Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Technology topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Orono technology team reports midyear upgrades, Chromebook refresh and emerging AI guidance for teachers
Summary
District technology leaders reported network and classroom hardware upgrades, distribution of 820 Chromebooks to elementary grades, a 70% district-device uptake by sixth graders (up from ~40%), 1,579 IT tickets so far, and development of a responsible AI-use framework to guide teachers and students.
Orono School District technology leaders delivered a midyear report on Feb. 10 highlighting infrastructure upgrades, a device refresh at the elementary level, cybersecurity planning and a multi-tiered approach to artificial intelligence in classrooms.
Director of Technology Sean Beverson and technology integration specialists Bailey Net (elementary) and Paul Ivers (secondary) described upgrades enabled by the district’s technology levy, including replacement of analog classroom equipment with digital systems in 56 learning spaces, Wi‑Fi improvements and security system changes. Beverson said the district completed an elementary Chromebook refresh this summer with the purchase of 820 devices.
Beverson reported that 70% of sixth graders chose district-managed devices this school year, an increase from about 40% previously. He said the district completed a full inventory of campus equipment, streamlined device management, and is preparing a wired-network design assessment and E-rate paperwork to replace aging network switches.
On operations and support, Beverson said the district launched a formal ticketing system (support@orono.k12.mn.us) and had opened 1,579 tickets so far this school year; the team is closing the majority of those requests. The district has also worked with a local cybersecurity firm, FR Secure, and plans an internal tabletop exercise to rehearse incident response.
Teachers and integration specialists described classroom-level work: a Schoology 2 initiative to standardize digital learning spaces, and a Schoology course built to provide MCA practice materials. Staff also reported development of a responsible AI-use scale for teachers to communicate expectations to students (AI-free, AI-assisted, AI-enhanced levels), incorporation of AI language into middle- and high-school handbooks under academic integrity, and teacher cohorts that pilot AI tools.
Beverson and staff emphasized a values-first approach to emerging technology: use technology to support instructional goals rather than adopt tools for their own sake. They said the district is evaluating vendor solutions, single-sign-on (ClassLink) and multi-factor authentication rollout for staff, and exploring controlled or locally hosted options for future AI tools.
No formal board action was required for the update; trustees asked several operational and pedagogical questions and thanked staff for the work.
