Lamar CISD Provides Preschoolers with Laptops and Portable WiFi

Lamar Consolidated Independent School District in the greater Houston area will provide students in a pre-kindergarten summer program with laptops and school-managed WiFi hotspots to access online educational content.

Students in the program need extra preparation before they start Kindergarten in the fall, so the district has launched a pilot program to help them work on their early reading skills over the summer while they are at home or away on vacation.

Each student will receive a laptop and a Kajeet SmartSpot WiFi hotspot on the Sprint 4G LTE network, so they can access educational resources on the Internet anywhere the Spring 4G LTE network is available.

“We want to help these students work on early reading skills in an online, fun environment," said Chad Jones, director of technology development at Lamar CISD, in a prepared statement. "Our hope is that this program will stop any sort of summer regression these students may experience, while also hopefully increasing their skill level.”

The district will use Kajeet Sentinel to filter student Internet access, controlling which sites they can access and when. The district will be able to limit access to educational content only and turn off the hotspot at night. Filtering Internet content and hours of access is intended to help keep the kids safe online and also control program costs.

Approximately half of the students in the district are financially disadvantaged and qualify for the free or reduced-cost lunch program, and Kajeet describes SmartSpot at "an affordable and simple option to bridge the digital divide."

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • three silhouetted education technology leaders with thought bubbles containing AI-related icons

    Ed Tech Leaders Rank Generative AI as Top Tech Priority

    In a recent CoSN survey, an overwhelming majority of ed tech leaders (94%) said they see AI as having a positive impact on education. Respondents ranked generative AI as their top tech priority, with 80% reporting their districts have gen AI initiatives underway, or plan to in the current school year.

  • computer monitor with a bold AI search bar on the screen

    Google Rolls Out AI Mode in Search

    About a year after introducing AI Overviews for its flagship search offering, Google has announced broad availability of AI Mode in Search.

  • glowing shield hovers above a digital cloud platform with abstract data streams and cloud icons in the background

    Google to Acquire Cloud Security Firm Wiz in $32 Billion Deal

    Google has announced it will acquire cloud security startup Wiz for $32 billion. If completed, the acquisition — an all-cash deal — would mark the largest in Google's history.

  • students using digital devices, surrounded by abstract AI motifs and soft geometric design

    Ed Tech Startup Kira Launches AI-Native Learning Platform

    A new K-12 learning platform aims to bring personalized education to every student. Kira, one of the latest ed tech ventures from Andrew Ng, former director of Stanford's AI Lab and co-founder of Coursera and DeepLearning.AI, "integrates artificial intelligence directly into every educational workflow — from lesson planning and instruction to grading, intervention, and reporting," according to a news announcement.