Hello,

We have chat turned off.  However, we also have MANY students that do the
shared Google Doc that you mentioned.

With things like disabling certain functions, I've come to realize that
unless the behavior itself is addressed, not much will change.  This is a
perfect example: disabling chat isn't going to make the kiddos stop
chatting; they're just going to find other ways of doing it.

On Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 10:33 AM Tim White <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Good Morning Everyone-
>
> I know this has come up before, but I can't remember if there was a real
> consensus. I'm being asked if we should disable Google Chat for all grades
> K-12, and I'm inclined to do that. Apparently, it's a pretty big
> distraction in the classroom.
>
> Our Superintendent is about to tell me to go ahead, but she's asked what
> other districts are doing, so I need to ask you all again.
>
> Here's something fun that students have discovered: They don't need no
> Google Chat- they just create a Google Doc, share it amongst themselves,
> and then type messages on the document that they can all read in real-time.
> Hopefully, re-districting will put a stop to this...
>
> Thanks!
>
> Tim
>
> Tim White (he/him)
>
> *Director of Technology*Addison Northwest School District
> Suite B100
> 11 Main St
> Vergennes, Vt. 05491
> 802-870-8912
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Search <http://list.uvm.edu/archives/school-it.html> the SCHOOL-IT Archive
>
> Manage <http://list.uvm.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=SCHOOL-IT&A=1> your
> Subscription to SCHOOL-IT
>


-- 
Ryan Anderson
Technology Innovation and Support Specialist

Need help? Send a ticket to [log in to unmask]