Freshmen iPads

  • All ninth grade students’ iPads will be configured with a base set of apps to fulfill educational activities. This base set of apps, assembled using recommendations from teachers across the District, is shown in the chart below. Some of the titles are purchased apps that will only be available at the specific schools that have paid for those apps.

    Access to the App Store is blocked for all freshmen. They will not be able to download apps to their iPads independently. Teachers may request that additional course–specific apps be added to 9th grade students’ iPads at any time throughout the school year.

    Freshman iPads have also been configured to control various features. This configuration includes the following settings:

    1. Content filter – set to limit adult content
    2. Music, Podcasts & iTunes U – no access to explicit content
    3. Movies – no access to content rated above PG–‐13
    4. TV Shows – no access to content rated above TV14
    5. iBook Store – no access to content with explicit sexual content
    6. Siri – no access to explicit language
    7. Websites – set to limit access to adult content
    8. Safari – deleting web history is blocked
    9. iMessage – turned off
    10. FaceTime – turned off
    11. Game Center – no access allowed
    12. iPad Name –iPad name locked to device’s serial number
    13. Apple ID – restricted to school–‐issued account

    Selected websites have been blocked from freshmen iPads. These websites include many social media outlets and entertainment–based venues. Additionally, sites that allow students to bypass network controls have been blocked. Examples of blocked websites are provided below. Additional sites may be added to the list as they are identified.

    • netflix.com
    • facebook.com
    • instagram.com
    • snapchat.com
    • vine.com
    • ifunny.com
    • whatsapp.com
    • kik.com
    • tumblr.com
    • yikyakapp.com
    • textnow.com
    • pinger.com
    • vshare.com

    Please be aware freshmen will not have access to the Twitter app on iPads. They will be able to log on to Twitter via the Twitter website. This will limit on–screen notifications that have been noted by many teachers as classroom distractions.

    All freshmen iPads will remain in their original configurations for the duration of the school year. Freshmen will need to successfully complete the District’s Digital Citizenship curriculum, a self–paced online curriculum during the second semester that is accessed via Schoology. Most students will be able to complete the lessons within 15 hours. The curriculum focuses on topics that include digital media awareness, protecting personal information, ethics and copyright, posting and commenting, cyberbullying, online communities, internet privacy, digital foot print, and virtual collaboration.

  • Questions or concerns about the information presented here should be directed to the Hoffman Estates High School Technology Department Chair, Christina Ordonez, at (847) 755-5760 or by email at cordonez@d211.org.