Frequently Asked Questions

• My student already has a personal device, can they use it instead of a chromebook at school?

  No, students may not bring their own personally owned device to school. All students will be issued a chromebook whether they participate in the $40 Chromebook Protection Plan or not. They need to use their school issued device primarily for the following reasons:

  Our school issued devices are licensed to have the following required software that personal devices from home do not have

  • District web filtering software that allows for fine grained control compared to general public filtering. (This allows our students to access what they need, without overblocking the resources that are required for class.)
  • Teacher classroom monitoring software that allows teachers to monitor and further restrict the web filter for their classroom (This allows for better control by the teacher, so less time is wasted. This allows our teachers to provide a better educational experience.)

  Standardization is extremely important in the classroom, so we can make the most out of every minute of education

  • It is much easier for teachers to teach knowing that everyone is using the same device. This helps minimize downtime due to quirks from random devices using different platforms. This also allows teachers to spend less time instructing students on how to access resources, since the process is the same for all students. School issued chromebooks are managed for our students and have certain apps and policies pushed out by the district. They also have all of the applications and security that is needed for class work and online testing. With this method, all students are on the same page at the same time, instead of having a student miss out or fall behind because that day they had to install a Windows update for example.

  We have also very carefully tested and selected devices that meet our requirements for

  • Battery Life
  • Noise Level
  • Seamless WIFI compatibility (Certain non-enterprise WIFI cards can have quirks that cause unnecessary downtime)
  • Speed and RAM so that we know all students can handle running the same amount of apps simultaneously for class projects

• What grade levels are doing the 1 to 1

  Each student grade K-12 has their own indivual Chromebook to use while here at school. Starting in 5th grade, students have the option to purchase a Chromebook Protection Plan which allows them to take their Chromebook home after school. Students in grades 6-12 all take their Chromebook home, and can use their Chromebook after school hours if they purchase the optional Chromebook protection plan.

• Cleaning your Chromebook

  Screen, Trackpad, Keyboard, and Outer Shell of Device
  Only clean the screen, trackpad, keyboard, and outer shell of the device with these steps. Do not clean the insides of any of the ports or around the seams of the screen or trackpad. To clean the chromebook first shut down and unplug all cables and devices from the chromebook. To clean, soak a microfiber cloth in water and ring it out as much as you can, so that it is no longer dripping water when rung out and squeezed. Next, if need extra cleaning power, then you can squirt a line of rubbing alcohol (70% or 91% can be used) onto the damp microfiber cloth. Make sure that the cloth is damp, but not so wet that it would drip liquid onto the device while cleaning. Do not spray liquids directly onto the device. Wait until the device has air dried completely before powering it back on. You can also view the video demonstration here on how to clean your Chromebook. 
  
  

  List of Don't for Cleaning Chromebooks

  • Don't use a vacuum on a chromebook, it creates static electricity which would damage the device
  • Don't soak, pour, or spray liquid on the device
  • Don't clean the ports of the device
• Our Repair Process

  We hold our repair process to a very high standard. Only Central Local School District's IT Staff perform repairs on the devices, and we only use quality genuine OEM parts for repairs. We will never use lower quality generic, or after market compatible parts for our motherboard, battery, charger replacements, or other electrical components in our 1 to 1 Chromebook program. All parts are ordered through reputable educational dealers that share our high standard. Students are not permitted to take district owned Chromebooks to an outside computer service for any type of repairs or maintenance.

• What is a Chromebook
  Chromebooks are laptops engineered specifically for cloud computing. Chromebooks are designed to be ultra portable and have excellent battery life. They run a light and secure operating system called Chrome OS that runs apps similar to a smartphone. They are best used with an internet connection, but also have limited offline capabilities. They can be used to surf the web, utilize productivity and collaboration tools within the Google Apps for Education Suite, create web content, edit audio/video/images, and do just about anything that you can do in a web browser on a traditional laptop. Chromebooks are such a good fit for education in fact that they are recently in the news with the following article Chromebooks Pass Up All Other Devices Combined in U.S. Schools. Here is a video introduction to the Chromebook.
• How is one student's Chromebook identified from another student?

  All the Chromebooks are the same, so they look very much alike. However, each Chromebook will be tagged with asset tags including the student's name, and device serial number for management purposes. The district keeps all that data, so if a Chromebook is misplaced, we can determine who it is assigned to get it back to the student user. Any ID stickers that are on the Chromebook when issued must stay on the Chromebook. No additional permanent markings of any kind (stickers, engraving, permanent ink pen, tape, etc.) shall be placed on the Chromebook or it's carrying case at any time. While the devices are issued to students, they are still district-owned property. Additional permanent markings on the device or its case will be considered vandalism. Students can add non-permanent identifying items to the case such as ribbon, key chains or other removable items to their chromebook carrying case. Each carrying case will also have an ID tag attached to it, which should also stay on the exterior of the bag at all times.

• What is Google Apps for Education
  Google Apps for Education is a suite of products which includes classroom, mail, calendar, sites, word processing , presentations, drawings, spreadsheets, forms, etc. that lets you create different kinds of online documents, collaborate in real time with other people, and store your documents, as well as your other files, in the cloud. With a wireless Internet connection, you can access your documents and files from any Chromebook, anywhere, at any time, no matter where you are.
• Are other districts around us doing this?
  Yes, over 75% of the 23 districts closest to us in Northwest Ohio are implementing some sort of 1 to 1 student device program. We've been in contact with other districts close to us that have done 1 to 1 technology rollouts for students. We've sought advice on how to move forward from other 1 to 1 districts, learning from them what has worked well and how to avoid certain problems.
• If a student must take it to another room, how will they carry their Chromebook?
  Chromebooks should always be safely closed and placed in the travel case provided by the district before they are taken from one location to another. Students must use the travel case provided by the district, no other cases are allowed. The cases provided will have both a shoulder strap and a handle for easy carrying.
• Will the Chromebooks ever leave the building?

  Students can bring home their chromebook if they choose to purchase the $40 Annual Chromebook Protection Plan plan by selecting "WOULD" on the Chromebook Protection Plan Agreement in FinalForms. If students don't get the Chromebook Protection Plan then they will need to check out/in their chromebook every day before and after school. Chromebook Protection Plans cover accidents/repairs according to the repair cost grid in the documentation below. Chromebook Protection Plans start over every year.

• My child forgot to charge their Chromebook before school. Now what?
  Students are expected to charge their Chromebooks nightly at home and bring them to school fully charged. Students who do not bring a charged Chromebook to school may be issued a loaner device for the day, which cannot be taken home. Students are not to bring their AC chargers with them to school. Students are not allowed to charge their chromebooks at school. Repeat violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action
• What login will students use to get into the device operating system?
  Students will each be assigned a Google Apps for Education account that is their primary login and username.
• Can the Chromebooks be used with another username?
  No, students and staff cannot access a district-owned Chromebook with any other login other than their district-assigned email. For example, students will not be able log in to their personal Gmail account on a district-provided Chromebook. However, if a student logs into another device with their school username (a PC laptop, a school lab computer, a loaner Chromebook, etc.) all of their information (bookmarks, emails, documents, applications, etc.) will be available to them on that device when using a Chrome browser.
• Will unsafe or inappropriate websites be filtered on the devices?
  We do our best to ensure our child's online experience is safe. Before each Chromebook device connects to the Internet, it must pass through district network web filter. This happens whether the device is browsing on campus on school-owned networks, or off campus. Because of security settings built into the device, it must first route it's Internet connection back through our district security settings before any website or online resource is accessible. If your child is using the Chromebook at school, at home or at a public library, it will always pass through our web filtering system before they can see or access web content. Our web filters are programmed to block inappropriate content as much as possible.
• What happens if students have been visiting inappropriate websites?
  While we do our best to stay on top of things, some websites are not blocked or are able to bypass our filters. Teachers and parents are encouraged to randomly check the browsing history of student Chromebooks on a regular basis. Browsing histories cannot be deleted by the students. If you discover any inappropriate web activity, please contact your child's teacher, building principal or associate principal. Inappropriate web browsing is a violation of the district Authorized Use Policy and may result in disciplinary action.
• How much storage do students have?
  Students have unlimited storage in Google's cloud (Google Drive) with their educational Google Apps for Education account. There is also a 16GB internal SSD used for the operating system and offline mode syncing. Students can choose to store a few files locally on this internal storage if needed, but it is discouraged. Students should always store their files to their unlimited Google Drive. If your device needs repairs, it may require a reload of the operating system which will delete all locally stored files on your Chromebook. Doing a reload of the device will not affect any files in Google Drive.
• Can students download apps?

  Yes students can download their own Chrome apps and extensions when needed. We maintain a list of allowed apps and will continue to add to that list as the year proceeds.

• Can you Print from the devices?
  Digital online file sharing between staff and students is one of the great advantages of the Chromebooks and is an easy and efficient way to distribute and turn in assignments without printing. It also saves on paper, ink and toner use, thereby saving the district money. There are ways to print from the Chromebooks, but it's not encouraged. Most printing of schoolwork should be done at school. However, we are encouraging staff to try and limit printing of assignments going forward.
• How can students submit work or assignments via their devices?
  Yes, students and teachers will utilize Google Classroom to facilitate delivering, collecting, grading, and returning assignments electronically.
• What if a student is out of school for an extended period (illness, travel, family emergency, etc.)?
  With the devices, it will become even easier for students to receive work from their teacher. Assignments, readings, and other resources can be placed online and shared with the student who is absent. The student can do the work online from home and share it back with the teacher.
• Can the devices be used at home?

  Yes, if you purchase the optional Chromebook Protection Plan then your Chromebook will be usable at home after school hours. The Chromebook is filtered 24/7 no matter what network it is connected to.

• Can the district track web history?
  Yes. The district can track information on what sites students were on, and when they were on them. Students should only visit sites that are not in violation of the Acceptable Use Policy. Violations of the policy can result in disciplinary action, including the student being suspended from using the school network and device use.
• Can my child opt out of having a Chromebook?
  No, chromebooks are expected to become an integral part of the education all students receive at Central Local School District, and we want them to take advantage of the powerful learning resources available with it.
• What about computer viruses getting onto the Chromebook?
  Chromebooks are extremely secure. Here is a video on Chromebook security. Chromebooks utilize a verified boot feature which will automatically reinstall the operating system with a fresh secure version from google if malware is detected. This will not affect any files on the student's Google Drive stored in the cloud.
• What does my child do if they can't log in to their Chromebook?
  If your child can't log into their Chromebook, the first step should be to completely turn the Chromebook off. Try to log back in after shutting down and turning the computer back on. If the student is still unable to log on, they should inform their teacher and they will troubleshoot with the student.
• Backgrounds and Passwords
  Inappropriate media may not be used as a screensaver or background. Presence of guns, weapons, pornographic materials, inappropriate language, alcohol, drug, gang related symbols or pictures will result in disciplinary actions. Take care to protect your passwords. Do not share your passwords.
• Sound Policy
  Sound must be muted at all times unless permission is obtained from the teacher for instructional purposes. Headphones may be used at the discretion of the teacher.
• Printing Policy
  Digital sharing of documents is encouraged, printing is discouraged but available when needed.
• Chromebook Technical Support
  Technical support will be handled through Central Local School District's Technology Department. Services provided include the following:

  • Hardware maintenance and repairs
  • User account support
  • All repairs must be completed by the CLS Technology Department
• What happens if the device is damaged?

  Students are responsible for the general care of the Chromebook they have been assigned by the district. Chromebooks that are broken, or fail to work properly, must be reported to a classroom teacher or technology staff member as soon as possible so that they can be taken care of properly. Do not take district owned Chromebooks to an outside computer service for any type of repairs or maintenance.

  The devices will be maintained by Central Local School District's IT Staff. Only Central Local School District's IT Staff can perform repairs on the devices. Normal part failures outside of the control of the student and device damage are dealt with differently. The judgement call is left up to the district's technology staff. If damage occurs to the device that requires a part replacement, then students are responsible for the replacement costs according to the repair cost grid below.

  However, the liability on families/students can reduced significantly by taking part in the optional Chromebook Protection Plan. For $40 (non-refundable, non-prorated) per year, per device, the Chromebook Protection Plan will repair or replace the device at a significant savings to the student and his/her family according to the repair cost grid. Also by participating in the Chromebook Protection Plan, students are allowed to take the chromebook home with them. Otherwise they will have to check-in/check-out the device every day.

  The costs will be reviewed and adjusted annually per device model supported. If the device is stolen, then students are responsible for reporting this to the Principal. A loaner device will be issued while the student's device is being repaired. Students and parents will be responsible for district-owned technology property that is issued to them, just as they are for other district-owned items such as textbooks, calculators, cameras, athletics equipment or library books.

• What if another student damages my student's device?
  In such cases, circumstances will be investigated on a case-by-case basis. School administration may be involved if it is suspected to an intentional act or act of vandalism.
• Do repair fees need to be paid up front?

  No, repair fees are simply added to the student's PowerSchool fee list, and can be paid at any time.

• Storing Your Chromebook
  Students should carry their Chromebook with them to class. During school hours when the device is not being used in class, the Chromebook should be secured in the student's locker. Chromebooks should never be left unattended. Nothing should be placed on top of the Chromebook when stored in the locker. Chromebooks should not be stored in a vehicle for security and temperature reasons.
• General Precautions
  • No food or drink is allowed next to your Chromebook while it is in use.
  • Cords, cables, and removable storage devices must be inserted carefully into the chromebook
  • Never transport your Chromebook while the screen is open, or when the power cord plugged in.
  • Chromebooks must remain free of any writing, drawing, or stickers.
  • Vents CANNOT be covered, allow proper ventilation to flow under the Chromebook.
  • Chromebooks should never be left in a vehicle or any unsupervised area.
  • The Chromebook screens can be easily damaged! The screens are particularly sensitive to damage from excessive pressure on the screen.
  • Do not lean or put pressure on the top of the Chromebook when it is closed.
  • Do not store the Chromebook with the screen in the open position.
  • Do not place anything near the Chromebook that could put pressure on the screen.
  • Do not place anything in a carrying case or backpack that will press against the cover.
  • Do not poke the screen with anything that will mark or scratch the screen surface.
  • Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. pens, pencils, headphones, or disks).