Technology Use at School

We live in a global and digital world -- a world changed by technology and new ideas about how we communicate with one another and exchange information. As a result, students must develop the research, information fluency, and technology skills that will allow them to be successful, safe, and ethical in this digital world. For this reason, students are provided computer access at school and at home, as well as access to the Internet, email, digital communication and collaboration tools, online learning spaces, and electronic educational resources. These resources, tools, and equipment are essential to teaching and learning.

Student Computing Devices

All students in Northshore have access to a computing device for their learning needs.  Students in grades Kindergarten and Grade 1 use iPads in carts in their classrooms.  Students in grades 2-12 are assigned a Chromebook for their use and take the device home each day for continued learning opportunities.  Students and families are expected to care for district-assigned computing devices at all times, including when devices are used at home.  For more information about how devices are used or to request more information, please contact your school's office staff or school technology specialist.

Standard Applications & Accounts

Standard applications and accounts that are configured for student use include (but are not limited to):

• Active Directory: Each student is given an account in Active Directory that they will use to log on to any district-owned computer within the district network and provide them with access to a cloud-based folder where their important documents and projects can be stored.  These credentials are also used to access our Library Catalog, GoogleApps for Education Environment, and Online Grades portal.
• Northshore’s Google Apps for Education Environment: This education-focused Google Apps environment is hosted by Google, and managed by the District.  This collection of online applications provides students with a Google email account, calendar, and access to GoogleDrive, where students can create, share, and publish documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and other artifacts of their learning. The District creates and manages user accounts; manages access to applications and email based on grade level organizations; and manages permissions. For example, email accounts the District creates for elementary students can only communicate with other email accounts created by the District. (Note that Google Apps for Education (GAFE) accounts are covered by more restrictive data privacy practices than “regular” Google accounts, including a restriction on advertising and the use of student data for advertising purposes. GAFE also was an early signatory to the Student Privacy Pledge.)
• Online Curriculum Systems: Most of the curriculum adopted in the District is accompanied by or depends on access to an online system where content and assessments are stored.  Many of these systems require students to have a unique account created for them which allows them to access supplemental video content, take quizzes, and strengthen their understanding about the ideas in a content area.  For District-wide curriculum, the District creates and manages these accounts.  In these cases, the terms of use and privacy policies are reviewed thoroughly before providing any student account data to the vendor.

Under the Federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the District is required to filter Internet access and to teach online safety.  The District takes your student’s safety and privacy very seriously and makes every effort to supervise and monitor student technology use.  We use Internet filtering software to block access to content that is obscene, pornographic, or harmful to minors. We provide instruction to all students in the area of Digital Citizenship through use of District-approved curriculum from Common Sense Media.