Technology Information

Student Computer Use Acknowledgement Form

Technology Assistance

If a student has an issue with a NCSD issued device (cracked screen, lost key, camera not functioning, device not holding a charge, etc.) or the device is not functioning properly, please have a parent or guardian contact the Oakland Schools Service Desk ASAP. 9-12 students may contact the Service Desk on their own.

NCSD insured devices and non-insured have access to the Oakland Schools Service Desk.

two students smiling after picking up 1:1 technology devices at distribution event.

How to Submit a Service Desk Ticket

How to Submit a Service Desk Ticket

A service desk technician will communicate with you first to try and solve your issue and if the
technician cannot solve the issue they will send the ticket to a field service technician.

Method One: On the Website
● From any web browser log in to the Service Desk system using this link: https://servicedesk.oakland.k12.mi.us/secure/Dashboard.jspa
○ The page will load to Oakland Schools service desk
● On the right-hand side of the screen it will ask for a username and password
○ Username will be your school email address
○ Password is same as your generic login
■ Select remember me for easy login
■ Save as a favorite on the web browser

● Once logged in, select Create
○ Enter your phone number
○ Choose priority (Low, Medium, High, Urgent)
○ Summary of what is happening
○ Enter a description of your issue
■ Provide what type of device is having an issue (Laptop, PC, iPad, Projector, Mouse, Keyboard, Smart
Board, etc.)
○ Enter room number
○ Provide any additional details
● Hit Create at bottom of screen to submit

Method Two: Chat Session
● Start a Chat Session by accessing the Service Desk Request page: https://servicedesk.oakland.k12.mi.us/secure/Dashboard.jspa.
Once on the page, a link to start a chat will appear in the lower right corner of the screen during normal

business hours of 7:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday - Friday.

Method Three: Email the Service Desk
● Send an email message to servicedesk@oakland.k12.mi.us detailing the issue you are having.
Please include what equipment you are using and any troubleshooting steps you may have already tried.

Method Four: Call the Service Desk
● Call the Service Desk at 248-209-2060 to speak to a service desk technician
Monday - Friday from 7:00am to 6:00pm

Technology Help Topics

FCC's Emergency Broadband Benefit

The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.

For more information visit the FCC.gov website.

Internet Connectivity Assistance For Families

AT&T

Spectrum Internet Assist

Xfinity

Student passwords

All students in grades K-12 are strongly encouraged to test logging into their NCSD account before the start of school by going to https://accounts.google.com and entering their username and password.

Starting September 7, 2021, all K-6 students needing to know their password should consult their teacher.

All students in grades 7-12 enrolled in the Oakland Schools Self-Service Password Reset (https://password.oakland.k12.mi.us), can reset their password through this portal. If 7-12 in-person

students are not enrolled in the Self-Service Password Reset Portal, they can see their media center staff for assistance in resetting their password.

7-12 Novi Virtual School students can complete the Novi Request to Reset Student Password Google Form.

There will be a password station at the 1:1 device distribution if assistance is needed.

Families Needing A Hotspot

Internet Connectivity Assistance for Families

Home Internet Basics

Although the Oakland Schools Service Desk and your Novi Technology Department cannot support personal WiFi, here is some info that may be useful.

Basic Home Internet Troubleshooting

2.4 GHz vs. 5 GHz

As you may have noticed, some cable companies have two separate Wi-Fi networks coming from your 1 router. 5GHz provides faster Wi-Fi speeds at a shorter distance. 2.4GHz offers coverage for farther distances but may perform at slower speeds. If you are far away from your router, it may be best to choose 2.4GHz, but it is important to experiment with the two to see which one functions best.

Reboot your Chromebook, PC, or Mac

Similar to the on-campus computers, it is important that you restart them at least once a week.

If you are on a Chromebook:

On the lower right, click the clock, and at the top of that pop-up menu, you can click the power button. It is recommended you formally turn your Chromebook off once a week. A lot of people close the lid then open it the next day thinking it fully turned off, and that is not true.

If you are on a PC (Windows 10):

On the lower left of the screen, click the Windows button, and then click the power symbol. Once you click that, you can click “Restart”.

If you are on a Mac:

Click the Apple logo on the upper left of your screen, then click restart. You then can choose if you’d like your Mac to reopen the windows when you log back in. If your computer is running slow, then I recommend unselecting this option and starting fresh.

How to Check Wi-Fi Connection

If you are on a Chromebook:

At the bottom right, select the Wi-Fi network icon.
- Note: If you see your Wi-Fi network name and signal strength, your Chromebook is already connected to Wi-Fi.
Turn on Wi-Fi.
Your Chromebook will automatically look for available networks and show them to you in a list.
Select the network you would like to connect to. You may be asked to type the password associated with that network.

If you are on a PC (Windows 10):

On the lower left of the screen, click the Windows button to access the Start Menu.
Type in the search box “network and sharing center.” Select the relevant result.
A Status screen will appear.
From this screen you will be able to:

View what network you are connected to
Show other available networks
Troubleshoot potential problems

If you are on a Mac:

1. Click the Apple logo on the upper left of your screen, choose System Preferences.

2. Click Network in the System Preferences window.

3. Select Wi-Fi in the list of available network connections.

Note: Check the option to "Show Wi-Fi status in the menu bar."

How to Reboot Wi-Fi, Router, Access Point, Gateway

Unplug the power cord from the back of your gateway and/or modem.

If you have an internal battery backup, remove it.
DSL service, also unplug your telephone cord from your modem or gateway.

Wait 1 minute.
Put the internal battery back in, if applicable.
Plug the power cord back in. If you have DSL service, reconnect the telephone cord too.
Wait up to 10 minutes for the gateway or modem to reboot and your Broadband light is solid green.

Still Having a Problem:

Reach out to your internet provider (Charter, Xfinity/Comcast, AT&T, etc.)

See if you’ve reached your monthly data cap
- Many providers will throttle speed once an account has reached its monthly data limit.
  (Throttling speed, or Bandwidth throttling, is when an internet service provider (ISP) intentionally slows down or speeds up the internet service.)
Request provider to run tests on their end

Keep all devices up to date

Most products now regularly send out updates for their equipment and software. Checking that equipment for upgrades could significantly increase performance.

Check your high-speed Internet connection

Not all broadband connections are the same. To start, you’ll want to see how fast your existing connection is.
Some tools: Geek Squad’s SpeedTest, SpeedTest or DSL Reports.

Use security best practices for network settings:

Keeping others off your network will increase the network resources available to you. A secure password that cannot be easily guessed is an effective means to do this.

Upgrade your router:

If you have an older router, it may not be able to handle the number of connected devices added, or the load being placed on it.
Check with your internet provider first. They can usually run tests to see if your equipment is outdated.
Your internet provider can recommend some models that will perform best with their service

Operating System (OS) Updates:

Chromebook OS Update:

At the bottom right, select the time.
Select Settings.
At the bottom of the left panel, select “About Chrome OS.”
Under "Google Chrome OS," you'll find which version of the Chrome operating system your Chromebook is using.
Select “Check for Updates.” If your Chromebook finds a software update, it will start to download automatically.

Windows OS Update:

On the lower left of the screen, click the Windows button to access the Start Menu.
Go to Settings (gear icon).
Select the Update and Security icon.
Choose Windows Update tab in the sidebar (Circular arrows)
Select “Check for Updates.” If there is an available update, it will begin downloading automatically.

Mac OS Update:

Click the Apple logo on the upper left of your screen, choose System Preferences.
Select “Software Update” to check for updates. If any updates are available, click the “Update Now” button to install them.

When Software Update says that your Mac is up to date, the installed version of macOS and all of its apps are also up to date.

How to Clean A Device

Resources For Families

Oakland Schools Service Desk

The Oakland Schools Service Desk will resume regular business hours beginning September 7, 2021, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Please be aware, the Service Desk will only be providing remote phone support from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and there will be no Oakland Schools Service Desk technician onsite during that time.

Call the Oakland Schools Service Desk at 248.209.2060 to speak to a representative. You can also visit https://servicedesk.oakland.k12.mi.us.

Note: Oakland Schools Service Desk cannot reset passwords.

Please see the information above under “Passwords”.

Thank you again to our community for supporting the 2019 bond, which is making our 1:1 program feasible.

NCSD 1:1 Device Program

Current students in Grades 2 through 11, can keep devices over the 2023 summer.

*K-1 iPads and hotspots should have been turned in already; if not, please drop them off as soon as possible at the following location:

Educational Services Building (ESB)

25345 Taft Road Novi, MI 48374

Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Summer School Refresher Students

Keep NCSD devices and turn in during the August/September Device Distribution Day (see dates below). Below are the summer school programs:

K-12 ELL Refresher Course

K-6 Summer School Refresher

K-8 Booknook

K-12 In-person tutoring

9-12 Credit Recovery

Families unenrolling from NCSD and not returning NCSD devices will receive an invoice from the District (the device will be locked & unusable)

NCSD will continue with its 1:1 device program (one device for every student) for all K-12 students for the 23-24 academic year.

Grades K-1: iPad

Grades 2-12: Chromebook

Families are not required to take a District device but it is strongly recommended. If a family opts out, it is strongly encouraged that the student has a laptop, Chromebook, or iPad that can connect to the internet and digital tools (e.g. Google, Seesaw, Schoology, and video conference tools). Students are expected to bring their device fully charged to school, along with the charger each day.

State testing (MStep, WIDA, MiAccess, etc.) can only be taken on an NCSD device. Even if a student does not check out a District device, one will be provided during the state testing window.

If a current NCSD student still has an older iPad (green, blue, purple, black foam case), the device must be swapped out for a brand-new iPad during the 23-24 device distribution (dates below).

If an incoming 2nd-grade student still has an older iPad (green, blue, purple, black foam case) the device and the charger must be returned before being issued a Chromebook for 2nd grade. Feel free to return the iPad during device distribution (dates below).

Incoming K-2 & New Students to NCSD (Device Distribution)

August Device Distribution Days (8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.): August *4, *10, 16, 22, and 28

*Due to iPad shipping delays, *K-1 iPads will not be available on August 4 and August 10.

September Device Distribution Days (4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.): September 6-7.

Student Expectations

Student Expectations:

Use the device to support and participate in Novi Community School District learning opportunities
Bring the fully-charged device and its charger to and from school every day

Use and maintain the device in accordance with district's acceptable use agreement.

Report any problems with the device to the necessary staff or the Oakland Schools Service Desk (248.209.2060) as soon as possible
Devices will contain district-approved software and filtering tools; students should not tamper with, remove, or install any software

Internet Access and Individualized Technology Needs

Families without home internet access may request a district-provided hotspot to use during remote learning. This device is intended for those who do not have any access to the internet. If your family needs a hotspot, please contact:

Oakland Schools Service Desk
Phone: (248)209-2060
Email: osservicedesk@oakland.k12.mi.us

Online Ticket submission/LiveChat: https://www.oakland.k12.mi.us/school-districts/technology-support/service-desk

Students who require specific technology related to an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) will be contacted through the Special Education Department to discuss arrangements.

Thank you again to our community for supporting the 2019 bond, which is making our 1:1 program feasible.

Sincerely,

Novi Community School District Technology Department

Optional Insurance

Families are responsible for any damage to an NCSD device. To help alleviate any potential repair costs, NCSD is offering optional insurance to families to enroll the device in.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, the Novi Community School District is partnering with One2One Risk Solutions (Gallagher) to provide accident and loss protection for NCSD student devices in a one to one program. Registering with One2One and purchasing a damage waiver will protect you from the full cost to repair or replace your district-issued device and limit your responsibility to a per-occurrence deductible, should a loss occur. Please visit www.one2onerisk.com and select “Enroll My Device” to get started.
Each academic year, families will have to enroll in optional accidental insurance.
Devices that are enrolled in the optional insurance program will also have access to loaner devices (if available) while the original device is being repaired. Families that opt out of the insurance program will be responsible for the full cost to repair or replace the device, and a loaner device will not be provided.
Device chargers are not covered under policies.
Students who require specific technology related to an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) will be contacted through the Special Education Department to discuss arrangements.
If you have additional questions call the Oakland Schools Service Desk at 248.209.2060 to speak to a representative. You can also visit https://servicedesk.oakland.k12.mi.us.

Student holding bag from 1:1 technology device distribution.