Gateway third- and sixth-grade students are taking part in a Chromebook pilot program this year.
Sixth-grader Jessica Bush is shown here just minutes after receiving her Chromebook at Gateway Regional Middle School. The district's sixth- and third-graders are taking part in a Chromebook pilot program this year. HUNTINGTON - As soon as the devices were in their hands, sixth-graders at Gateway Regional Middle School were logging in, exploring the 39 “apps” which were pre-loaded on the Chromebooks, taking (and photo-bombing) “selfies” to establish their user identity, and personalizing their wallpaper.
It wasn’t as though anybody was showing them how to do these things, mind you; Sept. 15 was just like any day in the technology life for Generation Z.
Gateway third- and sixth-grade students are taking part in a Chromebook pilot program this year.
The Chromebooks are smaller in size and run on a Google Chrome operating system.
They have a much smaller operating system so student files will be produced and stored using Google Drive. As a result, the devices are very fast – a fact that several students remarked upon when booting up their computers. Teachers have already undergone professional development on using these educational tools in the classroom.
While the Chromebooks remain the property of the school district (and, as such, students are asked not to draw on them or put stickers on them), each student has been assigned his or her own device for their individual use for the entire school year.
“In the past, classrooms and students shared laptops, stored on carts that could move between rooms,” noted sixth-grade teacher Darlene Grady.
As a result, it wasn’t always possible to determine which student had damaged a laptop.
However, when that student was known, parents were asked to pay for the repair.
“Accidents happen,” said Christopher Parker, technology coordinator, as he began handing out the Chromebooks. “One student can bump into another in the hallway and a device gets dropped. Sometimes that’s all it takes.”
This year, the district is offering an insurance option to third- and sixth-grade families.
Families may insure their student’s Chromebook for $18 for the entire school year, which covers repairs or replacement costs due to damage or theft. Sixth-graders who pay an additional $12 for the year ($30 total) will receive a secure carrying case for the Chromebook and will be able to take their device home.
“A few parents have asked about the insurance,” said sixth-grade teacher Laura Fisk. “I told them that this is a great opportunity for the kids, and that Gateway staff have also had the option of insuring the laptops and iPads that are distributed to us, for several years.”