All students in grades 4-12 will be asked to have a Chromebook or similar electronic device for use in the classroom. Parents also have the opportunity to apply to the school district for use of a district device based on income eligibility. Forms to apply for the use of a District device may be found at the District’s Central Office, 30 Glen Street NW, Hutchinson, MN after July 1. If the application for use of a District device is approved, the device may be picked up at the HS Media Center.
Is your device ready for BYOD? Please ensure that you have completed THESE STEPS to receive your device sticker.
Device Recommendations
- We recommend keeping an eye on prices, as these devices do go on sale from time to time. You can purchase them online, or from local retailers like Target, Walmart and BusinessWare Solutions.
Parenting in a Digital World
Want to know more about how to navigate parenting in a digital world? The following resources cover a variety of topics ranging from the basics of internet safety to digital citizenship and managing your digital footprint.
- Kids and Tech: Parenting Tips for the Digital Age: This article gives parents some direction regarding the ways that technology has changed parenting and provides some suggestions for how to best manage your child’s relationship with technology.
- ThinkB4U: This website gives parents and teachers the information needed to educate themselves, their families, students and the greater community about a multitude of topics including but not limited to identity theft and protection, digital citizenship and fraud detection. This website is the result from a collaboration between Google, Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely and the National Consumers League. The result is a website that can be utilized to achieve high levels of digital literacy and understanding for all internet users.
- Google Safety Center: This website is great for offering some practical and immediately applicable information to help your family utilize new devices, technologies and applications. Google compiles this information from a variety of resources including safety experts, parents, teachers and communities worldwide in order to stay up to date on the most relevant information. The goal is to produce digital citizens who are responsible users of technology.
- Raising Digital Natives: Technology and Our Kids: This is a special series developed by NPR that looks into a number of issues pertaining to raising children in an increasingly digital world. Topics addressed include digital citizenship, video game use, how childhood may be affected by digital media immersion, and some information about babies, toddlers and screen time.
- NetSmartz Internet and Real World Safety Pledges: This website produced by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children helps families to navigate sensitive issues regarding technology. The safety pledges contained on this site provide age-appropriate internet and real world safety topics to address with students. The goal of these rules is to facilitate discussions with children about these issues and create safer boundaries for technology use at home. There are three levels-Primary, Intermediate, and Middle/High School-with downloadable discussion guides for each level and topic.