Northwest School District

• Excellence in education requires that technology is seamlessly integrated throughout the educational program.  To assist with this integration, each student will receive a Dell Chromebook for educational use. The individual use of these Chromebooks is a way to empower students to learn at their full potential and to prepare them for the real world of college and the workplace. The Chromebooks encourage students to solve problems and think critically by stimulating analytical thinking. Technology immersion does not diminish the vital role of the teacher. To the contrary, it transforms the teacher from a director of learning to a facilitator of learning. The eLearning program will be a vehicle to enhance student learning by making them active and engaged in their learning.  Students will be required to bring their Chromebook to school every day fully charged, and take it home every night during the school year.   

  The policies, procedures and information within this handbook apply to all district Chromebooks used at school or at home, including any other Chromebook considered by district administrators or principals to come under this policy.

The Northwest R-I School District owns all Chromebooks and chargers.  The district maintains an inventory system that logs the student with the serial number of the student’s assigned Chromebook.

• Students in grades K-2 will have district assigned Chromebooks that remain on classroom carts.  These devices will be sent home with chargers in an extended closure situation.

• Students in grades 3-12 will take their assigned Chromebook home with them every night. Students are required to bring the Chromebook to school every day fully charged.  Loaner Chromebooks will not be available for students who come to school with their Chromebooks not charged.  Chargers must remain at home.  They should not be brought to school.  

• MOCAP students will be issued a district Chromebook and charger. 

• Students who leave or graduate from the Northwest R-I School District must return both the Chromebook and chargers.  (Graduating students will not be allowed to keep their Chromebooks beginning with the graduating class of 2022.).  If it is not returned, the parent and student will be responsible for the cost of a replacement Chromebook and/or charger.  The Chromebook will be deactivated and rendered unusable.

• The Northwest R-I School District uses Google Workspace for Education.  Google Workspace for Education is a set of education productivity tools from Google including, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Classroom, and more.  Students will use their account to access their district assigned Chromebook, as well as complete assignments, access online textbooks and resources, and communicate with their teachers and peers.   

  Google is launching an age-based access system for students.  This system will allow for safer searching in the Google Chrome browser. Another change students will see is that they will no longer be able to create their own YouTube channels.  Students will still be able to search and view videos.  However, they will not be able to upload content.

  The district has different levels of email capabilities established for student Google accounts.  Students in PreK and Kindergarten will not have the ability to email.  Students in grades 1-8 can email within the northwestschools.net domain.  Students in grades 9-12 have full email capabilities.