FAQ's
Digital Learning Plan
Which students will be given access to a district issued iPad?
What access do students in grades K-4 have?
Is the District issued iPad mandatory for students?
Will the wireless network handle all of these devices?
What filters are in place to ensure safety and security?
How is this Digital Learning Plan funded?
Will students keep their iPads over summer break?
The iPad
Should students invest in a wireless keyboard and/or stylus?
What should students do if their iPad needs repair?
What happens if my child misplaces his or her iPad?
What happens if my child damages his or her iPad?
Is there a fee?
Can students bring their own personal device to school?
Can students use their own protective case?
What can students do to protect and secure their iPad?
Can students decorate or personalize their case?
Can students charge their iPads at school?
What happens to the iPads at the end of the 4 year lease?
Apps
Will students be able to download any app they want?
What apps are available in the Pulaski Self Service Store?
Home Access
Will students be able to use their devices at home?
What if a family doesn't have wireless internet access at home?
Will there be any training for parents?
Learning
Why is technology literacy important?
Will there still be classroom instruction and learning that doesn't involve technology?
Will students carry fewer textbooks once they have the iPads?
Will all the content on the iPads be backed up daily?
What are the consequences for misuse or inappropriate use of the device?
What should students do with their iPads during Phy Ed and/or extracurricular activities?
Digital Learning Plan
Which students will be given access to a district issued iPad?
Students in grades 5-12 will be provided an iPad. Students in 5th grade will carry the iPad with them to each class but leave the iPad at school overnight. Students in 6th-12th grade will carry the iPad with them to each class as well as home. Students in grades 6-12 are expected to bring their iPad to school fully charged each day.
Students in grades 5-8 will be provided with iPad Air 2's. Students in grades 9-11 will be provided with iPad Airs. In order to be able to provide iPads to all high school students, the District is able to repurpose iPad 2's to students in grade 12. These students will have the ability to purchase the iPad 2's at the end of the school year for a reasonable rate.
What access do students in grades K-4 have?
Each K-3 classroom has a 5 pack of iPads for shared access among students. Each 4th Grade classroom has a 10 pack of iPads for shared access among students. These iPads have been refreshed this year within the lease so they have iPad Air 2's with 64 GB of storage space.
Is the District issued iPad mandatory for students?
Yes, students in grades 5-12 will need the iPad during the school day just like they need other educational tools such as books, pens, etc. All students will need the iPads to access class materials, participate in learning activities, complete homework and access online content for learning. Students may opt out of taking the iPad home.
Will the wireless network handle all of these devices?
The schools' wireless networks were upgraded the summer of 2014 and 2016 to increase speed and capacity. An increase of bandwidth was also made to handle the increased access of content on student and staff devices.
What filters are in place to ensure safety and security?
The District has a multi-tiered filter in place that will block students from inappropriate web content when on school networks. While at school, student access to the Internet is managed by the Pulaski Community School District, using measure that comply with the Child Internet Protection Act. While at home, this responsibility, as well as the responsibility of monitoring access to other inappropriate content on the device, is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Filtering software is not built into the iPad. The District provides filters and blocks potentially harmful sites on the school's wireless network so students can't access them; children often have complete, unrestricted access to inappropriate sites at home. Experts strongly suggest installing software to filter and block inappropriate content on your wireless home network. One such solution that has a free version is OpenDNS. Some of these products also offer additional protection features such as cell phone filtering, text message, photo screening tools, and digital footprint/ reputation monitoring.
How is this Digital Learning Plan funded?
The Pulaski Community School District purchased the devices using multiple internal funds in support of devices for students. This type of funding is not new to the District and has previously been designated for building and department budgets.
Will students keep their iPads over summer break?
Yes, students will be able to keep their devices over the summer. If parents would prefer not to have the iPad at home during summer, they can check in and secure the iPad at the Technology Department Office. The device must be complete with charging cube and cable, and must be undamaged at check-in. Your child's school building will NOT be responsible for storing devices over the summer. If families are unable to secure the iPad over the summer, they should make arrangements to use the district check-in process.
The iPad
Should students invest in a wireless keyboard and/or stylus?
The use of these devices is a personal preference. We suggest holding off on buying these items unless you know your son or daughter requires their use. From our experience, student like using them at first, but as they become more familiar with the iPads, end up preferring the on-screen keyboard. Once your son or daughter gets comfortable typing on the iPad, you can better decide what works best for his or her need.
The District will have keyboards available for checkout through the library as well as available in English classrooms for use.
What should students do if their iPad needs repair?
If the device is non-functioning students should go to the library to create a help desk ticket as well as checkout a loaner. If the device is functioning, the student should create a help desk ticket and a technician will fix the issue. Pulaski Community Middle School and Pulaski High School will have scheduled times where students can bring their devices to the library where a Tech Ninja (student helper) or technician will troubleshoot and fix the issue.
What happens if my child misplaces his or her iPad?
The Technology Helpdesk should be contacted at (920) 822-6070 to enable "Lost Mode." This will allow us to utilize the District's Mobile Device Management solution to locate the iPad based on last logged location.
What happens if my child damages his or her iPad?
If your family has paid for the District insurance plan, the student will receive up to 2 paid service and repair instances. If the family has selected to self insure, the family would need to work with their insurance carrier and a repair service.
Yes, the district is offering an insurance plan for families to save on repairs. This is an annual insurance fee which covers up to 2 repairs and service on the device per year. The fee for students in grades 6-10 is $35/iPad Air or iPad Air 2. The fee for students in grades 11-12 is $25/iPad 2 with an option to purchase a heavy duty case for $10, which would minimize damage. There is a a cap for families of $70.
Families may choose to opt out of the district offered insurance fee by signing a waiver that stipulates you will work with your private insurance company and pay for all necessary repairs.
There is no fee for students in grade 5.
The most common repair is screen replacement. To give you an idea of how much a single screen replacement costs, these are the current costs our repair service charges: iPad 2- $95, iPad Air- $210, iPad Air 2- $195.
Can students bring their own personal device to school?
A personal device can be brought to school, but, the District owned iPad is still necessary for students. Personal devices do not have the same functionality as a District issued iPad as they are not enrolled in our management suite, providing network access, apps and management settings. The District also cannot load licensed apps on personal equipment. In addition, the District is not able to provide technical support for personal devices
Can students use their own protective case?
No, the District has selected the cases based on durability and additional protection to minimize any potential damage.
What can students to do protect and secure their iPad?
Student iPads should not be left unattended. When not in their personal possession, the iPad should be in a secure, locked environment. Unattended iPads found in the building will be collected and turned into the school's office. Each iPad is assigned to an individual and the responsibility for the care of the iPad rests with that individual. iPads should not be lent to others. Students should add a passcode to their iPad to secure their personal information on the iPad.
Can students decorate or personalize their case?
No, we ask that students do not write on, color, add stickers, etc. to the cases. Students can personalize their device by adding their own background.
Can students charge their iPads at school?
Students in grades 6-12 are responsible for bringing their iPad to school each day fully charged. Charging lockers are available for recharge throughout the day at PHS and charging stations in the library at PCMS. Students are encouraged to use the charging lockers at times they are not in class such as lunch, PLT or team study, etc.
Student iPads in grades K-5 have charging stations within the classroom.
What happens to the iPads at the end of the 4 year lease?
The iPads will travel with students in grades 6-10 for their academic career. After four years of usage, the iPads will be replaced with a new device. The District, at that time, will look into a couple options: a buying opportunity for students and a buyback program for a recycling company.
Apps
Will students be able to download any app they want?
No, educational apps are available in the Pulaski Self Service App Store which is an app on each student device. The Pulaski App Store houses apps that have been approved for appropriateness and alignment to curriculum. Any app can be requested by students or staff, but all will go through the same review process. Apps can be requested by completing this form.
Students are not able to access the Apple App or iTunes stores on the district issued iPads.
What apps are available in the Pulaski Self Service App Store?
To see the current list of apps available in the Pulaski App store, click here. Apps have been selected from their educational value as well as teacher and student request.
Home Access
Will students be able to use their devices at home?
Students in grades K-5 will only be using their iPads during the school day, so their iPads will stay in school. Students in grades 6-12 will be assigned an iPad and can take the iPad home to continue learning and complete homework. iPads can connect to home wifi networks and access all resources. Students without access to wifi at home, can use offline access of files available in many apps on the iPad.
What if a family doesn’t have wireless internet (wifi) access at home?
Data collected through the Bright Bytes survey shows 97% of our student body have Internet access at home of whom 96% is wireless internet access.
If a family does not have wifi at home, many of the apps have the ability to work with them offline. The iPad itself also has 64 GB of storage space to store project files to work on at home offline.
Will there be any training or information for parents?
Parents will be an integral part of the rollout process with students. There will not only be informational sessions for parents, but also parents will be included in the initial training process with their children.
Throughout the year, parents will continue to be provided with tips and tricks for using iPads as well as lists of apps their children are using in school or could use to complete homework and projects. We recommend you follow the District's Twitter account for all tips, tricks and latest information. Go to Twitter.com and search for @pcsd. Then, click the Follow button.
Learning
Why is technology literacy important?
Jobs today require technology skills such as using technology to find information, communicate locally and globally, create projects and present information. Students need to know how to navigate devices and use technology in ethical, appropriate ways. Also, the state’s standardized tests moved from a multiple choice paper and pencil test to a computer-based, problem-based exam, making technology literacy for students increasingly important.
Yes, teachers will still use traditional teaching methods and ask students to complete assignments or projects using tools other than an iPad when there is a subject-matter or developmental need. A balanced approach is best for learning: using digital tools, paper resources, talking with each other and more all are essential and encouraged for today's learners.
Will students carry fewer textbooks once they have the iPads?
Yes, our goal is to transition to digital texts. As textbook companies further develop their content into digital formats, we will look to purchase digital texts when they are readily available with current, quality content as well as cost effective.
Will all the content on the iPads be backed up by the District?
No, it is the student's responsibility to back up content on the iPads. We encourage students to back them up daily or at least weekly. The Pulaski Community School District uses Google Apps for Education, so when a student does work in any Google apps their work is automatically stored in Google Drive. The Google Photos app automatically backs up any photos or videos located in the camera roll on the iPad. This app can be downloaded from the Self Service store. Instructions will be available for individual apps that do not automatically backup to iCloud or Google Apps.
What are the consequences for misuse or inappropriate use of the device?
The iPads are part of the District's overall Learning Services and Technology Plan. As a result, the District's Acceptable Use Policy and school discipline policies apply as they would for other technology and classroom resource use in the school.
What should students do with their iPads during Phy Ed and/or extracurricular activities?
Students should keep their iPad safe and secure as they do other personal items such as smartphones, textbooks, purses and wallets. iPads are not allowed in locker rooms. During Phy Ed and extracurricular activities students are advised to lock them in their lockers or another safe place.