Goal: Ensure that 100% of the students in Shelby Eastern Schools have access to current Google Classroom content from their homes on school provided devices via datacasting.

What is datacasting? Datacasting is a term derived from ‘data’ and ‘broadcasting’.

Datacasting essentially mimics the internet experience, but instead of using broadband or WiFi, it uses TV broadcast spectrum to carry data to computers. Datacasting converts a portion of the television broadcast signal to a one-way transmission of encrypted IP data.

Datacasting has been used for decades to support public safety and public emergency incidents. Using it for education is new.

Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations (IPBS) and its member stations, through grants awarded by the State of Indiana, have deployed datacasting to bridge the digital divide for students learning from home. Using datacasting to provide instructional content to students with little or no internet access is a significant development.  

Datacasting is one-way, just like TV. Each student's device will receive Google Classroom content as soon as the student's device connects to the datacasting equipment; however, students will need to connect to “real internet“ via a Wi-Fi source such as home, phone, school, local hotspot, or library to return assignments.

Datacasting enhances our ability to ensure that students and their families have access to educational content regardless of the weather, infection rates, or any unplanned closures of schools. The use of datacasting also provides the teacher with an additional resource to deliver enrichment or remediation content to a student as a component of differentiated learning.

Datacasting explained - watch this video to learn a bit more about datacasting

The low hanging fruit for utilizing datacasting can be found via addressing the unique needs of our students when they are away from the school building:

1)    Quarantine – Students that are required to stay home for a specific period of time can keep up with their course work and receive live updates from their teachers even if they have no Internet access at home.

2)    eLearning Days – SES can have planned eLearning days with content delivered via Google Classroom. Households with multiple students will not need to be concerned with Internet bandwidth as each student will receive their teacher’s content directly to their individual device. Again, this will happen even if the family has no Internet access at home.

3)    Flipped Classroom – Teachers will have the ability to send students content on the fly (to take advantage of a current event) or to assign homework such as watching a video or reading any materials relevant to the next day’s class.

Families will sign up to receive the datacasting equipment using a Google Form. The equipment is being provided free of charge. All costs related to the provision and use of these devices are being covered by State grants awarded to the IPBS. The sign-up form can be found at: Request Equipment Simply fill it out and return it to your child's school.

The datacasting package is made up of the following components:

1. A canvas bag with installation instructions.

2. The datacasting receiver.

3. A power supply for the receiver

4. An antenna.

Setup is very easy:

1. Place the antenna on the inside wall or window that faces Indianapolis.

2. Plug the power supply into an electrical outlet.

3. Attach the power supply and antenna to the receiver.

That is it! No configuration is needed for the datacasting equipment. It is already set up and ready to use. Instructions will be provided so that students know how to wirelessly attach their student device to the receiver.

For a video explaining how to set up datacasting equipment click here: Datacasting

The datacasting packages will be sent home with the students from school. Once we have deployed packages to all of the families that have signed up for them, we can provide devices to the homes of secondary caregivers where students are likely to work on school assignments.