Discussions continue on technology’s role in classroom

As shared last May, the district is taking a close look at technology’s role in the classroom this school year. The school board heard a progress update at their Aug. 18 work session.

The classroom technology that the learning/achievement and technology teams are reviewing anything from video platforms to educational apps to learning strategies. The central question they’re focusing on is: How do we ensure responsible use of technology for learning? The initial findings have prompted some changes that families and staff will see as they come back to school this fall.

Elementary school

• Students' ability to create Google Sites have been turned off.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) access has been turned off.
• YouTube has been blocked.
• Devices will continue to be cart based and only go home under limited circumstances, eg. eLearning, asynchronous days, intentional learning activities, etc.

Middle school

• AI applications have been restricted to Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM).

Districtwide

• Remaining social media sites – X and Instagram – have been blocked.

Parent/caregiver resources:

Parents/caregivers will have the ability to control some of their student’s device settings at home via the Lightspeed Parent Portal. An email with more details was shared Sept. 9.

The team will continue to take a close look at classroom technology in the months ahead. A steering committee will also be formed and is expected to report out on long-term guidance and recommendations at the February school board work session.