TECHNOLOGY
Governor Mifflin School District’s technology is constantly evolving. As our curriculum grows and evolves, so too do the tools that enhance our teachers’ ability to teach, and our students’ ability to engage, collaborate and learn.
At GMSD, students K-12 are issued a Chromebook – we are 1:World. The expectation for our students is that they use the technology to collaborate with each other and their teachers. The Chromebook is an important learning tool, meant to ensure our students remain current with information and the ability to communicate with their teachers. Each student is issued a GMSD Google for Education account. Among a collection of vetted apps, the Google suite and other web resources, students and teachers will use Google Classroom to manage course work.
Upon enrollment, your student will be directed by their school counselor to receive their technology and parents will have the opportunity to pay an optional insurance fee.
In addition to classroom technology, students will have (through various course pathways) access to engineering and design technology, as well as coding and program development.
GMSD technology is supported by our Technology Department, present in all buildings. As the expectation for our students to use technology as a learning tool is paramount, so too is our work to maintain the technology with an eye towards safety and integrity.
Upcoming project: WIFI Update/Expansion
This summer, GMSD Tech dept will be working on updating and expanding the current WIFI infrastructure throughout the district. This project will involve 2 phases of implementation and yield several positive results.
WHY
- The current GMSD WIFI infrastructure is nearing 6 years old and was installed with minimal connectivity expectations.
- The steady increase of wireless connectivity was anticipated in the 2 years leading up to the pandemic of 2020. Once students and teachers returned to the buildings, having shifted much of their curricular materials to the web, the expectation for wireless connectivity spiked upwards across all grade levels. The short comings of the current wireless infrastructure were realized as we monitored capacity issues (the ability for large numbers of users to connect to 1 access point), and performance issues (noticeable slowness or devices’ inability to connect to online resources).
- Inadequate access for the public especially in public spaces (e.g. gyms, auditoriums etc)
- Inadequate coverage to all points of our school buildings.
Stats:
Current active devices requiring WIFI connectivity: 5000 per day
Pre COVID user emails average 50MB / Post COVID user emails average of 200MB
Pre COVID user files stored: 500MB average / Post COVID user files stored: 2-3GB average
WHERE
Areas affected will include all classrooms, auditoriums, cafeterias, gymnasiums, lobbies, offices etc.
WHEN
Phase 1 – cabling of the access points to be added will commence at the start of June.
Phase 2 – the installing of the newly purchased equipment will commence after July 1
HOW
Phase 1 is paid for by capital reserve funds.
Phase 2 is paid for with e-rate funds (60%) and the remaining to be paid through the Technology budget for SY 22-23.
CURRENT PROGRESS
- 3/7/2022 – The GMSD School Board approves the project to move forward
NEXT STEPS
- 3/22/2022 – Budget requirements are filed with eRate
- June 1 – start Phase 1
- July 1 – start Phase 2
