highlandmum wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:53 am
Our high school students get a Chromebook to use from grade 9 to grade 12. However is should not be the schools responsibility to provide WiFi for students. WiFi is not a one solution fits all and it could be a logistical nightmare to ensure students receive it. We have rural areas around us that can only use Mobile Satellite internet, others have DSL, others are on Fiber Optic. How would school also control who uses the internet, it could potentially be used by everyone in the household.
That’s part of the problem with this school district as well, there’s a lot of rural areas besides the fact that it’s a pretty poor school district.
Location: Lost in my own mind. Enter at your own risk.
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Schools these days don't provide anything for students. Have you seen the list of stuff that teacher's want the parents to buy? I went back to school shopping with my SIL last year for my nieces, and the list she had was outrageous. And my niece is only 6. She was starting kindergarten.
Why would they provide computers and WiFi when they won't even provide glue sticks?
highlandmum wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:53 am
Our high school students get a Chromebook to use from grade 9 to grade 12. However is should not be the schools responsibility to provide WiFi for students. WiFi is not a one solution fits all and it could be a logistical nightmare to ensure students receive it. We have rural areas around us that can only use Mobile Satellite internet, others have DSL, others are on Fiber Optic. How would school also control who uses the internet, it could potentially be used by everyone in the household.
We received a letter from our Catholic school board. Our region is a "designated" school board, so it looks like our youngest will be back full time and our oldest as well but with a classroom with half the kids. For remote learning, the school board here is not providing Chromebooks, but has partnered with Staples so they can be purchased cheaper.
In some of the low income areas here, households without internet access is upward to 20 percent. This creates a problem. Also, theft of the Chromebooks was brought up as a potential problem.
Ours was the first board (public) in the province to give Chromebooks to grade 9 students. There have been no issues that I have heard of in regards to them receiving these computers. Our high school students in the district have been getting computers since 2016, and every high school student had them by September 2019.
I have said from the beginning that students from marginal communities, rural, and northern communities are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to on-line learning. These communities are unfortunately not set up to deal with this type of learning, and as a result the students suffer. Even in my area which is a high tech area the outside communities are at a disadvantage as the internet is slow, and at times non-existent depending on the location.
highlandmum wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:53 am
Our high school students get a Chromebook to use from grade 9 to grade 12. However is should not be the schools responsibility to provide WiFi for students. WiFi is not a one solution fits all and it could be a logistical nightmare to ensure students receive it. We have rural areas around us that can only use Mobile Satellite internet, others have DSL, others are on Fiber Optic. How would school also control who uses the internet, it could potentially be used by everyone in the household.
We received a letter from our Catholic school board. Our region is a "designated" school board, so it looks like our youngest will be back full time and our oldest as well but with a classroom with half the kids. For remote learning, the school board here is not providing Chromebooks, but has partnered with Staples so they can be purchased cheaper.
In some of the low income areas here, households without internet access is upward to 20 percent. This creates a problem. Also, theft of the Chromebooks was brought up as a potential problem.
Ours was the first board (public) in the province to give Chromebooks to grade 9 students. There have been no issues that I have heard of in regards to them receiving these computers. Our high school students in the district have been getting computers since 2016, and every high school student had them by September 2019.
I have said from the beginning that students from marginal communities, rural, and northern communities are at a huge disadvantage when it comes to on-line learning. These communities are unfortunately not set up to deal with this type of learning, and as a result the students suffer. Even in my area which is a high tech area the outside communities are at a disadvantage as the internet is slow, and at times non-existent depending on the location.
That is good that your school district is doing this. If they provided the 43,000 students here with actual Google Chromebooks, the cost would be something like $40 million or so I believe was one thing I read.
Learning is definitely not standard throughout the province.
highlandmum wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:53 am
Our high school students get a Chromebook to use from grade 9 to grade 12. However is should not be the schools responsibility to provide WiFi for students. WiFi is not a one solution fits all and it could be a logistical nightmare to ensure students receive it. We have rural areas around us that can only use Mobile Satellite internet, others have DSL, others are on Fiber Optic. How would school also control who uses the internet, it could potentially be used by everyone in the household.
The schools here turned on their WiFi so families could sit outside the schools and use it on the chromebooks. Not a great solution, but I guess it's something.. it would have sucked if you didn't have a vehicle to sit in though.
This is a difficult situation faced by many school districts. But to expect for a school to provide both a computer and WiFi is a bit much. Where would the money come from? A magic printing press. Most schools are already operating on tight/reduced budgets. And what is the limit - if the household has multiple children needing to go online, how many devices are needed?
Our school system did supply to families one Chromebook in the spring. This was limited to 1x/family and only if there were no other accessible devices at home. Our school is doing a hybrid model in the fall with the option of fully remote. Devices will be available but limited. But I do live in a mostly affluent town so all households have wifi and most have some device. And to help working parents, the superintendent is looking to partner with child care centers/recreational centers to set up care pods for those in the online portion of the model.
In the case you presented, I don't think the school should provide WiFi. There are other resources for WiFi, including many service providers providing low-cost or no-cost access. Maybe at most, they should provide one device with a need/financial criteria for receipt of a device. Just because there is an in-school option doesn't mean the child can do that - what if they are immuno-compromised or live with someone who is. Where is the line drawn regarding the criteria for that choice and getting a device.
And at the end of the day, everyone from educators to parents need to step up and stop their whining and demands. No one wanted this situation but honestly, I have grown weary of the complaints about school ranging from things like this to the ineffectiveness of online learning to the difficulties it will be to get kids to social distance and wear masks. Even complaining about hybrid presenting difficulties for working parents (which is true). The virus is not going away and we have to be diligent until there is a vaccine. So people just need to make it work so we can all get through this. And yes- I am a little cranky today.
If the school is ONLY offering distance learning then, yes, they should provide the tools necessary for kids to be able to participate. Computers, internet, etc. However, if they are also offering an in-person option then I do not think they should be required to offer computers and internet to everyone.
In the spring when it was not an option our district offered chrome books to be checked out to anyone who wanted one regardless of "need" and the local phone company offered free and/or discounted high speed internet for those who needed it as well. The same is being offered now as we get ready for the first trimester of distance learning for the new school year with no in-person option available.
