With Christmas looming, we thought parents with children moving into the Senior half of school might like a heads up on what sort of device their child might need next year, & what this means for them ... especially for people hoping to incorporate this expense into Santa's sack.

WHO needs devices at school?

From Year 5 students have the option to bring their own device to school.

WHY purchase a device?

With a limited number of devices available within each classroom, having their own device enables your child to maximise their participation.

WHAT device should I buy?

The device we recommend is a Chromebook for the following reasons:

• It is relatively cheap at @ $500

• It is lightweight, but still has a good sized screen (we recommend a minimum of 11" screen)

• The battery will last for a school day

• It is robust enough to be used throughout the senior school.

• It is designed to work seamlessly with all Google Applications (some Google tools do not work well on iPads)
  

WHAT specs should a device have?

Any new device will easily meet our requirements as most of the work children are doing is cloud-based... being used across many areas of the curriculum; Research, Writing, Portfolios & Educational interactive activities such as Mathletics and Spelling City.

WHEN does my child need a device?

Children can BYOD from Year 5 through to Year 8.  Please note this is NOT compulsory.

HOW often are devices used in the classroom?

Devices are used regularly in the classroom each day but they do not replace traditional and important activities such as handwriting, reading a great book, cooperative activities with other students, physical exercise or the arts.

Students are not permitted to use devices at break times as we believe this is an important time to develop social skills with other students.  There is a lockable BYOD cabinet in each classroom where students must store their devices for security during the day.

WHERE should I purchase a device?

We have no particular affiliation to any store, but here are a few we know of:

•  Noel Leeming 

• Harvey Norman 

• Paradigm PCs

• Warehouse Stationery

Some stores also have "Education Packages" which include cases to keep your child's device safe etc.  Our advice? Shop around & find what works best for your family.

There is a PDF attached to this article with more information should you want to know more. We have also outlined the pros & cons of other appropriate devices in more detail on the Mt Pleasant BOYD Website HERE

Still have Questions?

Let us know if you want to know more, we would be happy to run a quick session on what's needed if there is a need for it!