Technology Handbook
Student & Family Resources
- Laptop/Tablet Agreement
- Student Use of Personal Device Policy
- Student Computer and Internet Use Rules
- Macbook OS to Chromebook Cheat Sheet
- Family Requests for IT Help
- Infinite Campus Parent Portal
Laptop/Tablet Agreement
Portland Public Schools (PPS) is proud to offer all students one-to-one computing with a Chromebook or tablet.
Download Laptop/Tablet Agreement Form
The District has made an investment to provide this technology to your child because we believe it will enhance their learning experience. We ask that you and your child discuss and make sure you understand the responsibility of taking custody of the device and that you and your child treat the device with the utmost care. Personalizing the devices by putting on stickers, for example, is not allowed. Misusing the device in a way that damages it or renders it unusable will result in a replacement device or repairs being paid for by you and/or your child. A student is eligible for only one replacement device and one replacement charging cord if a device breaks or malfunctions due to an accident or a cause outside the student’s control.
What is Covered
PPS will be providing insurance, at no cost to our students and families. However, in order to offset the cost of this insurance, we are asking families who are able to do so to contribute $40 toward the self-insurance pool. You can do that by sending a check for $40 to Foundation for Portland Public Schools, 353 Cumberland Ave., Portland, ME 04101 or making a contribution online.
Donate to the PPS Technology Fund
The plan covers theft, fire, power surge, natural disasters, and accidental (non-negligent) damage both at home and in school. In case of theft, a police report must be filed and furnished to the school administration as soon as the theft is discovered. The coverage extends from the time we receive this signed form until the end of the school year. A student is eligible for only one replacement device.
What is Not Covered
Damage due to negligence, abusive treatment or intentional destruction is not covered by PPS. In the case of a theft, if a police report is not filed within one week of the loss it will not be covered. This insurance does not cover lost chargers for the Chromebooks or iPads. In such cases, repairs or replacement will be the sole responsibility of the student’s parents/guardians.
The cost for replacing technology are as follows:
- Chromebook - $225
- Chromebook charger - $45
- iPad - $399
- iPad charger - $25
All students using the PPS network and PPS computers/devices must abide by the computer and internet use policy and rules.
Failure to comply with the PPS Student Computer and Internet Use Policy, PPS Student Computer and Internet Use Policy and the PPS Student Computer and Internet Use Rules, or this Agreement, may result in disciplinary action or denial of access to the device, our network, or certain services. By signing the agreement/form, you agree to the following in exchange for access to a PPS-issued device:
- I have read, and agree to abide by, the PPS Student Computer and Internet Use Policy and the PPS Student Computer and Internet Use Rules.
- I agree to abide by all applicable local, state, and federal laws related to use of the PPS network and PPS computers/devices.
- I consent to my child accessing and using Google Apps for Education Enterprise Edition managed by the Portland Public Schools and to the terms of Google’s privacy policy related to the collection of use of student data. Portland Public Schools will provide parents/legal guardians with legally-compliant notice and consent before students access or use PPS Student Number.
- I agree to supervise my child’s use of the internet on their PPS-issued device. I understand that PPS will seek to filter inappropriate content on the Internet, but PPS cannot reasonably prevent access to all inappropriate content.
- I agree that use of PPS technology is a privilege. I am responsible for the proper care of my child’s PPS issued device.
- I agree not to use any student or teacher's password to access the network and other school systems.
- I understand that all files stored on my child’s PPS-issued device will not be private, and that there is no expectation of privacy related to use of the device. PPS personnel can review devices, device use, and/or files at any time.
- I will report any problems with my child’s PPS-issued device to their teacher as soon as I become aware of the problem.
- I will return my child’s PPS-issued device and all of its accessories, including charging cord, by the last day of school each year, promptly upon my withdrawal from Portland Public Schools, or immediately whenever requested by the PPS administration. I understand and agree that I will be charged the replacement amount for the device if I do not return it as required by this Agreement.
Student Use of Personal Device Policy
Students are not allowed to use their own laptops to access PPS software or hardware or software support. A student may bring their device to school, but it will not receive any PPS software. The device will also not be repaired or supported if there are hardware issues. PPS IT strongly advises against a student bringing their personal laptop to school for any reason.
If a student has an accommodation related to a disability that needs a technology solution that should go seek support through Student Support Services. Student Support Services purchases many devices for students that are supported by PPS IT. PPS IT will not support a personal laptop as an accommodation, for a host of reasons. Some of which are that we cannot send information, applications, and updates to a personal laptop. We are also unable to guarantee its functionality or its safety on our network.
Student Computer and Internet Use Rules
Book: I
Section: Instruction
Title: Accommodations in Sincere Beliefs from Required Instruction
Code: IMBB
Status: Active
Adopted: February 5, 2003
Last Revised: June 7, 2016
ACCOMMODATIONS IN SINCERE BELIEFS FROM REQUIRED INSTRUCTION
The curriculum of the school unit is designed to reflect statutory and regulatory requirements as well as other content and learning expectations specified by the Portland Board of Public Education.
The School Board acknowledges that from time to time individual students may be exposed to some ideas and materials with which they or their parent(s)/legal guardian disagree. Students and their parent(s)/legal guardian cannot be required to adopt ideas with which they disagree, but such disagreement alone is not a sufficient basis to exempt a student from the prescribed curriculum. Accommodations based on sincere beliefs including exemptions from the required curriculum should be minimized because they can detract from the overall instruction provided to the class as a whole and the educational objectives sought to be achieved by the curriculum.
The School Board recognizes, however, that there could be topics in the curriculum which may be objectionable to individual students and/or parent(s)/legal guardian based on their particular sincerely held religious, moral or philosophical beliefs. Alteration of instruction which infringes on such beliefs may be requested by the parent(s)/legal guardian.
Requests for accommodation of beliefs in instruction must be made in writing to or through a meeting with the building Principal and are subject to the approval of the Principal. The Principal shall notify the Superintendent as soon as practicable of any request for accommodation in instruction and of his/her decision.
In considering requests for accommodation, factors that the Principal should consider may include:
A. Whether the course or content area is required by state law or regulations, or School Board policy;
B. The educational importance of the material or instruction for which accommodation is requested;
C. Evidence regarding the sincerity of the belief on which the request is based;
D. Whether the school has a legal obligation to accommodate the request;
E. The effect of exemption or accommodation on the validity of the district’s assessment system; and
F. Other factors that bear upon the particular request.
Accommodations in regard to required instruction do not excuse the student from meeting statutory curriculum requirements, from total credit hours, or other requirements for graduation, or from performing alternative work.
When the Principal determines that the curriculum that has been aligned with statutory requirements conflicts with sincerely held religious, philosophical or moral beliefs of a student or his/her parent or legal guardian, reasonable accommodation in the curriculum shall be made for the student, within the scope of existing resources. Alternative instruction may be provided by the school or through approved independent study. Any alternative instruction shall be approved in advance by the Principal in consultation with appropriate instructional staff and shall meet the standards and objectives of the part of the curriculum that is being replaced.
If the Principal denies an accommodation request, the parent(s)/legal guardian may appeal to the Superintendent, whose decision shall be final. If the accommodation in the curriculum that is requested is so great that the validity of the district assessment system is compromised, the Superintendent will determine how to address the situation, subject to the approval of the Commissioner, if appropriate.
Legal
Cross References
IJJ - Selection of Educational Materials
IMB - Teaching about Controversial or Sensitive Issues
071c127.doc (103 KB)071c131.doc (1,667 KB)IMBB - Accommodations in Sincere Beliefs from Required Instruction.pdf (14 KB)
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Macbook OS to Chromebook Cheat Sheet
- Power
- Connecting to the Internet
- Logging In and Logging Out
- Touchpad
- Keyboard
- File and App Management
- Apps
- Slow Device
- More Resources
Power
Opening the Chromebook will turn it on if it wasn’t powered off. If it’s not on, push the power button in the upper right corner of the keyboard. If the computer still doesn’t turn on, ensure that it was charged by plugging it in and waiting two minutes before pushing the power button again.
Be aware that just closing the lid does NOT turn it off, and will slowly drain the battery. To power the Chromebook down, either use the “Shut down” button in the lower-right menu, or push and hold the Power button at the upper-right of the keyboard.
Connecting to the Internet
Logging In and Logging Out
Users will need to enter their entire school email address and their password. If there are problems, users should double-check the spelling of the email address. To log out, you can either use the “Sign out” option in the lower-right menu, or on the keyboard, hold down Ctrl + Shift, then tap the “Q” key twice.
Touchpad
Your touchpad will operate similarly to any other PPS device you have used. You can find a live tutorial for using your touchpad here:
Change Your Touchpad Speed
At the bottom right, select the time. Select Settings. In the "Device" section, select Touchpad (or Touchpad and mouse). Change how your touchpad works: Adjust how quickly your pointer moves: Move the sliders next to "Touchpad speed" or "Mouse speed."
Keyboard
The main portion of a Chromebook keyboard is identical to a regular keyboard. The “special” buttons, however, do have some differences
NEW KEYS
There are some new keys on the keyboard that will look different from a mac keyboard. Here are the main ones:
New If the Launch key goes full screen and you want to minimize it, select Launch again.
interactive map of chromebook keyboard
CAPS LOCK
There is no “Caps Lock” key; instead, there is a “Search” button. Tapping it allows you to search the Chromebook and the Internet (like going to Google.com). To toggle the Caps Lock feature on or off while typing, use the key combination “Alt + Search”. When Caps Lock is on, you will see an “Up” arrow in the Menu area.
SHORTCUTS
Here are some commonly used keyboard shortcuts
Screenshots:
To take a screenshot of the entire screen press the Ctrl key and the Show Windows key at the same time:
To take a screenshot of part of the screen press the Ctrl key, the Shift key, and the Show Windows key at the same time. Then, select and drag over the area you’d like to capture
Lock your screen:
Search + L
Sign out of your Google account:
Shift + Ctrl + q + q
Copy selected text:
Ctrl + c
Paste copied text:
Ctrl + v
Open the keyboard shortcuts helper:
Ctrl + Alt + /
Zooming In and Out:
Chromebooks offer two ways to zoom in and out. It depends whether you want to increase the size of a single page/app, or of your whole screen.
To zoom in and out on a single app, press Control + Plus or Control + Minus accordingly. You can reset your screen's zoom by pressing Control + 0.
If you'd rather change the zoom level across the entire operating system, press Control + Shift + Plus or Control + Shift + Minus. This shortcut will also change the size of your app dock, thus letting you fit more apps on it if you're running out of space.
interactive guide to keyboard shortcuts
CHANGE LANGUAGE
keyboard language & special characters
To change this, go to settings in the bottom right corner, On the left panel, select Advanced Languages and inputs. Under "Languages and inputs," select Inputs. Under "Input methods," select Add input methods. Select the keyboard languages you want to use . Add. "Enabled" is listed under the current keyboard. To set a different keyboard language, use your cursor to point to and select another keyboard.
ONSCREEN KEYBOARD
To turn this on or off, go to settings in the bottom right corner, select Advanced. Under "Accessibility," select Manage accessibility features. Under "Keyboard and text input," select the correct input.
File and App Management
Apps
You can pin apps to your dock (at the bottom of the screen) for easy access and use. You will want to have students keep, at a minimum, Chrome, Gmail, and Drive in the dock and any apps you have students use often, like Docs and Slides.
To add apps to the shelf, simply right-click on an icon and select Pin to shelf. You can do the same to remove an app (unpin) or you can drag it out and drop it somewhere on the desktop.
There are other ways to customize your desktop that can be:
Slow Device
If your device is really slow, it may be pending a restart for an update. To check, in the right hand bottom corner go to updates and look for “pending restart”
If you want to force an update:
- At the bottom right, select the time.
- Select Settings
.
- At the bottom of the left panel, select About Chrome OS.
- Under "Google Chrome OS," you'll find which version of the Chrome operating system your Chromebook uses.
- Select Check for updates.
- If your Chromebook finds a software update, it will start to download automatically.
More Resources
Family Requests for IT Help
PPS IT is committed to helping students and families use technology to meet their learning needs. All requests for support from IT should come through the school when possible. If a family has an IT concern they should contact their student’s school who will engage PPS IT as necessary.
Parent Portal Support: in the event that you are unable to access Infinite Campus Parent Portal please email your concerns to parentportal@portlandschools.org.
Recovering your student’s password: Please reach out to your school if you need your student’s Infinite Campus password information or to reset it.
Infinite Campus Parent Portal
PPS Technology Fund
PPS provides insurance for student Chromebooks and tablets at no cost to our students and families. However, in order to offset the cost of this insurance, we are asking families who are able to do so to contribute $40 toward the self-insurance pool.