Technology
VISION
In the West Irondequoit Central School District, technology is leveraged as an effective tool to meet and exceed clearly defined instructional outcomes as well as to foster a productive learning environment.
GOALS
- Provide students with vetted and aligned technology tools and resources that support purposeful, equitable access to learning opportunities which:
- facilitate student ownership, independence, and resilience
- prepare safe, responsible, 21st-century citizens
- address real-world problem-solving skills with innovation
- promote creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking
- Provide faculty with the resources and training needed to support collaborative student-centered learning environments with high-quality instruction for every student.
- Implement, maintain, and optimize the systems, processes and infrastructure that effectively and efficiently support and promote the goals and health of the district.
INTERNET ACCESS FOR STUDENTS
Irondequoit Public Library has mobile hotspots available to lend out to families who need them. Please see our Student Support and Frequently Asked Questions page for details.
Additionally, West Irondequoit Central School District has outside access available for students from building parking lots. Areas with strong signal strength include the parking lot to the south of Rogers/Southlawn, Irondequoit High School's southwest (teacher) parking lot / loading dock area, Listwood School's north parking lot, and Iroquois Middle School's west entrance (teacher) parking lot near the 4th grade wing.
OPTIONAL LAPTOP PROTECTION PLAN
Discontinuation of the Optional Protection Plan
West Irondequoit has decided to discontinue offering the Optional Protection Plan starting in the 2024-2025 school year. This decision follows a review of our purchasing processes and repair costs. Our current student laptop purchases include a comprehensive 4-year coverage plan that covers most incidentals. As a result, we have seen minimal repair costs through this plan. Additionally, the cost of repairs under this coverage is equivalent to the deductible that families previously needed to meet through the insurance for repairs. In cases where a laptop is lost, stolen, or damaged beyond repair, our purchasing agreement with BOCES allows us to leverage insurance with a $250 deductible for most replacements. Previously, families enrolled in the Optional Protection Plan would have been responsible for this deductible. By eliminating the Protection Plan, we aim to reduce the financial burden on families, as our current purchasing process covers most repair costs and maintains a stable deductible.
STUDENT 1:1 DEVICE PLANS
All students in grades K-12 will have access to 1:1 devices. Kindergarten students use devices assigned to them in the classroom and these devices remain in the classroom. Students in grades 1, 5, and 9 receive new laptops, chargers, and sleeves, which stay with them for four years. At the end of the four-year cycle, these devices and chargers are collected. The majority of students, except for Kindergarten, bring their devices and chargers home over the summer. This allows for digital access to educational content, enabling students to continue learning if families choose to allow device use during the summer. Additionally, many students participate in summer programming that requires them to bring their laptops and chargers for educational and curricular purposes.
Minimum Device Specifications
Each year we review the minimum device specifications to meet the instructional needs of our students. Our current approved minimum specifications for student Windows devices are listed below, with desired target specs in parentheses:
- Processor: Pentium N5000 quad-core or higher
- Memory: 4GB (8 GB)
- Hard Drive: 128 GB (128GB SSD)
- Display: 1024x768 (1366x768 touchscreen)
- Network Adapter: Wireless 802.11ac (Bluetooth LE 4.1)
ADDITIONAL LAPTOP CHARGERS
The district supplies a single device charger with each deployed device, which we recommend accompany the device at all times. We frequently receive questions from families interested in purchasing an additional charger to leave at home for convenience. Though the technology department does not sell these chargers, they are available from external retailers. Information on personal purchase of additional chargers is available on our Laptop Charger information page.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
IT support for district devices and software is available through building level technology liaisons or by emailing the help desk here. Please note that our help desk is staffed Monday through Friday from 7:30 am - 3:30 pm with a 30-minute lunch. It is best practice if a student is having technical difficulties to go through their teacher (K-3) or Technology Liaisons in the building to get technical support.