Mansfield Public Schools
January 23, 2020
MANSFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOLS - CHROMEBOOK EXPANSION PLAN
Parents and Guardians,
During the 2019-2020 school year, Mansfield Public Schools began a 3-year plan to expand student access to the wealth of online learning applications and resources by increasing the number of Chromebooks for students in grades 2-12. Through this initiative, we will combine the best teaching practices with the power of digital tools to inspire, empower, and engage all students. The goal of this communication is to inform you of the timeline of our Chromebook Expansion Plan and how it will look at various grades. Please note that this plan was developed to work within our available resources and technology support.
3-Year Plan:
2019-2020 (current school year)
ROB - Sets of 5 Chromebooks shared between pairs of grade 2 classrooms.
J/J - Sets of 5 Chromebooks in each grade 3-5 classroom.
QMS - Full classroom sets of Chromebooks for grades 6-8. Devices remain at school.
MHS - Chromebook Carts shared by each department.
2020-2021
ROB - Sets of 5 Chromebooks in all grade 2 classrooms.
J/J - Sets of 5 Chromebooks in grade 3 and 4 classrooms.
J/J- Full classroom sets of Chromebooks for grade 5 classrooms. Chromebooks will remain at school.
QMS - Full classroom sets in grade 6 and 7.
QMS & MHS - A Chromebook will be issued to all students in grades 8 and 9 for educational use in school and at home.
In the coming months, there will be in-depth communication to grade 8 & 9 students and families to explain this initiative.
2021-2022
ROB - Sets of 5 Chromebooks in all grade 2 classrooms.
J/J - Sets of 5 Chromebooks in grade 3 and 4 classrooms.
J/J & QMS - Continue to have full classroom sets in grades 5 through 7 classes.
QMS / MHS - Issue Chromebooks to all students in grades 8 through 12 for educational use in school and at home.
** Note - there will be a select number of shared Chromebook carts at each elementary school for whole class use.
We are committed to ongoing communication throughout the school year and will provide regular updates. A website specific to the Chromebook Expansion Plan will be unveiled this spring and will house a wealth of information including many frequently asked questions. Once the website is live, an announcement will be made.
A Sample of Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the benefits of a Chromebook program?
Provide greater access to information
Increase opportunities for student learning
Increase student engagement and opportunities to collaborate
Increase learning time, as the technology tool and applications can promote greater efficiency
Why a Chromebook rather than another device like a laptop?
Faster start up = more time for learning
Cost effective
More efficient for IT to maintain and push out new applications and configurations
Compliments our adoption of G-Suite
Will students use the Chromebooks all day and should there be a concern about too much screen time?
No, students will not be on the device all day. Inside the classroom the teacher will drive instruction and selectively decide when and how often to use the device. Outside the classroom, the student and parent/guardian will control screen time.
In closing, we are excited to undertake this initiative and see tremendous potential in creating a learning environment that reflects the world in which our students will learn and work. We are grateful to the Mansfield Community for their support of the Chromebook Expansion Plan in order to make this educational improvement in our schools. If you have questions, please feel free to contact your building principal.
Sincerely,
Michael Connolly, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning
Julia Greenstine, Director of Digital Learning
Lori Letendre, Director of Technology
Contact Information
Email: school.notifications@mansfieldschools.com
Website: www.mansfieldschools.com
Location: 2 Park Row, Mansfield, MA, USA
Phone: 508-261-7500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mansfield-Public-Schools-508839202499633/
Twitter: @MansfieldSchool