From the Field by Jeffco Ed Tech

169039e — 2024-10-29 23:45:50 UTC

Students are currently unable to access AI tools like Snorkl, Classcompanion, etc. due to the Google sign-on restrictions, despite some tools having all the necessary security certificates that comply with data security requirements. Is there a timeline for the approval of these AI applications?

Angela Beeson Lakewood High School

amadden1 — 2024-10-29 23:48:32 UTC

Anita Madden

Brady HS

We like EdPuzzle, maybe we need to learn PlayPosIt WeVideo, not sure if PlayPosIt is district supported tech tool?
Maybe there is a way to customized secondary teacher tech training by content area on teacher work days/ we have about one teacher work day/month? As a math teacher, I appreciate Book Creator, but have been "trained" on it twice in the last five years- I don't use Book Creator in HS math so differentiating training would help.

2024-10-29 23:50:18 UTC

DTL at Fremont and Weber

I am concerned about the number of school-owned devices that will be EOL at the end of this school year. I am at two small schools and ALL of our school-owned Chromebooks and iPads will be obsolete (I assume this is due to the influx of devices in 2020). We use these devices to supplement kinder devices, for paras, and for loaners for students who forget their Tech for Ed devices. We are using our entire tech budget to put a band-aid on the issue, but we won't have nearly the number of devices we are used to. I'm wondering if other schools are in the same boat and if there is a way for schools with extra devices to donate to schools in need.

susan_stokley — 2024-10-30 15:56:29 UTC

Susan Stokley

Lakewood

Feedback from the first meeting:

It was good to see some familiar faces! I am happy to be tasked with this work as Angela’s backup from Lakewood HS.

Concerns:

I recognize the intention behind crafting AI policy slowly and with all information regarding stakeholders, however, the world of AI is changing rapidly as you said, and we need to be out in front of that so we can guide our students sooner rather than later when their AI use habits are already entrenched. Policy can be changed from year to year--and we urgently need one right now for students and families to set a precedent in a changing world. I am happy to work on this committee if needed.

Recommendations:

I would also encourage conversations around teacher training on how to use AI effectively with students. Higher Education--I also teach at Metro--is already requiring students to justify their use of AI in writing classes. We need some guardrails in place for our students ASAP that we can use in the classroom to ensure supplemental use and not substitution. I recommend drafting a policy and statement or release on the district's recommendations now so we can use that in conversation around egregious AI use in classrooms that are already happening.

I have no questions at this time.

2024-11-19 15:27:16 UTC

Would it be possible to add a column to the Laptop Purchasing List for Touchscreen (Y or N)? Some roles need a touchscreen, some don't, some prefer it. I really appreciate the greater variety in devices & how the RAM, processor, memory, & screen size specs are clearly listed. Being able to easily distinguish which Lenovo laptops have a touchscreen & which don't would be very helpful. Some laptops say "non-touch" and some do say "touchscreen" but most don't mention it, so I usually have to email my fin sec to have her see if it's in the description or something that is an option to add.

Also -- thanks for the more powerful desktop options. CTE classes use demanding software, and those more powerful desktops allow us to get better performance and longevity

2024-11-19 16:08:54 UTC

Google MFA is causing much consternation for schools who use Chromebooks for teachers and subs because they can't get signed in at all unless MFA works as intended. There are dead zones in our building where we can't get text or Authenticator messages sent, and it is inconvenient to need to leave a classroom & walk down the hall until a signal is obtainable. For subs, a large percentage don't get any messages sent to an authenticator app or are stuck in an authenticator loop. The only fix is to call the Help Desk & have them submit a request. The affected person's MFA is typically reset within 45 min- 1 hr, but that's an entire class period, so much instructional time is being lost. It would be ideal if our Outlook emails could be a default option for all staff to get their codes if cell service isn't working. We would at least be able to use a library desktop to get an MFA code faster than filing a ticket.

2024-12-04 21:56:10 UTC

Chatfield Senior-Sherry Weber:

We have very few Mimeo boards in our school and are curious what other options are available and/or where the district is going with interactive boards.

We are also curious if Quizizz is something the district is looking at.

2024-12-12 20:34:05 UTC

I would love a note at the bottom of emails that come from the Jeffco Tech Support Center to include the distribution lists the email went to (All staff, licensed only...) All staff seems to get all the "What's the Issue" emails but the "General Notifications", like the one that went out about Campus Login Improvements seems to have only gone to licenced staff. My para, clinic aide, and several classified staff that use Campus a LOT did not get that email, and I want to make sure I forward emails like that to people in my bulidng who may use the tool but were not included on the DL.

2025-02-06 17:21:49 UTC

It would be ideal to have a set month where laptop/desktop/chromebook contracts are updated with new models. A predictable month would help schools make better use of our technology buying dollars. Some schools like to buy before prices change & other might want to hold off if new models are just around the corner. Our budget necessitates getting a lot of years out of each teacher device, so having a precitable time frame when models refresh would be a great help to us. I'd personally vote for January as that month, but any month work work as long as it was the same annually. I know vendors are hard to pin down on lots of things but given the size of Jeffco, perhaps we could leverage that ....

2025-02-25 18:36:23 UTC

I would love it if the Sub Office could make signing into a Chromebook part of onboarding or badge-pickup for subs. We have so many who do not have Google MFA setup and there isn't time to do that before class starts. All our subs use Chromebooks since that is what most of our teachers have. They can't sign in at all if MFA is not setup.

2025-09-30 21:36:12 UTC

Jen Jonson - RVHS

Increasing problems caused by the Google & Microsoft Jeffco Duality (2 emails, 2 MFAs, 2 logins/usernames, and now 2 different file storage ecosystems). It does not seem like the domino effect this has on schools is truly understood and there is a tremendous amount of growing frustration.

2025-11-18 18:26:42 UTC

Just curious if when considering student chromebooks, if we are collecting data on how they are used and/or maximized in each grade level? Wondering if it would it be cost effective to eliminate 1:1 for first grade? Maybe go to a shared device model for first graders if they aren't using them for long periods of time?

2025-11-19 16:50:33 UTC

I am seeing an increase in middle school of students whose handwriting is completely illegible. Many middle school students have always had bad handwriting, but we are starting to see a growing number of students who don't even hold their pencil correctly or aren't capable of using scissors proficiently. I feel like giving students CBs starting in kindergarten is hampering them learning some important fine motor skills in early elementary. During COVID we needed all students to have a digital way to do school. Now I think we are doing them a disservice by giving them devices too young. I wonder if we go back to Tech for Ed being grades 5-12 and take out the first 4 year cycle of 1:1 Chromebooks.

2026-01-27 00:52:40 UTC

Loved all the information about Social Media blocking and the District Cell Phone Policy. Just a request that (once it all gets approved), it be added to the ELM or Level Meeting Agendas for Principals as an informative segment. I think principals would love to know and adding it to the Leadership Memo is fine, but I assume some might miss it. Additionally, whenever that happens, if there can be some verbiage created for school newsletters about it, that would be helpful for spreading the information.

jjonson3 — 2026-01-27 00:59:59 UTC

Any timeline on getting Class Tools to pull in students on Instructional as well as Internal when teachers start a session?

2026-01-27 01:00:07 UTC

I have a teacher who is asking about the possibility of linking Gemini and Notebook LM. It's out there in Google world, but not available within Jeffco. Is this functionality going to come to Jeffco? Timeline?

kwalter3 — 2026-01-27 03:44:37 UTC

With budgets being cut our devices needs out strip our ability to keep up, but what we ask of students, teachers and support staff makes doesn't match. For example, at my school our paras are expected to teach small groups and run OG requiring a device everyday. They also must check school communication. Additionally library checkouts, office security devices and testing in special ed that must be part of the tech plan and budget. While the district says 1/3 of kinder needs a device, they also require map testing and lexia to name a few. It makes it extremely difficult to not be 1:1 in kinder. Eventhough it may not be bes practice. So while many of us had meetings and tech planning with our teams including ed tech and ITSS, the needs are greater than the budget like all things in education. This also doesn't include access for our preschool paras (district does not cover and ASD paras.)

Can we look at requirements for things like lexia or hmh that might make movement of devices in the younger grades easier, therefore not requiring 1-to-1? How can a small elementary school with a large amount of para support in places like preschool, running OG, or a specialized program like an ASD lab meet some of the needs? And no we no all of our PARAS have a device. I have a tech plan and invite ed tech, principal and ITSS to the meetings. It just needs to be part of the discussion as we move forward.