We are very excited to share more information with you about the technology bundle for students at Mountain Brook High School. Our continued philosophy of instruction is that learning is facilitated through relationships and content. Technology and devices are simply tools used to support instruction as determined by the instructor. In recent years, we have seen an increased need for additional devices that can be appropriately used for instruction in and out of the classroom. Through our research, which included student, parent, faculty, and community input, Mountain Brook Schools has developed a plan to meet the instructional needs of our students and faculty.

Instructional Needs Include:

•  Access to digital resources, including online textbooks and assessment tools.
• Transforming the entire campus to a learning space, including classrooms, mall, library, lunchroom, outdoor spaces, and more.
• Providing tools for collaborative work and organization.
• Increase instructional time through additional devices and faster access to resources.
• Less focus on using cell phones as an instructional tool.
• Management and filtering for a trusted and safer learning environment.

The technology bundle consists of a companion device (Dell touchscreen Chromebook), technology support and repairs, filtering, management, secure Wi-Fi access, and software (Google Apps for Education and Microsoft 365). The focus committee reviewed Apple, Windows, and Chrome devices based on the instructional needs of our school. The committee was unanimous in selecting the Chromebook as the device that meets our identified criteria of instructional tools, filtering, access, warranty, and value. There are many features that the technology bundle provides that are not provided through a personal purchase of a device, including a 3 year warranty, technical support, and a consistent instructional platform.

Mountain Brook Schools continues to partner with the Mountain Brook Schools Foundation and our families to make this plan a reality. The technology bundle enables students to keep their device for their entire time at Mountain Brook High School. Because of this partnership, there will only be a small technology fee.

Every student will be assigned their individual devices the first week of school. The faculty will work with students to ensure that they are trained on usage of the device, access to resources, safety, support, and responsibilities. Opportunities will also be provided for parents to learn more about the device and its usage in our classrooms.

We are very excited about the technology bundle and the resources that it will provide our students and faculty. For more information, please visit the additional links on the website.