AUSTIN, Texas — As the Austin Independent School District (AISD) prepares for at least three weeks of online-only learning at the beginning of the new school year, district staff is communicating with parents about how it plans to make that happen.
In a frequently-asked-questions (FAQ) update posted on the district's website on Wednesday, the district said it's obtained at least 10,000 Wi-Fi hotspots for families who don't have access to the internet.
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This is in addition to the Chromebooks the district offered to all students in grades 3-12 during the spring when the coronavirus pandemic began. The district is also in the process of obtaining 24,000 iPads for students in pre-K through second grade.
AISD also plans to use a common learning management system called BLEND so that parents and students can receive all communication about course assignments, be able to watch videos, access lesson content, submit assignments, receive feedback on assignments and communicate with their teacher using this one tool. Students in pre-K through second grade will also use a BLEND tool called Seesaw.
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The district is also working to meet the needs of all of its students, including English-language learners and students with special needs.
"Students who are emergent bilingual and students with special needs are student groups who are at the center of our planning for virtual instruction. When we get it right for these students, we actually make [...] the learning experience better for all students," the district said in its update.
For more information about how your family can obtain one of the district's hotspots or learning devices, click here.
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