Phase III Chromebook Implementation Guide
Grades 6-8
Release 1, April 29, 2015, Release 2, August 28, 2015, Release 3, October 23, 2015
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Table of Contents
Welcome Message…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Classroom Support Quick Reference………………………………………………………………………………………… 3
Digital Toolbox Power Apps…………………………………………………………………………………………………….5-6
Digital Toolbox Standard Apps………………………………………………………………………………………………..7-9
Digital Toolbox Utilities…………………………………………………………………………………………………..……….10
Digital Toolbox Content, Assessments, and Textbooks………………………………..……….………………….11
Digital Toolbox Power Apps Sign-In Procedures, Warnings…………………………..……………….Release 3
Dear Parents and Teachers,
Thank you for taking the bold first step toward creating a Digital Learning Environment (DLE) here in Greenwich Public Schools. We hope that you will use your new District-issued Chromebook to advance the DLE’s learning goals:
1. Promote students as critical thinkers of online content;
2. Implement self-regulated learning;
3. Provide quality feedback; and
4. Personalize learning
This implementation guide describes the software that has been loaded on every student Chromebook device. For additional information on the Digital Learning Environment, please see the DLE section of the GPS website and a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) at
We are confident that you will enjoy the Digital Learning Environment here in Greenwich. Thank you, and welcome.
Sincerely,
Phillip H. Dunn II
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Greenwich Public Schools
How We Support Digital Learning in the Classroom
The GPS IT team, partnering with the Curriculum and Library Media Services staff, stands prepared to make every interaction that you have with the Digital Learning Environment a rewarding one. If you are a parent and need help with your child’s device, please contact your classroom teacher. If you are a teacher and need help with a device, please e-mail your school’s tech team or call the media center.
Caring for your Student’s Chromebook
After your child has completed their Digital Citizenship learning module in school and has been allowed to take their Chromebook home, we ask that you ensure that your child charges their device each night before returning to school. The Chromebook should be kept in an environment free of moisture, and it should not have objects placed on top of it when stored.
The Chromebook’s screen may become marked with fingerprints or other matter from time to time. We encourage you to clean the screen with a dry, non-abrasive fiber (e.g., a micromesh cloth), as needed. If residue dries on the screen, please wipe it clean using a slightly damp, non-abrasive cloth. Please do not use any alcohol-based solvent on the screen as it will deteriorate the coatings that have already been applied to the screen by Lenovo.
With any new initiative, there are risks. Therefore, please be advised that parents have a few options pertaining to liability for the Chromebook.
Parents may choose to:
1) have their child bring their school-issued devices home, and not purchase any additional insurance;
2) have their child bring their school-issued devices home, and purchase an insurance policy from third parties such as Worth Ave Group or SquareTrade; or
3) opt out of allowing their child to bring their device home, with the expectation that they provide access to an Internet-enabled device at home to complete required homework.
For further information on the issue of device liability, please refer to the district’s Chromebook device liability form at:
Chromebook Care & Maintenance
- Never leave a Chromebook unattended including on the floor where it could be stepped on.
- Do not place food, liquids or other substances near the Chromebook that could result in damage.
- Do not place heavy objects on top of the Chromebook. This is also important when placing in a locker.
- Never attempt to repair or reconfigure aChromebook or any of the peripherals.
- Do not write, draw, stick, tape, or adhere anything to the Chromebook.
- Do not personalize the case or Chromebook using markers, stickers, etc. Identification will be provided.
- Keep the Chromebook and other electronic storage media away from electromagnetic fields.
- Do not expose the Chromebook to direct sunlight, or prolonged extreme temperatures, (e.g. leaving the Chromebook in a car during extreme hot or cold temperatures for extended periods of time).
- Do not place the Chromebook on surfaces such as paper, cardboard, or carpet while it is turned on.
- Do not place anything on top of the Chromebook nor lean or sit on it when it is closed.
- Do not place anything in the Chromebook bag that may press against the cover or damage the Chromebook.
- Take care when inserting cords, cables and other removable storage devices to avoid damage to the Chromebook ports.
- Clean screen, touch pad, and Chromebook with a lightly damp soft cloth or microfiber cloth. Chemicals, cleaners, or wet cloths are not approved cleaning tools.
- The Chromebook should be turned off and unplugged during cleaning.
The DLE Digital Toolbox Power Apps
GPS has prioritized a list of 15-20 Power Applications for each grade band (elementary, middle and high school). These applications have been prioritized for district-wide professional learning and support based on their demonstrated positive impact on teaching and learning in the classroom. Paid apps are starred below.
The remainder of the Digital Toolbox is comprised of standard applications, utility applications (applications with limited functionality that take a few minutes to learn), on-line textbooks/content databases, and on-line assessment applications.
Function / Apps / FunctionalityWeb-based search and curation / ●Chrome / ●Web-browser that enables online searching, bookmarking and sharing of websites; effective searching includes filtering searches by usage rights, most recent, domain, and scholarly articles (using Google Scholar)
Learning Management System (LMS) / ●Schoology* / ●A digital classroom where teachers organize, share, and deliver digital instructional content, including assignments, homework and assessments
Productivity / ●Nearpod* / ●Projects a slideshow of content from the teacher’s device to students’ devices that also discourages students from using their device for other purposes during instruction; the slideshow allows embedding of multi-media, assessments, and web links, and teachers can share assessment results from any student with the whole class, as appropriate
Math / ●IXL*
●Khan Academy / ●An adaptive learning management system that tracks student mastery of common-core aligned math based on on-line activities
●An on-line repository of math instructional videos and assessments
English Language Arts / ●Newsela* / ●An adaptive resource that includes lexiled non-fiction articles from newspapers (e.g., Washington Post) to teach reading comprehension
Asterisk (*) indicates subscription tool.
Function / Apps / FunctionalityGoogle Apps / ●Google Docs
●Google Drive
●Google Slides
●Google Sheets / ●A word processing app where users can work collaboratively on writing projects; users can give feedback in real-time using the comments feature within shared documents
●Stores documents in folders in the “cloud”
●A presentation app where users can work collaboratively to create slide decks
●A spreadsheet app where users can work collaboratively to create spreadsheets
Multi-Media Creation / ●Screencastify
●WeVideo* / ●A screen-recording app that capturesvoice and handwriting to produce videos that are hosted online,where they can be shared publicly or with a private group
●A video recording and editing program that produces videos using photos, music and video clips;the district-provided paid version provides enhanced student data privacy
Formative Assessments / ●Socrative (Teacher & Student Apps)
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●Quizlet
●Google Forms / ●Teachers use this for formative assessments, as well as exit slips to assess student mastery of concepts
●A study tool used for WordMasters, content area vocabulary words, and test preparation
●Used for developing surveys and formulating evidence to support thinking; also used for formative and summative assessment in all content areas
On-Line Resource Curation and Annotation / ●Diigo / ●Curate the digital resources found on the web, e.g., bookmark, organize, annotate and share
Originality Check / ●Turn-it-in* / ●Automatically review written text for originality;enables peer review, feedback, rubrics, grading and writing portfolios; integrated for assignment submission through Schoology
Asterisk (*) indicates subscription tool.
Standard Applications
Standard applications listed below are also recommended to provide teachers and students with options and flexibility for a wide variety of instructional uses. However, based on GPS experience rolling out the DLE in phases I and II, teachers are better able to achieve the DLE goals through focusing on a few Power Applications and building on that knowledge over time.
Function / Apps / FunctionalityExplore/ Geography / ●Google Earth
●Google Maps / ●See pictures from around the world
●Get directions, traffic and satellite pictures; a custom overlay can be displayed to include tools to measure distance and area
Other Multi-Media Creation / ●Animoto
●Voice Thread*
●Educreations*
●Haiku Deck / ●A video recording and editing program that produces videos using photos, music and video clips
●Podcasting/story telling
●A screen-recording app that capturesvoice and handwriting to produce videos that are hosted online,where they can be shared publicly or with a private group
●Used to make a quick and simple slideshow without much work (less feature rich than Google slides)
Drawing and Photo Editing / ●Google Drawing
●Pixlr Editor
●Piktochart / ●Create diagrams and charts
●Manipulate images using tools similar to Photoshop, including wands and multiple layers
●Create an infographic
Classroom Management / ●Class Dojo / ●Manage student behavior through positive reinforcement by giving points to students represented as characters
Asterisk (*) indicates subscription tool.
Function / Apps / FunctionalityFormative Assessments / ●Kahoot
●Curriculet / ●Used to quickly assess students’knowledge; may also be used as a study guide, and as a presentation tool
●Embed formative assessments, quizzes and media annotations into any reading assignment or create your own book
Interactive Whiteboard / ●SMART Express / ●SMART Notebook is a paid mobile app that creates SMART Board lessons with high interactivity
●A flash-based version of SMART notebook for displaying and editing SMART notebook files in a web browser
Brainstorming Questions/Concept Map / ●BrainPop*
●Padlet
●Lucid Chart / ●Used for research and creating concept maps
●Students share ideas and thinking with the group with this brainstorming tool
●Gr 6-8 brainstorming tool, process mapping for science/coding
Curate, Annotate, Note Taking and Citation / ●Evernote
●Easy Bib
●Noodletools
●Google Keep
●Subtext / ●Note taking app with extensive tagging, embedding and sharing capabilities
●Used to cite resources to create works consulted; Google apps integration is available
●Primary tool for formal research
●Quick note taking and sharing app
●Teachers embed comments directly into digital text to encourage close reading, support claims and cite text evidence.
Code for Problem Solving / ●Tinkercad
●Scratch / ●3D design tool
●Science students create interactive simulations of science concepts
Asterisk (*) indicates subscription tool.
Function / Apps / FunctionalityBlog and Create and Publish a Website / ●Edublog*
●Wikispaces*
●Google Sites
●Weebly* / ●Safe and simple blogging for students
●Used as an information source where students find resources and information necessary for their work
●App to create websites
●Website builder
Desktop Publishing / ●Lucid Chart / ●Used for advanced layouts like a school newspaper or any other situation that previously required MS Publisher, Quark Xpress or a similar program
Publish a Book, Animate a Story / ●Pixton
●Go Animate
●Storybird / ●Read and write comics
●Make animated videos
●Create on-line books
Access eBooks / ●Follett Destiny/Destiny Quest*
●Kindle
●Overdrive* / ●GPS library catalog
●Popular e-book reader; students are able to press a word to search for meaning.
●Access public library collections; students may also download books from A to Z reader through Schoology
Language Acquisition (ELL) / ●Duolingo / ●Digital language acquisition app; students may practice listening and writing in Spanish as a reinforcement to their second language acquisition
Math / ●Wolfram Alpha
●Desmos Graphing Calculator
●Geogebra / ●Computation knowledge engine – provides visualization of math problems
●A tool to graph linear and exponential equations on a 2D plane
●Combines geometry, algebra, spreadsheets, graphing, statistics and calculus in one app
●
Music / ●Twisted Wave / ●An audio recording and editing app
Keyboarding / ●Typing Pal* / ●Preferred tool for gr 6-8 keyboarding skills; currently used at all three middle schools
E-mail / ●Gmail / ●Google’s e-mail tool
Asterisk (*) indicates subscription tool.
Utility Applications
Utility applications have limited functionality that take a short period of time, generally a few minutes, to learn. There are important assistive technology applications for students who may have visual impairments (e.g., text to speech, large text) or need help removing distracting elements from web pages to assist with reading comprehension (e.g., Readability). The Utility applications are grouped into a 1 hour on-line course available for all GPS stakeholders.
Function / Apps / FunctionalityProductivity and Assistive Technology / ●Camera
●World clock
●Clock
●Calculator
●Scientific calculator
●PDF to Word
●Dictation
●Text to speech
●Chromebook assistive technology features (e.g., large text)
●Readability
●Dictionary
●Visual Dictionary
●Calendar / ●Takes and edits pictures and video
●Shows time from different world time zones
●Stop watch and alarm
●Calculator
●A more complicated calculator for use in math and science
●PDF files can be converted to MS Word files
●Convert speech to text for students with trouble typing
●Reads text out loud to users
●Makes text larger or higher contrast for visual impairment, can also read text on screen out-loud
●Saves a clean version of any website or article for later reading
●Define vocabulary words
●A visual way to explore how certain words are connected to others
●Calendar
Textbooks
A partial list of available digital textbooks is below.
Math Textbooks / ●Math in Focus, Algebra I and Geometry (6-8) / ●World Languages Textbooks for Spanish / ●Holt McDougal Avacemos I (Gr 6)
●Holt McDougal Avacemos II (Gr 7)
●Holt McDougal Avacemos II (Gr 8) / ● for teacher dashboard and ClassZone:
Science Textbooks / ●Discovery Techbook (6-8)
●Pearson eText (6-8) / ●google.discoveryeducation.com
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Assessment Apps
SBA (Smarter Balanced Assessment) / SBA Secure Portal / Used to administer the Smarter Balanced AssessmentALP Assessment / HMH/Riverside DataManager app
COGAT app / Assessments administered to students in grades 2 – 8 for ALP placement process.
Asterisk (*) indicates subscription tool.
Digital Resources
The following are online resources, accessed through a browser, and traditionally follow the types of references, fiction, non-fiction and multimedia databases offered by the School Library to support all curricular areas. These resources can also be accessed from the Virtual Library through automatic sign-ons by going to:
Function / Resources / DescriptionGeneral References / World Book Online Collection
World Book Student
World Book Advanced / ●The World Book Collection, an authoritative premier online reference source, state-of-the art multimedia, vetted websites, guide on doing research, primary source documents are all fully integrated with the encyclopedia content.
Grolier Multimedia Reference Collection
Grolier New Book of Knowledge
Grolier Atlas
World Newspapers / ●Encyclopedia articles enriched by Multimedia interactives, search by lexiles, curriculum standards, pro-con database, world newspapers, interactive maps and atlas and accompanying videos. Includes the latest current events from Scholastic News.
Non-Fiction Databases / Newsela / ●An adaptive resource that includes lexiled non-fiction articles from newspapers (e.g., Washington Post) to teach reading comprehension – all current events from reputable sources.
ScienceFlix / ●Science Flix provides standards-aligned articles, labs, videos and inquiry projects.
●Teacher Resources include lesson plans, quizzes, projects and downloadable media.
Multimedia/ Video / BrainPop Multimedia / ●BrainPop collection includes animated movies, learning games, interactive quizzes, primary source activities, concept mapping all mapped to Academic Standards and searchable using a standards tool.
Discovery Video Streaming / ●Discovery Streaming includes includes videos, interactive texts, eBooks, and assessments and standards search.
eBooks / BookFlix / ●Fiction e-book paired with a nonfiction e-book on relatedtopics.
TrueFlix / ●Video and e-book pairs covering a variety of nonfiction
topics
Follett Shelf / ●Search for eBooks in our Book online catalog.
To view only use guest access.
To check books out, use student ID as username/ last name as password.
Overdrive / ●Greenwich Public Schools digital library collection of eBooks and Audio Books, integrated with our Library collection.
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