Summary

Students in the Lewisville Independent School District are supplied with a resource, G Suite for Education (formerly known as GAFE). Google Apps is a set of online tools for communication, collaboration, time-management and document storage provided by Google to the district at no cost. 

The Apps

• Google Drive: web-based software for word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and drawing program that allows multi-user access and editing
• Calendar: a customizable calendar and to-do list
• Contacts: an address book
• Gmail: a full functioning e-mail program
• Classroom: web-based platform that integrates Google Docs, Gmail and Google Calendar. Not only does it save time and paper, Google Classroom makes it easy to create classes, distribute assignments, communicate and stay organized.
• My Drive: cloud storage accessible from any device
• Groups: web-based service that allows end-users and website owners to create and manage collaborative groups

The Reasons

Google continues to add new tools, and the district will evaluate each of them for their educational potential. All of these tools are housed on the Internet and can be accessed from any Internet-connected computer with a web browser. No special software is requires. Our primary reasons for supplying these tools to students are:

• To give our students practice in using current technology applications and tools
• To give student the ability to work on common, no-cost tools on their own documents both at school and outside of school
• To facilitate the paperless transfer of work between students and teachers
• To provide adequate long-term storage space for student work
• To help students work collaboratively, engage in peer-editing of documents and publish for a wider audience
• To provide a digital environment where our students and teachers can work collaboratively

There is also a cost savings in the district since less file storage will need to be maintained. All information stored and transmitted is private to LISD as agreed upon contractually between Google and LISD. This contract allows schools to use Google Apps for Education (GAFE) core services in compliance with  COPPA and FERPA. GAFE core services contain no advertising and do not use student data for advertising purposes. Teachers will be reviewing our district's acceptable use policy (AUP) and Internet safety guidelines when they introduce these tools to students. Using online tools responsibly is an important part of the learning experience.