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Laptop Information

Laptop 101

August 04, 2008

  Highland Park ISD is committed to being an organization that encourages all students and community members to be life-long learners.  Essential to this vision is the development of the use of state-of-the-art technology that empowers teachers, students, and other adults to create learning experiences from the vast storehouse of information available both within and beyond the school building.  In educating its students for the future, the district believes that schools must take part in equipping students, teachers, and the community to use all technology efficiently. This year, the district is committed to its vision of being an EXEMPLARY district, and we believe that our technology plays a major part in this endeavor.

 Subject Integration Quick Time Videos

Social Studies Integration        English Integration Video        

                            A Parent's View

 

Student to Student Quick Time Videos

Student Video I        Student Video II

 

Policies and Information

 

MacBook Care      

 

Laptop availability makes it easier for teachers to communicate with parents and the community.  Teachers are able to e-mail parents with discipline problems as well as academic awareness.  They are also able to publish lessons on their web sites.

 

 

Every Child Counts
Funds generated by the bond election allowed HPISD to equip our students with Apple computers in grades 6-12.  During the 2005-2006 school year, a fantastic program was made possible through a partnership between the HPISD community and Apple Computers providing a laptop initiative for all secondary students. All HPISD teachers and students received laptops, a wireless network was added throughout the district and Administration building, and staff development began to implement the program into our district.  In September '05, the rollout began.  The community including parents, news stations, other districts, and the Mayor of Amarillo attended the Rollout Ceremony for the laptops.

 

Rationale for the Laptop Program
 Among other things, laptops offer the teachers a way to individualize instruction, measure progress with great precision, simulate processes, and break down geographical barriers. It is a way to improve student enthusiasm toward learning and provide equal access to all of our learners. We envision a school in which all available technologies are utilized seamlessly into the classroom creating a greater community of learning among students and faculty.


Online Subscriptions
Online subscriptions include Renaissance Place, netTrekker, NetTrekker, TMDS/TSDS,  Kidbiz and Teen Biz from Achieve 3000, Curriculum Developer, United Streaming and Turn It In.


Professional Development
Part One:  Getting Started
Teacher laptop Distribution & skills, Student roll out, Being productive from the start, Appropriate use, Digital Literacy, Curriculum and Assessment solutions, The productivity & digital media tools, Plan classroom activities, Classroom management.

Part Two: Digital Literacy
Teachers learn more about how to use the curriculum and assessment solutions, working with teachers as they implement activities in their classrooms, working with teachers to use data to plan teaching and learning activities.
Part Three:  Maximizing Student Achievement
Teachers begin to rethink ways they ask students to engage in content, Teachers design & implement standards-based, technology supported lessons & units, Working with teachers to design learning environments that use the technology solutions to promote higher-order thinking & critical problem solving in addressing core content areas, Continued in-classroom support and co-teaching.

Instructional Design
The key to good classroom management in a one to one school is acknowledging their is no one way to ensure that laptops are being used correctly.  Highland Park ISD has provided teachers with a software that remotely connects to each students laptop allowing teacher access and viewing of the desktop.  Traditional disciplines of room design and monitoring student to student are also used.  Effective instruction is a key that is also important.


 

Social Networking

MySpace.com and other similar sites are designed to allow people to share their personal information, including pictures, names and addresses, schools they attend, cell and home phone numbers, and pretty much any information they can think of. The minimum age requirement of MySpace.com is 13 years old; however the safeguards they use to verify age are not foolproof. The content contained within MySpace.com is not monitored nor are contacts that your child may make. Below is an excerpt taken from MySpace.com:

 NetSmartz - A helpful site for parents.

“…However, there are problems with minors lying about their age and posting profiles; there are problems with some adult members using the site to harass members or solicit illegal activities; there are problems with sexually explicit images posted as well—all of which violate MySpace’s Acceptable Use Policies”.

http://www.myspace.com/misc/WiredSafety_ORG.html

 

We advise you to find out if your child has a profile on MySpace.com or any other social-network website. MySpace.com allows you to search using an e-mail address or even narrowing it down by school. To protect your student, use of MySpace.com in the Highland Park School District is prohibited and filtered. However, we will take every measure we can to prevent additional access to such sites while at school.

 

Beginning Monday, November 6, 2006, consequences of accessing any social network (MySpace.com) while at school will be as follows:

 

1st offense- Removal of laptop for 6 weeks.

2nd offense- Removal of laptop for semester.

3rd offense- Laptop will be taken from student for remainder of year.

In addition, the student will spend 1 or more days in ISS for any of these offenses.

 

As in many schools, we have found that some students use technology to communicate with peers in inappropriate and hurtful ways. Consequently reactions and emotions spill over into the students’ school work and their relationships with classmates. Our Staff will deeply appreciate any efforts that you make to monitor your child’s use of the Internet and phones/cell phones while at home, so that we can help all students concentrate on their academic work while in school rather than be focused on interactions outside of school.

 

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

 

 

Highland Park Independent School District

 

 
 

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