(You do not need to bring any device for this presentation)

Location

Thursday, Oct 30, 2025, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Topics

School iPad Device Management, Content Filtering and Internet Hours, Extending Controls at 无尽资源采集, Student iPad & Email Guidelines, Google Classroom To-Do List, Google Classroom Notification Settings, iPad Notifications, and Student Technology Support.

RSVP (Only one RSVP per family is needed)

So we can prepare, please RSVP if you plan on attending!

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If you have any questions, please feel free to send an email or call Pete Ritter at 1to1coordinator@wellesleyps.org or 781-446-6210, extension 5439.

Brian Allieri (Instructional Technology Specialist at the Middle School) and Pete Ritter (1:1 Coordinator and Instructional Technology Specialist) worked with parents to discuss, share, and demonstrate items about the 1:1 program at 无尽资源采集 Middle School.

History and Goals

This is the third year that all 3 grade levels have iPads. Ongoing professional development is continuing throughout all grade levels to build upon teacher skills and share new tools and methods with the iPads.

The goals of the program, always evolving and adapting, are the following:

Content Filtering and Policies

All content coming into student iPads is filtered. The filters work while they are in the schools and any location outside the district. Not all 1:1 programs do that! Any non-educational and inappropriate online materials are blocked. Our filter appliance gets updated often as content online is always changing.

Here is a sample of items we filter.

Another feature that we set is 鈥渢urning off鈥� the Internet at 11:00 PM at night and access is on again at 6:00 AM.

We also utilize a tool called a Mobile Device Manager to manage the deployment/updates of apps. This allows us to set controls on student iPads and here are a few examples.

The Mobile Device Manager (MDM) allows us to push new apps and updates to different sets of students and/or teachers. It can also give us control over the iPads when needed based on projects and other events.

Core Apps and Tools 鈥� Hands-on!

This was a hands-on session that gave parents a taste of the core apps and how teachers and students are using them. Brian demonstrated how assignments can be handed out and returned back to the teacher in and provided demonstrations of and .

Google Classroom and many Google-based apps are highly used in the classrooms for workflows and collaboration. The complete Google Apps for Education suite of tools enables powerful collaboration tools across the board in a school district. Teachers, students, administration and surrounding community too!

If needed, students and teachers can access Google apps without an iPad too. Google-based apps are available on any computer and on any browser connected to the internet. They are in the 鈥渃loud鈥�.

Students can find the link for logging into Google on our main website. .

Explain Everything is a presentation app that integrates content from many sources that students and teachers can use to create lessons, tutorials, and more for class. This app is almost like a super multimedia version of PowerPoint. Users can import photos, PDF files, movies, and more from many sources to use in the presentation. Onscreen drawings, annotation, animation, and audio can also be included.

Notability gives students a place to take and organize their notes. It can be helpful for students with executive-functioning challenges or those who just need a note-taking tool that’s more flexible than a pencil and paper. If students want to type their notes, they can. If they want to draw, they can draw. If they want to record audio notes, that can do that.

While Brian worked with parents his iPad鈥檚 screen was mirrored upfront on the large display without any wires connected to the display. All classrooms are budgeted to have media streamers connected to the large display (projectors) in classrooms (we are currently using Apple TVs). This enables any iPad in the classroom to be shared live with the whole/large group 鈥� free from any cables. A teacher can walk around the classroom space while demonstrating through their iPad or laptop. They can even have students share their iPad’s screen upfront to demonstrate their work or thought process!

Digital Media Family Resources

These resources are useful for parents with concerns centered around digital media consumption and disconnect issues.

Common Sense Media is a San Francisco based non-profit organization that provides education and advocacy to families to promote safe technology and media for children. This is a great resource for iPad usage at home. Beyond the iPad, Common Sense Media is a powerful resource around all media and technology that families are exposed to in today鈥檚 world.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has released screen time rules for Kids by Doctors that have information pertaining to screen time. Included is the Personalized Family Media Use Plan. By creating a Personalized Family Media Use Plan, you can be aware of when you are using media to achieve your purpose. This requires parents & users to think about what they want those purposes to be.

More information can be found here:

Family Contract (English):

Family Contract (Spanish):

Oh no! Your school iPad isn’t charged and you can’t find the charger? Did you leave your iPad at grandmas house? The WiFi at home stopped working? No reason to worry yet. You might still be able to get that work done!

Below are strategies and tips when you have limited or no access to your school iPad and/or a WiFi connection. At the end is a chart that shares a breakdown of what apps work on different devices and/or a WiFi connection.

Accessing Apps without the iPad

If you don’t have access to your school iPad many of our apps are in the cloud and can be accessed by almost any other device. This is especially true for the Google-based apps which are frequently used by teachers and students. Below are direct links to a few of the main Google-based tools. Jump on a laptop, desktop, Chromebook, or an Android/iOS based smartphone and log in with your student username and password! (Note: Apps will need to be installed on Android/iOS-based devices)

Google Classroom –
Google Drive –
Google Gmail –

The apps called Notability, Explain Everything, and Book Creator are more difficult to find alternatives for. Refer to the chart to get an idea of what will and will not work. These apps may have a fee associated to gain access as well.

Internet Access (iPad Use Without or Finding Alternative WiFi)

Don’t forget the internet access stops on school iPads between 11:00 pm and 6:00 am.

Some apps on the iPad will still work without WiFi access. Notability, Explain Everything, Book Creator, iMovie, Garageband and Strip Designer are some of the apps that live and store content directly on the iPad. Note that you will not be able to upload or submit the work until you connect online again.

Google based apps can work in the offline mode and any offline data/information will get updated in the cloud the next time the iPad connects.

How about finding WiFi access locally for a solution? Check out your local library as they provide free WiFi access 24/7 (From WPL – “You may access our wifi network from anywhere throughout the building and outside on the benches and in the parking lot.). Here is the . Here is information about access to the . Finding your local , , , or any other caf猫/restaurant that provides free WiFi can help too.

In a pinch – WiFi internet access via a smartphone can also be used. Before using this review your cell phone carrier’s data plan as this can be an added cost in some plans or use up a lot of data.

I hope you find this information helpful in finding ways to adapt and still complete work. Please don’t hesitate to email聽1to1coordinator@wellesleyps.org or call 781-446-6210 x5439 with any questions.

Thank you Google!