E-Learning

E-Learning

BYOD Information

Years 9 - 11

All Year 9 students and students new to the junior school are required to have a Chromebook to help with their learning, both at school and at home. The Chromebooks are to be purchased from Noel Leeming in Lyall Bay. Please see the brochure linked here with the details of the package which includes:

• a sturdy Acer Chromebook specifically designed for College use
• 3 year warranty
• 1 year accidental breakage insurance (which can be extended to 3 years)
• satchel to protect the Chromebook

The Chromebooks are also loaded with the Google Management licence making it much easier for staff and students to manage their device and to optimise its use as a learning device.

The total cost of the package is $520-00.

Students who already have a Chromebook from their previous school will be able to continue using that device, however it will need to be brought into the College on the first day to have the St Patrick’s College Google Management licence added to it. This means your son will be without his device for the first few days of school.

Can my son in the junior school bring a different device?

Experience has shown that students in the junior school who bring a different device are disadvantaged. In many cases the software deployed to Chromebooks en masse has to be loaded separately which involves delays and can be problematic. Bringing a different device may prevent your son from interacting with some lesson material. Certainly there is a huge advantage to both students and staff if all students in the junior school are working from Chromebooks loaded with the Google Management licence. For this reason we strongly recommend that your son has a Chromebook. Generally we find virtually every student has a Chromebook and your son will be at a disadvantage without one.

Does the College offer financial support?

Yes the College is very fortunate to have the College Foundation supported by generous Old Boys of the College. One of the services offered by the Foundation is support for families needing financial support in purchasing a Chromebook. Certain eligibility criteria need to be met to qualify and if you wish to consider this option you need to contact the College Office and ask for an application form.

Payment Options

Note that Noel Leeming offer several different financial payment options, including long term payments. Please see the linked brochure or contact the store directly for more information.

Digital Citizenship and Acceptable Use Policy

All Year 9 students are part of an extensive Digital Citizenship programme. This teaches students the basics of how to use their device and to become familiar with certain Google Apps, including Gmail, Google Docs and Google Classroom. The programme also provides instruction around what it means to be a responsible digital citizen.

All students are also required to sign the Digital Citizenship and Cyber Safety Agreements.  These documents will be given out to your son early in the school year and we strongly encourage you to go through these carefully with your son at the time.  A link to this agreement is provided at the bottom of this page.

Guidelines for senior students considering purchasing a laptop in Years 12 or 13.

Note students do not have to bring a device in the senior school, however it is strongly recommended.

In many cases the Chromebook purchased in Year 9 will still be fit for purpose. However for those who no longer have a Chromebook, and especially for those doing a Digital Design, Technology, Music or Statistics course, you are strongly encouraged to purchase a laptop. The specifications below are for your guidance to ensure that your new laptop has certain minimum specs.

Note: If you are not doing one of the specialist courses mentioned above, a Chromebook will continue to be completely adequate. If you are in any doubt please contact Mr Walker, Head of e-Learning for advice.  His email is doug.walker@stpats.school.nz

Minimum Specifications:

While Chromebooks are very appropriate for learning at every level of college, students in senior subjects such as Music and DVC may find having their own laptop, that can operate more sophisticated programmes, advantageous. Students in these subjects use software such as Sibelius and Adobe Creative Cloud. To run these the requirements for a laptop are:

• Processor: 2GHz or faster
• RAM: Minimum 4GB
• Screen: 11” or bigger
• Battery: Minimum of 5 hours
• Operating System: Windows 64 bit
• Hard Drive: SSD Recommended

Care for your device

• Secure your device with a strong password - never share this with anyone else
• Store and transport your device in a protective case
• Never leave your laptop unsupervised
• Be careful when closing the screen - damage is often caused by closing a screen onto headphones
• Fully charge your device before bringing it to school.
• Security of a student-owned device is the responsibility of the student. Devices should be engraved or labeled with the student’s name
• There is a helpful overview ( https://www.netsafe.org.nz/byod/ ) from Netsafe on setting up your BYOD devices safely.

Insurance

• You are responsible for insurance cover for devices you own
• Most theft or damage will be covered by your existing home contents policy. Please check with your insurance provider that this is the case. Often an excess will apply.

Saving and Backup

• Students are responsible for their own back-up of data. A USB drive, external hard drive, or cloud based storage, may be useful.

Warranty

• Most devices come with a 1 year warranty and an optional 3 year warranty
• These warranties cover hardware faults not caused by the owner
• A warranty will not cover damage caused by the owner or someone else

Noel Leeming Offer

Cyber Safety Agreement