Technology

For anyone who has a DOE-loaned ipad, we have some important updates for you. It is essential that you take the actions below to ensure your child’s ipad is ready for use for return to school. The first day of school is only a few weeks away, and all students will be working remotely for at least a few days a week. Your child will need their ipad to be ready for learning for the fall. Please note that when we have other updates, we will send messages to you and your iPad on Thursdays, and we will let your schools know about the updates.

To prepare, you MUST:

1. Turn on the ipad - some iPads have not been turned on all summer. We need you to charge and power up the ipad.

2. Turn Airplane Mode on and off to reset your internet connection

   1.  Go to Settings

   2.  Find the Airplane Mode button

   3. Turn Airplane Mode on for ten seconds (button turns green)

   4. Turn Airplane Mode off and wait until the ipad reconnects to the internet

   5. You will see the connected icon at the top of the screen

   6. Go to schools.nyc.gov to make sure your ipad is connected to the internet - all DOE-loaned ipads have internet access.

3. Return to the main screen and sign into Zscaler. In order to ensure your child is using the internet with all the safety the DOE requires and protect your child. You will need your child’s @nycstudents.net account. Once you get that please follow these directions:

   1. On the main screen, click the Zscaler icon. After clicking the icon, you will be taken to the login page

   2. Enter your child’s @nycstudent account (only use the student’s username and password, no need to include @nycstudents to log in), then click the “sign in” button.

   3. Click on the "allow" button and wait one minute for a connection to be established until you will see the Zscaler screen

   4. Once the connection is secure, close the app

   5. That is it. You can use the iPad normally now

4. Sign into the Learn at Home App. To get ready for the first day of school, make connecting to learning and support much easier for your child (and you, too!), and allow you to get notifications on the iPad:

   1. Find the Learn at Home icon on the main screen on the iPad

   2. Log in the same way you did for Zscaler, using the same @nycstudents.net account (only use the student’s username and password, no need to include @nycstudents to log in)

   3. From the Learn at Home app your child can access TeachHub, Google Classroom and get help.

5. Good news! Your child’s ipad is now a hotspot that allows you to connect other devices used for remote learning to the internet. It is easy:

   1. Go to Settings

   2. Find Personal Hotspot and click to take you to the login screen

   3. Select Allow Others to Join

   4. Devices other students in your house are using for remote learning can be added to that connection

   5. As a reminder, as with the ipad itself, the hotspot connection is to be used only to access remote learning activities. Any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited

A new app, called Learn at Home, is now available on all DOE-issued iPads. The Learn at Home app is helpful in supporting students’ remote-learning needs—giving parents, students, and staff the ability to stay connected and informed through quick access to student accounts, other learning apps and technical support.
The app provides students with links to all the tools they need to attend class, complete assignments, and track their progress. The Learn at Home app features include:

• Student apps in one place;

• Easy access to schedules and homework;

• Easy-to-find links to DOE tech support;

• Additional learning resources by grade level; and

• A notification system for DOE news and information.

Note that the Learn at Home app is only available on DOE-issued iPads at this time. Please encourage your students to access the app on their DOE-issued iPads. Students who enabled app notifications on their devices can receive updates about DOE news and information.

For questions, email LearnAtHome@schools.nyc.gov.