Wellesley Public Schools

Technology Guide

For Online Learning

Technology Guide for Online Learning:

Below is an overview of the technology components related to online learning. We ask that you read through this document and familiarize yourself with the technology support, applications, expectations, guidelines and disclaimer as we enter into our extended online learning period. Click on any of the blue links below in the Table of Contents to advance to that section of the document.

Table Of Contents

Technology Support

Technology Applications

Applications for Sharing and Receiving Content

Applications for Web Conferencing

Recording of Web Conferences Prohibited by students/parents/guardians

Online Learning Expectations

Online Learning and Web Conferencing Guidelines for students/parents/guardians

Confidentiality/Privacy Notice and Disclaimer for Virtual Meetings/Services with Students

Technology Support

Email Support:

The WPS technology department remains committed to helping our students/parents/guardians during this period. If you have a technology issue please send an email to helpdesk@wellesleyps.org and someone will be in touch with you shortly. We are providing daily coverage during the school days and working diligently to respond to your requests as quickly as possible.

Telephone Support:

Beginning Tuesday, March 31, telephone support will be available from 8:00-2:00 during the school week by calling this number: (781) 591-0033‬. You will be prompted to speak your name and the call will be connected to our technician on call. Voicemail is available for calls placed outside of these hours or if the line is busy. Please be sure to leave your contact information in the message.

Helpdesk Ticket System:

Staff and students can continue to use the Wellesley Helpdesk ticket system to receive support. The link for the technology helpdesk ticket system is Helpdesk.wellesleyps.org. This system is monitored daily during school hours.

Technology Applications

During our remote learning period faculty may use a variety of online tools to deliver and receive content from students. In most cases, the applications are part of the basic tool set used in the schools so students should have familiarity with them. The web conferencing applications have been introduced to our staff recently in response to the COVID-19 outbreak so students may not have seen these tools in the classroom, however we selected the most commonly used applications that are easy to use and comply with data privacy standards. Live synchronous sessions hosted by WPS staff may be recorded by the host (WPS Staff) for future use for student viewing. By allowing your child’s participation in live synchronous sessions, you acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions stated in our Confidentiality/Privacy Notice and Disclaimer for Virtual Meetings/Services with Students.

Applications for Sharing and Receiving Content

Clever Portal - Login portal to many of our tools simplifying the login process for our elementary students.  Students in K-2 use Clever Badges; Students in 3-5 use @wpsraiders credentials.

Google Classroom - Used primarily at the elementary and middle school to conduct online classes.

Canvas - Used Primarily at the high school to deliver content, assign and receive content and, enable discussions and more.

Google Sites - Used at all levels to organize and post written information, video, and audio for students.

Google Slides -  Used at all levels to share content with students through a slide deck.

EdPuzzle - Create interactive video lessons for your students.

Seesaw - Often used at the lower grades to post assignments and videos.

Flip Grid - Used to engage and empower every voice in a class by recording and sharing short, awesome videos...together!

YouTube - Used for sharing videos to support curriculum at all grade levels. It has great features for live closed captioning. The YouTube website is now available for students at home and YouTube content is filtered by Google's Filter. We have set the most restrictive access (Strict Restricted Mode) to filter the content in grades PK-8. Strict Restricted Mode does not block all videos, but works as a filter to screen out many videos based on an automated system, while leaving some videos still available for viewing.

Note: No algorithm is perfect. If you see content you find to be inappropriate, please flag it. When something is flagged, it is not automatically taken down. It’s reviewed in line with the YouTube Community Guidelines.

Applications for Web Conferencing

Google Hangouts Meet - Hangout Meet takes the headaches out of joining a video. Just set up a Meet and share a link. With a fast, lightweight interface and smart participant management, multi-person video calls are a breeze. Additionally, Hangout Meet has live captioning making it accessible for everyone. Using the Google Meet Grid View Extension for Chrome you can see all participants in a grid view. Other useful extensions include Nod which allows participants to raise their hand to presenters and speakers during meetings on Google Meet, and Tactiq Pins which captures closed captions from Meet into a text file. Wellesley School Accounts should be used for Google Meet for better performance and for secure settings.  Live synchronous sessions hosted by WPS staff may be recorded by the host (WPS Staff) for future use for student viewing. By allowing your child’s participation in live synchronous sessions, you acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions stated in our Confidentiality/Privacy Notice and Disclaimer for Virtual Meetings/Services with Students.

Canvas Conferences - Conferences in Canvas makes it easy to conduct synchronous (real-time) lectures/instruction OR recorded lectures/instruction for all users in a course.  Share your screen, moderate conversation, open a notepad for shared notes/brainstorming/questions, and more. Live synchronous sessions hosted by WPS staff may be recorded by the host (WPS Staff) for future use for student viewing. By allowing your child’s participation in live synchronous sessions, you acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions stated in our Confidentiality/Privacy Notice and Disclaimer for Virtual Meetings/Services with Students.

Zoom - Zoom is a remote conferencing service that provides video conferencing, online meetings, chat, and mobile collaboration. Live synchronous sessions hosted by WPS staff may be recorded by the host (WPS Staff) for future use for student viewing. By allowing your child’s participation in live synchronous sessions, you acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions stated in our Confidentiality/Privacy Notice and Disclaimer for Virtual Meetings/Services with Students.

Recording of Web Conferences Prohibited by students/parents/guardians

• Recording of web conferencing/synchronous video sessions is prohibited by participating students/parents/guardians. Massachusetts Wiretapping Law (M.G.L. Chapter 272, Section 99) has very strict rules on the recording of meetings and prohibits the recording of video sessions without express permission of all participants.
  
• In addition to the Massachusetts Wiretapping Law, Wellesley Public Schools forbids students/parents/guardians from taking photos, screenshots, recording any video or audio during all (live and pre-recorded) remote learning sessions.
  
• Student violations will result, at a minimum, in school disciplinary action; parent/guardian violations will result in a referral to the Wellesley Police Department.

Online Learning Expectations

An online classroom is still a classroom. Although you are attending class from home you are expected to behave as if you were in school in a regular classroom. The following online learning expectations apply.

Online Learning and Web Conferencing Guidelines for students/parents/guardians

• School rules, classroom respect, and decorum apply in our online learning sessions.  If a student is not adhering to these norms the teacher can close the conference for the student and/or the class.  
  
• Students are expected to attend online sessions.

• Students should use their wpsraiders.org account (grades PK-12) or their Clever badge for students in grades (PK-2), for all interactions during online learning. Personal accounts should not be used for online learning.

• Web Conferencing:  Google Meet requires students to use their WPSRaiders.org account. Students may participate in Zoom meetings using the link & password teachers share (no account needed).
  
• Students in grades 7-12 should check wpsraiders.org email daily.
  
• Just as on-site students are required to be on time, students are expected to be on time for any synchronous online learning. Please "arrive" five minutes prior to the start of the online session with a fully charged device.
  

• Parents/guardians will have access to online class discussions more than in regular classroom discussions. We ask parents/guardians to observe student/teacher privacy and only assist if your student is needing help.
  
• Always remember that everyone can see you. Be kind and respectful to your teacher and classmates including body language, noises and facial expressions.
  
• Mute your microphone for participating and unmute when ready to speak. This will allow for better performance. Use headphones if possible. Be patient when experiencing delays in audio or video feed.  
  
• Online classes are intended for students that have been invited to the course and received the link to attend class directly from the WPS staff. Please do not share any links or access codes for others to attend class remotely.  
  
• Use the chat function responsibly. Raise your hand or send a chat to be called on when you are ready to speak.

Confidentiality/Privacy Notice and Disclaimer for Virtual Meetings/Services with Students

Our teachers and related service providers have arranged to provide some services and instruction through remote means. As our staff prepare to hold group meetings and instructions for students, staff may need to share your child’s name and your/your child’s email address with other members of the group. By participating in virtual meetings/services, you are agreeing that Wellesley Public Schools may:

1. Disclose your child’s name and email address and possibly my name and email address for the purpose of participation in virtual meetings and services.
2. Display the appearance and voice of my child, and sometimes of me, via the internet, for the purpose of participation in said group activities. 

Also, please be advised that student meetings/lessons may be viewed by individuals in other students’ households and the Wellesley Public Schools cannot ensure your child’s privacy.  By allowing your child’s participation, you are acknowledging and accepting the privacy limitations inherent in virtual meetings/classrooms. The WPS requests that you respect the privacy of our students and that you refrain from disclosing student information that you may have access to during the course of your child’s participation in virtual activities. 

By allowing your child’s participation in virtual activities, you acknowledge and accept these privacy limitations.

Meetings/services/lessons may not be recorded, copied, disseminated or distributed to any person or entity.

We also request that you:

1. Refrain from interrupting the teacher/provider during virtual activities.
2. Refrain from engaging in disruptive conduct during virtual activities.
3. Failure to comply with any of the above may preclude my child from participating in further virtual activities during the period of this school closure.