IgnitED 99

T-Mobile EmpowerED 2.0 IgnitED 99 Launch

What is district 99's ignited 99 program all about?

 

Cicero District 99 has pledged to ensure all students have equal opportunities in the classroom to progress academically through utilizing fully supported and updated technology. Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, the District kick-started this concept through its one-to-one Chromebook program. 

To further this concept and provide the opportunity to extend the learning experience beyond the walls of the classroom, the District is launching the IgnitEd 99 program. 

IgnitED 99 is the result of a $2.6 million technology award from T-Mobile, providing unlimited 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspots for more than 12,000 students. This initiative holds great potential to improve academic achievement for our students by providing internet access at home for students to access District enrichment resources. 

A HOTSPOT — WHAt's THAT?

The T-Mobile EmpowerED 2.0 program hotspot is a small, portable device which allows students to connect to the internet with their district-issued Chromebook in order to access digital resources and enrichment platforms to support learning anywhere.

who is eligible to receive a hotspot?

Just like District 99’s Chromebook student loan process, the hotspot program is open to all students currently enrolled in a District 99 school.

when will students receive hotspots?

Parents/guardians who register can expect to receive a hotspot and Chromebook bag this fall. 

will this cost anything?

No! This program is provided to students at no cost.

where can i learn more about hotspots?

For more information, or if you need hands-on assistance, stop by one of the District’s parent forums to receive more detailed information.

is this hotspot safe for children to use?

Absolutely! As with all district-issued technology devices, safety is at the forefront. Though nothing replaces strong parental presence and monitoring, all internet traffic is monitored by the same internet filtering used for students while at school. Students are expected to remember digital citizenship best practices to stay safe while using the internet at home. 

how's this program going to help my child in school?

 

Access to the internet, via hotspots, provides for extended learning through district resources and enrichment platforms. Students can continue their learning anywhere — at any time!

Children will have access to a myriad of District 99 learning platforms and resources, such as:

Enrichment Platforms
Achieve3000 (ELA)
SplashMath
Imagine Learning (ELA and Math)
IXL (Math)

 

now that my child has a hotspot, what can we do with it?

Parents can support learning at home within the resources mentioned above. Students can explore independently or follow a prescribed pathway provided by their teacher.

Bridging the digital divide: T-Mobile presents $2.6 million EmpowerEDTM 2.0 award to Cicero District 99, providing internet hotspots and devices for 13,000 students
Jacqueline Glosniak, Coordinator of Media and Public Relations

Since his first day on the job in 2014, Cicero District 99 Superintendent Rodolfo Hernandez has worked tirelessly to cultivate a 21st-century digital learning environment for students and staff.

Through the successful rollout of its one-to-one Google Chromebook student program and emphasis on integration of state-of-the-art classroom technologies and applications for coursework management and modern learning, District 99 has ensured that no matter what socioeconomic background its students come from, all have equal opportunities in the classroom to progress academically through utilizing fully supported and updated technology.

Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to LinkedInShare to PinterestShare to EmailPrint this page

As Seen On TV

Troubleshooting: When Your Hotspot Doesn't Work

  1. Is your hotspot powered on?
    • If the hotspot is not showing any light after pressing the power button, then you need to "power on" the hotspot by holding the power button until all the lights are green and then release the power button.
  2. Is it connected to the T-Mobile network?
    • Green light indicates a good network connection
    • Yellow light indicates a poor network connection
    • Red light indicates either no network connection, no SIM card, or no service
    • From time to time, devices may lose connection with T-Mobile network, just like your computer can lose connection to a wireless network. Restarting the device forces the device to reconnect, which helps with network and connectivity problems.

3. Is it broadcasting a Wi-Fi signal? 

  • Green light indicates Hotspot is broadcasting the SSID (Service Set Identifier) listed on the back of the hotspot.
  • If the Wi-Fi signal is not green, please submit device to your teacher for a swapout replacement by following our standard Chromebook swapout procedures. 

4. Does the hotspot have sufficient battery?

  • Solid green light indicates the battery level is 40%-100%
  • Solid yellow light indicates the battery level is 16%-39%
  • Solid read light indicates the battery level is less than 15%
  • When the device is charging, the indicator will flash:
    • Red when the battery level is below 15%
    • Yellow when the battery level is 16%-39%
    • Green when the battery level is 40%-100%
  • Charge the hotspot if the battery indicator is yellow or red

5. If you are unsuccessful with these steps, call T-Mobile Customer Support at (844) 341-4834

  • When contacting T-Mobile support, be prepared to provide the following:
    • Phone number: Device ID on the back of the hotspot
  • They may ask for the SIM card number, which is listed on the pink plastic card in the original box. If you do not have that card, you will be instructed on how to remove the SIM card inside the hotspot for the number.
  •  If T-Mobile determines a replacement is necessary, please submit the hotspot for a replacement. Please get a ticket number from T-Mobile if they are unable to resolve the issue due to a network error on their end. 

6. If you have troubleshooted using all of the steps above and are still unable to use your hotspot, please submit your hotspot for a replacement by calling the tech hotline at (708) 762-2242. Please be prepared to provide a ticket number from T-Mobile if one was provided.