Elementary buildings will have a cart of 28 iPads for every two classrooms.   Students at Pine Trails will will have 25+ ipads for each class thanks to the Whole School Technology Transformation Grant awarded last year.  Each classroom in grades K-12 has also been equipped with an Apple TV for easy projection of iPads.

Secondary level will have 7th through 12th grade students will be assigned their own personal devices during the first few weeks of school. Students with these devices will have the option of subscribing to the district’s ‘Assurance Program’ which will allow students to purchase ‘insurance’ for their devices for a nominal fee.  

Beginning with the 2015-16 school year, students in grades 7-12 will have the option of bringing their own technology devices to school (BYOT).  Check the student resources page for more information about BYOT.

Internet Safety

Safety in using the internet is taken very seriously at Allegan Public Schools.  In order to ensure each of our student’s safety, we have employed three layers of safety support:  

1.  Teaching all students Digital Citizenship is a large part of keeping our students safe while using technology.  It is important that our youngest and oldest learners understand and behave responsibly while on the internet for the safety of themselves and others.  All buildings will have the Digital Citizenship posters as reference as well as instruction on how to leave a positive ‘digital footprint’.  *See attached ‘kid friendly’ infographic

2.  Another key piece in ensuring safety for our students while using technology is a web based mobile device management system (MDM) named AirWatch.  AirWatch is a premier MDM program which will share educational applications with student ipads, as well as track and block ‘unsafe’ activity that hadn’t already been caught by the districts secure content filtering system.

3.  Over the summer we have updated our internet filtering system to a program called “Light Speed”.  The Lightspeed Systems Web Filter meets the growing 21st-century learning needs for today’s schools with a focus on safe access rather than just blocking. It provides all the controls, policies, and reporting needed and has been ranked as a leader in web filtering for schools.

Teacher Training & Support

Digital Learning Coaches is a new position for the district, funded by the Whole School Technology Transformation grant awarded to Dawson, North Ward and West Ward last spring.  Over the summer, these coaches spent a large amount of time completing learning modules.

The intended outcomes for this work include:  

• Know how to access the resources available to educators in Michigan to assist with technology readiness

• Understand how to use the materials and resources available in the Teacher Technology Training (T3) course

• Make connections with a variety of educational portals and experts to enhance classroom instruction and online test readiness

• Transfer their learning to professional practice  through improved technology proficiency and local district readiness for online assessments

This information along with basic ‘how to’ and collaboration will be provided by the Digital Learning Coaches throughout their buildings.

Flex PD for the 15-16 School Year includes 60+ opportunities for teachers to integrate technology and transform their classrooms.


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