should have access to students’ e-mail • Threatening e-mail should never be sent • Attachments bring danger of viruses • Spam=Junk mail=Don’t reply

Resources

1:1 Site http://www.natickps.org/districtinfo/forstudents/onetoone.cfm

• Internet Safety: http://www.natickps.org/Departments/technology/laptopprogram/I f nternet%20Safety%20and%20Social%20Networking%20Tips.pd

• Natick’s Digital Conversion Story http://npsdigitalconversion.wordpress.com/ • On Limit Setting and Technology/Family Values http://drjessematthews.com/2013/02/21/setting-limits-on-technology whats-best-for-my-family/