1:1 Devices and Online Learning Information

Devices

Douglas Elementary 1:1 Device Options

Our elementary students use a combination of iPads and Chromebooks that remain in the classrooms; however, families who are electing online learning for the 2020-21 school year may request loaner devices (iPads for K-2, Chromebooks for 3-5). Similarly, if we must fall back on virtual learning for the entire school, parents may request loaner devices to use at home. Please contact Douglas Elementary School to make your request. You will be required to complete the online forms at https://saugatuck-mi.finalforms.com/. 

Saugatuck MS/HS 1:1 Chromebook Program

All students in grades 6-12 will be issued a Chromebook to use at home and school throughout the school year. In order to receive a device, parents and students must complete the forms at https://saugatuck-mi.finalforms.com/. Students are also allowed to bring their own devices (laptops, tablets) to school instead of borrowing a Chromebook. 

Device Insurance Option

Students in grades 6-12 and elementary families who borrow devices for off-campus use are responsible for damage to those devices. For that reason, we offer a $25 per device insurance option to cover damage to iPads or Chromebooks for students in grades 6-12 and for families borrowing devices for off-campus use. During the current school year, this covers 100% the first damage to the device; in the event of a second damage, it covers the cost following a $50 deductible. Insurance must be purchased before borrowing the device. You may purchase insurance through Final Forms. Select it in the Technology Resources AUP form, and check out.

Students/families are also responsible for the loss of devices; however, our insurance does not cover theft or loss. Please explore your homeowner’s policy for coverage in this event.

Device Issue? Get help!

remotehelp@saugatuckps.com

DIY Fixes to Try First

If your Chromebook’s battery is allowed to die, the Chromebook will often need resetting in order for it to work properly again. Here are the reset directions: 

1. Plug in your Chromebook. Make sure you have Wifi available. Also make sure you keep these directions handy.

2. Press and hold simultaneously Esc and Refresh (↺).  

3. When it says “Please insert USB recovery stick,” press Control (CTRL) + D. You’ll press Enter a couple of times as it reboots.

4. When prompted, choose an available Wifi and enter the password. The Chromebook will enroll and become functional again. If it does not, seek help. (See help info above.)

Online Learning Apps

Overview and Safety

Teachers, administrators, and our tech team have carefully selected online learning applications that support our district learning goals, which include the Four C’s: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking. We mindfully consider the safety and privacy of our students in our selections. In addition, when our school devices connect to the World Wide Web (at school and off campus), content is filtered, protecting students from inappropriate information and images. Our school Wifi also provides filtering for personal devices (laptops, tablets, phones) brought into school. (We do not provide filtering for personal devices used off campus.)

Getting Application Help

Mrs. Liz Wilson (ewilson@saugatuckps.com) can assist with PowerSchool and Final Forms questions.

Mrs. Linda Dehn (ldehn@saugatuckps.com) can assist with GSuite, Schoology, Odysseyware, and Michigan Virtual questions.

Assorted Classroom Apps: If you are having difficulty with an app a teacher has assigned, such as SeeSaw, Zoom, Newsela, NoRedInk, Khan Academy, etc., please contact the classroom teacher first for assistance.

GSuite for Education

Grades 3-12

In the old days, we had paper, pencils, crayons, paint and paste to use as tools to create products that demonstrated our learning. In today’s world of technology and online learning, we have G Suite as our set of tools. G Suite includes Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets which students use to word process papers, create slideshows, and work with data. These are very much like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. G Suite also includes Gmail for emailing, Forms for creating surveys, Drive for storing and sharing work, Meet for online virtual meetings, and organizational tools such as Calendar, Tasks, and Keep. Since Chromebooks and G Suite apps required an active Google account to log in, all students in grades 3-12 are issued saugatuckps.com email addresses and passwords. For safety reasons, students in grades 3-5 may send and receive emails within our saugatuckps.com domain only. That means they can email classmates, schoolmates, and teachers, but they cannot email parents, family, friends, or strangers outside of our domain.

Schoology

Grades 6-12

Schoology is the learning management system (LMS) for our online activities in grades 6-12. Here teachers will post weekly work agendas, assignments, quizzes, learning materials, discussions, announcements, and other materials. In the summer of 2020, a team of high school and middle school teachers established norms for using Schoology during the 2020-21 school year. Parents and students should expect to see a very similar organization and set of procedures from class to class and should be able to use Schoology to stay on top of classwork during absences and learn-from-home events.
Please note that scores collected in Schoology are exported to PowerSchool. When checking on grades and missing work, parents should always refer to PowerSchool as the ultimate source of grade information. Schoology is merely a grade collection tool, one of several tools the teacher might use. 

Parents may create their own Schoology accounts that link to their children’s accounts so that they may view posted materials, announcements, and scores on work. Here’s how:

1. Log in to PowerSchool (https://ps.saugatuckps.com) to obtain the Schoology code for each child in the family. The code is located under the bottom tab in the left menu of PowerSchool.

2. Go to Schoology (https://www.schoology.com). In the top right corner, choose Sign Up / Parent. You will be led through steps, including entering the code you collected from PowerSchool. After you create the account, you will be prompted to add additional children in grades 6-12. 

Odysseyware

Grades 8-12

To provide credit recovery opportunities and to broaden our elective course options, we use the online course provider Odysseyware at the high school level. Occasionally a small handful of eighth graders are also placed in Odysseyware courses for a trimester. These courses have a series of lessons, projects, quizzes, tests, and an exam for students to complete at their own pace. However, both Odysseyware and the online mentor, Mrs. Dehn, provide guidance to keep students on pace so they can complete the courses successfully and on time. Individual scores (lessons, quizzes, etc.) from Odysseyware are not entered into PowerSchool. However, the mentor will enter the student’s overall score-to-date in PowerSchool every 1-2 weeks. Parents can also request to have a parent account set up so that they, too, may keep an eye on student progress. Please contact Mrs. Linda Dehn (ldehn@saugatuckps.com) for assistance with the parent account or questions about Odysseyware.

SeeSaw

Grades K-5

Seesaw is a platform for student engagement. Teachers can empower students to create, reflect, share, and collaborate. Students “show what they know” using photos, videos, drawings, text, PDFs, and links. It’s simple to get student work in one place and share with families, and nothing is shared without teacher approval.