Technology Department

The South Central technology department oversees all technology operations for the school corporation. This includes the technical and instructional needs of the administration, teachers, support staff, and students. All staff and students are provided the technology resources needed to meet the demands of education.

Vision
To use the integration of technology to move our classrooms into a more blended learning environment by focusing on communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking while moving toward engaging and personalized experiences.

Mission
We strive to provide the tools to make teaching exciting for the teachers, learning more engaging for the students, and provide resources to take education beyond the textbook and four walls of the classroom.

Forms & Handouts

Resources

Internet Access Options
Families within the South Central school district have multiple options for internet access depending on their community. Providers available in our communities include but are not limited to:
- Comcast (Xfinity)
- Frontier
- HughesNet
- Mediacom
- Nitco
- Surf Internet
- Viasat
Contact the above companies to determine if service is available for your address. Families can also check with cellular providers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) to find out about options regarding home internet access via 5G/LTE or mobile hotspots. Additionality, the LaPorte County Public Library provides free Wi-Fi access at their locations along with mobile hotspots for checkout.

Affordable Connectivity Program
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a U.S. government program run by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to help low-income households pay for internet service and connected devices like a laptop or tablet. For more information on eligibility and how to apply, visit affordableconnectivity.gov.
Technology Services We Use

Google Workspace for Education
Google provides a suite of online tools and services that allows for communication, collaboration, and creativity. Google Workspace is used immensely at South Central through email, document creation/sharing, and online file storage. Every student and staff member receives a Google account that allows them to access these tools. Additionally, Google provides various administrator settings to monitor and control access to the entire Google platform, including users and Chromebooks.

Canvas
Canvas is a learning management system (LMS) used by all students. A learning management system is a web-based software application that provides a platform for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, and delivery of digital education material and courses. In short, an LMS is where teachers will post announcements, assignments, resources, quizzes, tests, and other course-related materials for students to access. Within Canvas, South Central students will access a calendar that shows information for all of their courses, they will access course materials, collaborate with their peers and teachers, submit assignments, and take assessments.

Harmony
Harmony is a student information system (SIS) used by staff at South Central. Harmony at its simplest allows teachers to take attendance, track assignments/grades, add discipline entries, and create report cards. Office staff use Harmony for student demographics, attendance reporting, discipline entries, scheduling, state reports, and online registration. Harmony Family Access allows parents/guardians to create accounts that can view their student's grades, discipline, attendance, and class schedules. Additionally, parents/guardians can make online payments for textbook rental and cafeteria lunch accounts.

Lightspeed Filter
South Central utilizes Lightspeed Filter to enforce, monitor, and track website history on all school-issued devices whether it's at school or at home. Lightspeed Filter is a cloud-based filter that ensures South Central is CIPA compliant by blocking inappropriate websites and that all web activity is tracked and reported. Parents/guardians will also receive a weekly emailed report of their student's web activity.

Dyknow
Using Dyknow allows teachers and administrators to remotely monitor screens and track/control website usage on a student's school-issued Chromebook. Dyknow helps eliminate digital distractions during class and helps teachers effectively use Chromebooks and other online resources in their classrooms.

Bark for Schools
Bark is an online safety solution that proactively monitors accounts to help keep students safe. Bark's artificial intelligence scans for worrisome content and keywords on all student accounts/devices and notifies school administrators of any severe alerts. Bark is also available for families wishing to keep kids safe at home and on personal devices. Learn more at bark.us.

Manage1to1
Manage1to1 is a K-12 help desk, asset manager, user manager, and incident platform designed to manage data revolving around a school's 1to1 initiative. A billing/invoicing feature also allows the technology department to create and print invoices for Chromebook repairs. Additionally, reporting and detailed statistics give a comprehensive view of the Chromebook deployment to help the department keep track of breakage rates, repairs, and payments.
Internet Safety & Digital Citizenship