District Technology
Steering Committee Update
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The mission of the Technology Steering Committee is to develop and facilitate the district's technology plan. This committee meets monthly to assess and address the district's technology needs. The committee is responsible for:
- Identifying and recommending technology solutions that enhance student learning for both staff and students.
- Communicating technological procedures and updates to both staff and parents.
- Identifying staff training needs and facilitating professional development sessions accordingly.
- Ensuring the district technology plan remains current by regularly reviewing and updating it.
We are currently addressing this last bullet point of reviewing and updating our 5-Year Technology Plan. Over the last few months, the committee has identified the four following areas that will be a focus of our new plan:
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Data Analytics (specifically our use of eduCLIMBER to support DLT's, BLT's and RTI/MTSS teams in every building)
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Responsible Use (Digital Citizenship, AI, Data Security, etc.)
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Program Evaluation - (Establish a cycle to monitor and evaluate program usage)
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Hardware Plan - (Device Plan, Access Points, Network, phones, radios, etc.)
We would love to hear your thoughts/feedback on the four themes that will be the focus of our plan moving forward. Please feel free to share this with any of the members of the District Technology Committee (listed below). Also, we are always looking for new members for our IT Steering Committee. Please reach out to Mike Lynch with any interest.
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- Mandi Morgan, Elementary Teacher
- Bethany Parker, Instructional Coach
- Melanie Pearn, Elementary Building Principal
- Jodi Poremba, Elementary Building Principal
- Amy Roediger, HS Teacher/Instructional Coach
- Lynnae Whitehead, Middle School Teacher
- John Fullerman, HS Unit Principal
- Patti Talarczyk, HS Math Teacher/ Instructional Coach
- Julius Vegh, IT Database Manager
- Jeremy Woodworth, Supervisor of IT
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- Brook Curry, Elementary Teacher
- Barb Bonnes, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
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Adam Dugas, Elementary Principal
- Tommy Dwyer, MS Building Principal
- Doug Estes, SQL Network Technician
- Holly Foessett, Middle School Teacher
- Tim Hamman, Assistant Superintendent
- Larry Luciano, Curriculum Specialist
- Mike Lynch, Director of Instructional Technology
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Every year, on the first Thursday of May, World Password Day encourages the adoption of better password practices. Passwords serve as crucial barriers to protecting our digital identities, granting us access to various online activities like shopping, banking, social media, work-related tasks, and communication.
This advice pertains to ALL your passwords, not just those for your Mentor School's account. Aim to have a minimum of 12 characters in your password, and longer ones are even better. Diversify your passwords! While using the same password for multiple accounts might be convenient, doing so poses a significant security threat. If one account gets compromised, all other accounts sharing the same password are vulnerable.
Here are simple directions to update your Mentor School's password:
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THIS IS ONE YOU HAVE TO WATCH!
In IT Tips and Tricks, Todd shares information about Spam and Phishing emails. Be sure to check out all of the different ways you can identify Phishing emails!
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Josh has discovered a new passion: making GIFs! He's becoming quite skilled at condensing processes into just a few steps. Take a look at this GIF, which demonstrates how to report spam and maintain a clutter-free inbox! |
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In this newsletter and many times over the last couple of years, we have talked about the layers of safety we have taken to secure our data and networks. Doug found this great pic to help us remember that all layers count!
- Two-Factor Authentication
- Minimum Password Requirements
- Timed out for inactivity on a device
- Phishing Email Training
- SDPA (program security mentioned below)
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Approved / Non Approved Programs
(In addition to District Purchased / Approved Programs)
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District Approved / Non-Supported "FREE" Programs where a SDPA has been SECURED
While we prefer district-approved programs, we've also secured agreements for specific "FREE" programs. We have currently secured 51 Student Data Privacy Agreements (SDPA) for district-purchased / approved programs along with 34 "Free" programs (This increased by 10 since last month), and we have also secured SDPAs. The list of these district-approved / non-supported "FREE" programs is below.
Last month we began publishing a list of programs where they have DECLINED a SDPA. These programs should NOT be used by students. The main reason is a vendor that has yet to respond after multiple attempts or is unwilling to sign a SDPA.
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- Actively Learn
- Blooket
- Code.org
- Common Lit
- Conjuguemos
- Delta Math
- DESMOS
- Edpuzzle
- Eduflow
- Explain Everything
- Floop
- Formative
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- GeoGebra
- Gimkit
- iXL math
- KHAN ACADEMY
- Lucid Chart
- Mathigon
- No Red Ink
- Noodletools
- Noteflight
- Padlet
- Peardeck
- Pixton Comic
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- Quill
- Quizizz
- Readworks
- Reflex Math
- Sight Reading Factory
- Starfall
- Story Board
- Teambuildr
- Tinkercad
- Tynker
- Verso
- Whiteboard.fi
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NON-APPROVED Programs for Students
(Teachers can still use these programs, but students are not permitted to generate accounts)
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- EdCite
- FluentKey
- Github
- JStor
- Loom
- Lyricstraining
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- Kodable
- Mentimeter
- Photopea
- Quizlet
- Replit
- Rocketbook
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- Toy Theater
- TryHackMe
- Wix
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Failure to protect student and staff information can result in financial and reputational loss, including significant costs for resolving a data breach or cybersecurity attacks and loss of confidence in the district by the public. Our district will continue to focus on maintaining the highest system and data security level! |
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AI support was utilized in crafting this document. |
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Mentor Schools | Adapting, Balancing, Collaborating
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