Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where is the accountability if they do not get returned? How much would it cost to the family? When do they get returned? What if families do not have internet?

Who cares! If MCPS didnt think about this before announcing distribution they will have to deal with the consequences.

Yes, every district who did this thought about the fact that some will not get returned. What were we supposed to do? Leave kids with nothing?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question: I think it's great to distribute computers or tablets to students that need them. But I'm guessing (?) that most students who don't have access to computers also won't have access to WiFi. Am I wrong about this? Are there solutions that I'm missing? Can most cell phones be used to tether to computers?

Comcast is offering free WiFi to low income families

But they aren’t running new cable. So if you don’t live where it is already ready for service to be turned on you are SOOL.

Comcast also has activated free mobile hotspots

Wouldn’t that require congregating?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question: I think it's great to distribute computers or tablets to students that need them. But I'm guessing (?) that most students who don't have access to computers also won't have access to WiFi. Am I wrong about this? Are there solutions that I'm missing? Can most cell phones be used to tether to computers?

Comcast is offering free WiFi to low income families

But they aren’t running new cable. So if you don’t live where it is already ready for service to be turned on you are SOOL.

Comcast also has activated free mobile hotspots

Anonymous wrote:Tap your breaks OP. This email was never sent to Whitman families.

NP, yes it what I got it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question: I think it's great to distribute computers or tablets to students that need them. But I'm guessing (?) that most students who don't have access to computers also won't have access to WiFi. Am I wrong about this? Are there solutions that I'm missing? Can most cell phones be used to tether to computers?

Comcast is offering free WiFi to low income families

But they aren’t running new cable. So if you don’t live where it is already ready for service to be turned on you are SOOL.

Anonymous wrote:Guess only the wealthy school kids get them who probably already have chrome books...nice

You are misinformed - there are definitely children in Whitman cluster that are less fortunate and do not have access. Please don't be so nasty.

I hope MCPS will also give laptops and webcams to teachers. A lot of staff are not really set up to work remotely. Chrome books won’t give them access to their private PC accounts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guess only the wealthy school kids get them who probably already have chrome books...nice

Nah.

My nephew is at Neelsville in Germantown. Fairly low-income.

Kids are already given tablets to take home, so they already have them. Tablets are meant to be kept with the kids at all times.

This is a completely different situation. Neelsville is a school partnered with Verizon to provide iPads to every student. That is not at all the case with all schools in MCPS.

From the Neelsville website regarding Verizon Innovative Learning:

Update from Verizon regarding the school-issued iPADS: For the next two months, starting yesterday, Monday, March 16, Verizon is upgrading the data plans on all Verizon Innovative Learning devices from 10 GB/month to 30 GB/month. We hope that this increased high-speed access will allow teachers and students to maintain open lines of communication, provide students with increased access to remote instruction, and keep families connected to important health and safety information.

This is a rare situation and very few schools in the county have this partnership.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guess only the wealthy school kids get them who probably already have chrome books...nice

Nah.

My nephew is at Neelsville in Germantown. Fairly low-income.

Kids are already given tablets to take home, so they already have them. Tablets are meant to be kept with the kids at all times.

This is a completely different situation. Neelsville is a school partnered with Verizon to provide iPads to every student. That is not at all the case with all schools in MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are going to be doing this for everyone. Believe it or not there are kids at every school in the County that don't have access to a computer/laptop. There are just more of them at some schools than at others.

Majority of parents at Whitman can buy their kids chrome books. Many don't buy the kids laptops and just go for iPads or phones or both but that doesn't mean they don't have access to a device as how are they doing their homework?

It can be very hard to do work on tiny screens like a phone.

Yes, it can be but if you can afford to buy your kid the latest iPhone and live in the Whitman area (except for a few sections), you can afford to buy your kid a $200 chrome book. Save the chrome books for families who cannot afford $200.

Anonymous wrote:Question: I think it's great to distribute computers or tablets to students that need them. But I'm guessing (?) that most students who don't have access to computers also won't have access to WiFi. Am I wrong about this? Are there solutions that I'm missing? Can most cell phones be used to tether to computers?

Comcast is offering free WiFi to low income families

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are going to be doing this for everyone. Believe it or not there are kids at every school in the County that don't have access to a computer/laptop. There are just more of them at some schools than at others.

Majority of parents at Whitman can buy their kids chrome books. Many don't buy the kids laptops and just go for iPads or phones or both but that doesn't mean they don't have access to a device as how are they doing their homework?

It can be very hard to do work on tiny screens like a phone.

Anonymous wrote:Question: I think it's great to distribute computers or tablets to students that need them. But I'm guessing (?) that most students who don't have access to computers also won't have access to WiFi. Am I wrong about this? Are there solutions that I'm missing? Can most cell phones be used to tether to computers?

Phones can tether but some phone plans like ours charge more and its only limited hotspot data. Comcast and Verizon are offering free service for a few months as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guess only the wealthy school kids get them who probably already have chrome books...nice

Nah.

My nephew is at Neelsville in Germantown. Fairly low-income.

Kids are already given tablets to take home, so they already have them. Tablets are meant to be kept with the kids at all times.

That's impressive. Our focus school doesn't have tablets. Older kids have chrome books but they stay at school. Thankfully we have our own.

Anonymous wrote:They are going to be doing this for everyone. Believe it or not there are kids at every school in the County that don't have access to a computer/laptop. There are just more of them at some schools than at others.

Majority of parents at Whitman can buy their kids chrome books. Many don't buy the kids laptops and just go for iPads or phones or both but that doesn't mean they don't have access to a device as how are they doing their homework?