|
Troy students can now check out an internet
connection |
|
January 22, 2018 |
 |
| Troy High
School students Destiney Biorn and
Kayleen Kidwell check out Kajeet
SmartSpots from librarian Kayleen
Randall at the Troy High School library,
devices that can give them
education-only 4G Wi-Fi internet access
anywhere there's a cell phone signal.
Students on Troy activity buses can also
access the internet to catch up on
schoolwork while traveling to games or
other school activities. |
|
"We have something pretty exciting going on that
you might be interested in," Dr. Jacob Francom,
Superintendent of Troy Public Schools, wrote
last week. "We now offer internet service on our
activity bus and we also have devices students
can check out through the library that will
provide internet at home. It's pretty cool
stuff!"
According to the American School Bus Council, 26
million students ride a school bus each year.
Even students with a relatively short commute,
can spend hundreds of hours on the school bus
over the course of the school year. When you add
it all up, it is estimated that U.S. students
spend a staggering 520-million school days on
buses each year!
Now students in Troy riding the activities bus
to and from games and other activities can put
that time on the bus to good use thanks to
Kajeet Smartbus, which allows school buses to be
equipped with 4G LTE connectivity pre-configured
with safe education-content filters to keep
students focused on schoolwork and not on
distractions.
And students who don't have internet access at
home, which is quite a few in remote northwest
Montana, can now visit the high school library
and check out a Kajeet SmartSpot, a device that
will enable students to access a 4G network on
any of the four major carriers, giving them
internet access on any Wi-Fi compatible device,
filtered specifically for school use.
It's no wonder Dr. Francom, who is also
principal at Troy Junior and Senior High, is so
stoked.
"It has helped many of our students stay caught
up on their homework," he said, "without the
distractions and pitfalls common to the
internet."
The Kajeet story began more than 15 years ago
with three dads figuring out how mobile
technology, kids and parents work best. Thinking
of their own kids, ("Kajeet" is an acronym of
the first letters of the names of the company's
founders' children), they designed a service to
provide their kids with everything they need to
safely explore the exciting world of mobile
technology.
The Kajeet SmartSpot is a portable Wi-Fi hotspot
device that provides students with safe,
education-only Internet access wherever there is
cellular coverage, allowing them to access the
Internet outside the classroom to complete
homework, read online materials, collaborate
with classmates or connect with teachers.
What they can't do is access any entertainment,
adult, or inappropriate content sites. No
private information, such as student name, login
information, account numbers, etc., is collected
or retained, though the school does have the
capability to track device usage trends, such as
sites visited.
The Kajeet devices offer educational broadband
access, with built-in filters to block not just
inappropriate content, but social media sites,
entertainment sites such as Netflix and Hulu ...
they even have time of day controls to restrict
access from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. so over zealous
students won't be tempted to work all night and
miss the sleep they need to perform well the
next day.
Students using the Kajeet systems even get
lessons in safe internet use that will serve
them well for years to come;
• Never respond to harassing or rude texts, messages and e-mails.
• Never give out your password to anyone other than your parent or
guardian.
• If you wouldn’t say something to another person’s face, don’t post it
online!
• Think before posting your photos. Do not post or send semi-nude or nude
pictures of yourself or anyone else!
• Never post your personal information such as cell phone number,
address, or the name of your school online.
• Be aware that information you give out through any website could put
you at risk of bullying or other types of
victimization.
• Never agree to meet in person with anyone you first “met” online.
• Be aware that posting information about your friends puts them at risk.
To learn more, visit the
Kajeet website
or contact Dr. Francom at (406) 295-4520. |
|
Questions or comments about this
letter?
Click here to e-mail! |
|
|
|
|
