When will the students receive their laptops?

Who is responsible for charging the laptops and other power issues?

Students are responsible for making sure that their laptops are charged over-night and ready for school. Students should make sure they have the laptop (in it's case) and their charger for school every day. 

Do students need personal credentials to log on to the laptops?

All Sharpstown High School students will be assigned a unique username and password to log on to their student accounts. No generic username and password will be permitted.

Will students receive training about device care, digital citizenship, and Power Up?

Students will receive extensive training related to device care and proper use of the laptops. During laptop deployment, teachers will conduct device orientation and digital citizenship with students. 

How about web tools?

HISD Educational Technology team has an extensive list of tools that students will learn about and use throughout the year. Teachers may also conduct in-class training for their students. https://www.houstonisd.org/Domain/16245

What should I do, as a teacher, should the Internet connectivity go down and my lesson has been planned around being able to go online?

Whether it's ongoing construction, or a sudden thunderstorm, there are rare occasions where technology, even electricity, can fail. Have non-digital options and backup plans. Teachers should be able to adapt and continue instruction when technology is not working. For example, have a digital copy of the essential elements of your lesson, activities, media files, and resources on your local machine or have the documents and files saved to an external device such as USB/Jump Drive. 

I want to assign online related homework, but I am afraid my students may not have Internet access at home. What can I do to extend my classroom activities beyond my classroom walls?

Please have physical copies of assignments available for students to copy to their laptops. You can either post the files on the HUB and have the students download them while in class, or use a USB drive to transfer the materials to their laptops before they go home. Students can also access free WIFI at various locations in Houston. PowerUp has flyers for $10/mo internet access.

Once students receive their laptops, will we get technical support during class periods?

Yes, HISD has Help Desk personnel to assist teachers with technical issues via phone and email. The PowerUp team functions as an on-site extension of the HISD Help Desk, so any help desk tickets that need local support will be assigned to on-site staff.

How about major technical issues with student laptops?

Students can visit D126 before school, at lunch, and after school. Once the student and laptop arrive at the PowerUp Help Desk, we will troubleshoot the laptop and decide on a course of action. Allow students the flexibility to work with another student until they can visit PowerUp to address the issue.

Do we have to use the laptops, in class, everyday?

Laptops are taking the place of textbooks. Just as students previously used textbooks daily, students will use laptops everyday. This doesn't mean that teachers will utilize laptop technology exclusively, but students do need to bring their laptop to school everyday, even during testing.

Why is HISD spending all this money on laptops? Is this the new flavor of the year?
No, the 1:1 student laptop initiative is here to stay. All HISD high schools have adopted the Power Up 1:1 laptop model to provide digital technology experiences and access to online learning resources far beyond the extent of the textbooks students used to carry in their backpacks. 

Because HISD started the PowerUp program several years ago, our teachers, students and staff are more adaptable to current situations.

How about our special population kids, will they get laptops to use?

All Sharpstown High School Students will have the opportunity to have a laptop to use. We may have alternate arrangements for some students. The admin team will consider such cases as they arise.

Do students have access to printers? How will the setup work?

Are the laptops secure and safe at school and at home?

The laptops are fitted with HISD installed filters to protect students. The filters work at school and at home. The laptops also have a security program installed, to deter theft and loss.
The best deterrence is knowledge. We teach our students about device care and digital citizenship.

Are students allowed to download and install programs on the laptops?

Students are not allowed to install programs or games on the laptops. However, the laptops will come with a feature that has pre-loaded programs for students to use. Teachers can request for specific software to be added if necessary.

Is there a standard set of rules in regard to student laptop usage, behavior in class, and content access?

We have a uniform technology usage policy at Sharpstown including elements outlined in the Laptop Loan Agreement and the Student Handbook.

Who deals with a reported lost or stolen laptops on or off campus?

Any lost/stolen laptop needs to be reported immediately to the PowerUp team We will direct you on what other reports and information are needed depending on the circumstances. Generally, for off-campus lost/stolen, the PowerUp team will help you complete a report for the appropriate agency, such as Houston Police Department, for on-campus issues, we may direct your to work with on-campus HISD Police. 

Is it true that HISD IT can access and remotely monitor my computer?

Yes, HISD IT department can access and remotely monitor Power Up Laptops. They are the property of HISD, after all. This is not common and is only implemented when a situation warrants it.

$25 laptop usage fee, is this an insurance premium against damage, theft, or lost?

The $25 is not an insurance premium. It is non-refundable technology usage fee that allows students to use the laptop for the duration of one academic year. 

My parents can't afford to pay the $25 laptop fee, is there a way for a student in that situation to still get a laptop?

We want all kids to benefit from the Power Up Initiative. The admin staff will find a way to make sure all students have access to laptops for daily use. We can also provide a payment plan option for struggling families.

OLD - Do we have enough bandwidth to handle Internet traffic, once students get their laptops?

Yes, we have enough coverage to handle the traffic. 95% of our classrooms have a dedicated internet wifi connection point, called a Wireless Access Point (WAP) that can handle up to 30 laptops logging in and accessing the Internet resources. Certain areas such as gyms, library, and cafeteria have multiple WAPs to support more students.

I have more questions, who do I address them to?

Please stop by PowerUp with your questions.