Technology

Vision, Beliefs and Goals

Our motivation for using technology is to enhance and extend learning. We envision classrooms where readily available digital tools and resources engage learners and teachers in the collaborative pursuit of challenging and personalized, learning experiences.  Students will demonstrate ethically responsible use of digital tools reflective of today’s global, digital world. 

Our belief is that digital technologies play an integral role in preparing students as future global citizens. Technology is used to engage students and make connections to life in and beyond the classroom. Digital resources used throughout the curriculum help students to successfully live, learn, work and communicate in our evolving cross-cultural digital society. The best use of digital tools and resources is to focus their application on higher order thinking skills and personalizing learning in a collaborative setting. All students as developing digital citizens should have ready access to available digital technologies in the course of their school work. All staff should have ready access to appropriate technologies and support in the use of digital tools and resources.

Black Gold School Division 3 Year Technology Plan PDF – BGSD Technology Plan

Bring Your Own Educational Device (BYOED)

BGSD does provide access for students personal devices to a wifi connection. Devices such as chromebooks can assist in learning and provide access when BGSD owned devices are not available. All classrooms have access to a cart of devices that are available to students under the guidance of the classroom teacher. Students personal devices like chromebooks and laptops that have high educational productivity value may be connected but not cell phones, gaming devices or watches, etc. Devices must be registered in the school office with its MAC address. This network has the same content filters that is applied for all student devices.

Please visit the BGSD-BYOED website for information on How to Connect

Purchasing options for chromebooks are available from the local Leduc Staples and from BCOM Computers in Edmonton as well as other local retailers. When purchasing a Chromebook note that they do have an end of life date as determined by Google after which time they will no longer update. Please reference Google Auto Update Policy to look for brand and model numbers to determine the life of the device. There are devices being sold online as new that will expire within a year or two. A standard new model Chromebook should have an end of life date approximately 8 – 10 years after purchase.

Digital Citizenship

Published by the Government of Canada – Get Cyber Safe

BGSD follows the Canadian Center for Digital Media Literacy – Media Smarts

Technology Fee

BGSD has technology fees for all students. It varies by grade as division 1 students have a fee of $20 and division 2,3 and 4 students have a fee of $50. This fee is used to supplement the basic funding for technology in schools and provide access to software and tools that enhance education. Examples of enhanced services:

• Google’s top tier educational accounts
• Additional internet bandwidth at all schools (basic access – 100Mb, enhanced access 200Mb+)
• Adobe Creative Cloud software for division 3 and 4 students in related CTS and CTF courses
• Assistive read, write, text to voice, and predictive writing software for all students
• Classroom management software for division 2 and 3 teachers to help guide student technology use
• Coding, Robotic and Scientific kits available to division 1, 2 and 3 schools
• Support of eSports teams in division 3 and 4
• Chrome Tablets in division 1 and 2
• Additional chromebooks to improve access for students.