- –
- +
The wireless classroom: A regional picture
Text Size:
This story is from BostonGlobe.com, the only place for complete digital access to the Globe.
School districts south of Boston have implemented wireless technology in varying degrees, ranging from complete coverage to selected hotspots within the schools. Many have such features as mobile carts that transport wireless devices to classrooms, a bring your own device (BYOD) option, and a 1-to-1 ratio of wireless devices to students.
| School district | Wi-Fi | Future plans |
| Abington | Middle and high schools have full coverage; some classes have laptops, iPads, or netbooks for each student; BYOD encouraged | Developing 1-to-1 capacity |
| Blue Hills Regional | Full coverage; used for mobile laptops and iPad carts | Expand use |
| Braintree | Two elementary schools fully wireless, all other schools wireless in designated areas. BYOD not official, but many students do and are allowed access to school network | Expanded wireless capability and moving away from BYOD to school-owned devices |
| Bridgewater-Raynham Regional | High school has full coverage and other schools have hotspots for administration only; new Wi-Fi system in high school includes employee network; iPad and laptop carts | Looking to implement BYOD in high school and get coverage in middle schools next year, eventually in all of the schools |
| Bristol-Plymouth Vocational | Full coverage; mobile laptop and iPad carts; students can sign devices out from library; access for guests and faculty; Apple TV | Investigating BYOD |
| Brockton | All schools have full coverage; used for mobile laptop and tablet carts and personal devices. | Expanding number of laptops and tablets |
| Canton | One elementary school has 85 percent wireless coverage; other schools have spot coverage. | Planning for expanded wireless, but nothing finalized |
| Dedham | Full wireless coverage in the high school and one elementary school; remaining schools have some coverage; some 1-to-1 devices at the high school | District is looking to strengthen wireless and purchase iPads |
| Duxbury | Schools have full coverage, used for laptops and iPads; BYOD in high school with permission | Expanding number of laptops and tablets |
| East Bridgewater | Center School and Middle School have full coverage; used in computer labs; iPads used with special needs students | New high school will be fully wireless; expanding to laptop and iPad carts; investigating BYOD |
| Foxborough | Limited Wi-Fi hotspots in all five schools (none in classrooms); iPads for some administrators and special needs students | Looking to get high school fully covered next year and build infrastructure to support Wi-Fi |
| Foxborough Regional Charter | School is fully covered; used for Web-based applications in various classes | Not decided |
| Hanover | All schools have coverage; every teacher has a laptop; students use on restricted, case-by-case basis | Not decided |
| Hingham | Two of four elementary schools fully wireless; limited wireless in remaining schools | New, fully wireless middle school to open in fall 2014; wireless capabilities in the former middle school will be distributed to elementary schools; high school will double wireless capability by fall 2014 |
| Middleborough | Complete coverage in high school where all teachers have laptops; hotspots in other 4 schools | Make all schools fully wireless; working toward 1-to-1 system |
| Milton | Tucker Elementary School wireless; numerous 1-to-1pilot programs in place | All schools will be fully wireless by fall 2013; district will expand 1-to-1 program during 2014-15 school year. |
| Norton | Administrative areas and mobile carts with individual wireless | New high school will have full coverage and more laptop carts; administrators will have iPads and teachers will have laptops. |
| Norwell | High school and middle school full coverage; 1-to-1 pilot with iPads in middle school; teachers have laptops | Push 1-to-1 through all the grades |
| Norwood | High school and middle school fully wireless; elementary schools and early education center have wireless hot spots. | Technology Advisory Committee formed to study expanded wireless. |
| Old Colony | All schools have Wi-Fi hotspots in main office and library; iPads and mini computers available | Will expand to 1-to-1 with laptop for each student |
| Old Rochester | All schools have coverage; teachers have laptops; used for mobile laptop and iPad carts | Investigating BYOD |
| Pembroke | Full coverage in one of three elementary schools as well as middle and high schools; used for administrator purposes | Investigating BYOD |
| Plymouth | Middle and high schools have full coverage; all high school teachers have laptops and administrators have iPads; iPad and laptop mobile carts; hotspots at elementary schools | Expand full coverage to elementary schools and add more mobile carts |
| Quincy | The two high schools and one of its middle schools are fully wireless | All schools fully wireless by September; study more tablet use |
| Randolph | All schools have wireless, but used primarily by staff rather than students | Investigating BYOD |
| Rockland | New combined middle-high school has coverage; few Wi-Fi hotspots in elementary; students use iPads and Kindles in the library; mobile laptops carts | Plan to have complete coverage within next 12 months |
| Sharon | Updated to faster connection districtwide last summer; use mobile laptop carts; piloting iPads for special needs students and in library | Updating two elementary schools to faster system; investigating BYOD |
| South Shore Vocational | Full coverage; used for mobile laptop carts and 1-to1 iPad pilot program | Will expand 1-to-1 iPad pilot next year |
| Stoughton | All eight schools fully wireless | Exploring ways to provide more 1-to-1 devices. |
| Walpole | All eight schools, including the preschool, have wireless access points covering about 80 percent of the buildings. | Hopes to be 100 percent wireless by the 2014-15 school year; including more tablets and wireless devices. |
| Wareham | Rolling out wireless high-capacity access points; use laptop and iPad carts | By fall of 2013, all buildings will be 60-70 percent covered; expanding number of iPads; investigating BYOD |
| West Bridgewater | Full coverage in district; teachers have iPads; mobile laptop and iPad carts; unofficial BYOD | Moving toward 1-to-1 with BYOD and issuing devices |
| Westwood | All seven schools fully wireless; there are laptop carts in the schools that depend on wireless; limited BYOD. | District plans to purchase 1,000 1-to-1 devices and have devices for every student at the middle and high school |
| Weymouth | High school and Abigail Adams Middle School have full coverage; other 10 schools have wireless hotspots; laptops and iPads on mobile carts and in library; some BYOD | Full coverage of all schools within next six months |
| Whitman-Hanson | All schools have full coverage; mobile netbook carts; students can lease laptops and iPads | None |
SOURCES: School districts; Avon, Carver, Cohasset, Easton, Freetown-Lakeville Regional, Halifax, Holbrook, Hull, Mansfield, Marshfield, Rising Tide Charter, Scituate, Silver Lake Regional, Southeastern Regional Technical Vocational did not respond to survey.
© Copyright 2013 Globe Newspaper Company.
