Peregian Springs State School mlearning P 3 BYO ipad Program 2018 Frequently Asked Questions Updated 10 October 2017 Do I have to buy my child an ipad? Is this compulsory? No, the purchase of an ipad is not compulsory. It is up to families to decide. Will my child be disadvantaged if they are not in a BYO ipad class? No. All other classes have access to school-owned ipads for their learning programs. The difference is that these will be shared between students and classes, and students aren t able to bring them home. How many BYO ipad classes will there be in 2018? Prep two or three BYO ipad classes Year 1 three BYO ipad classes (including students from Prep AR and Prep A in 2017) Year 2 three BYO ipad classes (including students from 1F and 1W in 2017) Year 3 BYO ipad available in all Year 3 classes, and can bring an ipad that meets specifications at any time during 2018. Year 5 and 6 classes will continue to be BYO MacBook Why aren t there any BYO ipad classes in Year 4 in 2018? There will not be BYO ipad classes in Year 4 in 2018. As our Year 5 and 6 mlearning program is for MacBooks, we don t want parents outlaying one year for an ipad and the next for a MacBook, if they choose to participate in our mlearning BYO programs. Year 4 classes in 2018 will make high level use of school-owned ipads. BYO ipad will commence in Year 4 in 2019, with students who had begun to BYO ipad in Year 3 during 2018. What about students who are in BYO ipad classes in Prep and Year 1 this year? Students who are in Prep or Year 1 BYO ipad classes in 2017 will continue into BYO ipad classes in 2018. What happens in 2019? Students who are in the Prep Year 3 BYO ipad classes in 2018, will have the option to keep bringing their ipad to school for learning in 2019, unless otherwise advised. Can my child use a different tablet, instead of an ipad? No. The ipad is the only tablet to be used for BYO at Peregian Springs State School. The focus in our mlearning program, as in all programs in our school, is on learning and teaching. Using only one brand of device (i.e. Apple) allows us to streamline our technical support and gives staff more confidence to troubleshoot the occasional glitch. It also allows Teachers to plan and teach all students at once using one set of apps, rather than spending time planning different lessons for students using different devices and different apps. How will the BYO ipad classes be formed? The BYO ipad classes are formed in the same way as our other classes. There will be a balance of gender and academic levels, as well as taking into account friendship groups. Support and extension for students with diverse learning needs will be provided in the same manner for BYO ipad classes, as for non-ipad classes. Parents of students not already in a BYO ipad class in 2017, who are entering Prep, Year 1 and 2 in 2018 should complete an Expression of Interest form. What is the Expression of Interest form for? Families of students not in a Prep or Year 1 BYO ipad classes in 2017, were offered the opportunity to complete an Expression of Interest form for their child to be included in a BYO ipad class for Year 1 and 2 in 2018. Expressions of Interest for those students have have now closed. Families enrolling their student into Prep for 2018 have the opportunity to complet an Expression of Interest for their child to be considered for inclusion in a Prep BYO ipad class in 2018. Parents have until 27 October to complete this survey.
PLEASE DO NOT BUY AN IPAD NOW, wait until the school notifies you that your child has been included in a BYO ipad class for 2018. Who needs to complete an Expression of Interest form? Families enrolling students in Prep in 2018 should complete an Expression of Interest form and return it to the office by Friday 27 October. Families of students currently in Prep or Year 1, who would like their child to BYO ipad in 2018, should have already completed the Expression of Interest, as this has now closed for these year levels. If your child is already in a BYO ipad class then they will continue into a BYO ipad class in 2018, so a form does not need to be completed. Current Year 2 students do not need to complete an Expression of Interest form, as students will be able to BYO ipad in any Year 3 class in 2018. When will I know if my child has been included in a BYO ipad class? We are aiming to notify current current Prep and Year 1 families by the end of October; and future Prep families by the middle of November. This will give you enough time to purchase the correct booklist and get organised ready for the 2018 school year. Will there be a different booklist for students in the BYO ipad classes? Yes. A BYO ipad Class booklist will be distributed to families. It usually contains less books, but still has similar other stationery requirements, including pencils, textas, glue etc. I will have more than one child in Prep Year 3 next year. Can they share an ipad? No, this would be very difficult. A one-to-one program means that one child needs the ipad most of the time. Sharing one ipad across classes between family members would be quite impractical. It is best for families who have decided to purchase a ipad, to make it available at school for the use of one child (perhaps the eldest), and the other child/ren use a school-owned ipad when they are available in the classroom. How much time will students spend on the ipad each day? This will vary from class to class, and activity to activity. As with all ICT devices in our school, students are encouraged to use the best tool for the task at hand. It would be very rare for students to be using an ipad for an entire school day. Who will use the ipad? Your child will be in charge of their own ipad. There will be occasions where they will be working collaboratively with other students on particular tasks, which may involve other students using their ipad. This however will be as part of a collaborative task and your child will remain in charge of and with their ipad at all learning times. Their class teacher will also access their ipad at times, to check settings, installed apps or their schoolwork. What about handwriting, spelling and maths? Students will still spend time developing their handwriting as this is an essential skill to participate and communicate in the world. They will complete many tasks, including Maths, using paper and pencil. They will further develop their skills in editing and proofreading, by accessing and learning to understand the spell-check feature on the ipad. At times, teachers may instruct them to turn this feature off as well. Is the assessment the same in an ipad class? Yes. Students using BYO ipads will have the same assessment as all other students. However, they may be able to demonstrate their learning in a different way through using their ipad. Will students still be learning handwriting? Yes. As part of the Australian Curriculum: English, handwriting is taught from Prep Year 6. Handwriting is still taught as we believe that children in primary school need to continue to develop their handwriting and fine motor skills, and this is included in learning programs.
When should I buy an ipad? After you have been notified that your child has been accepted into a BYO ipad class. All Apps need to be downloaded and the ipad needs to be ready for the first day of school, 22 January 2018. Many ipads that families own may be suitable to BYO. Check the table below for the minimum requirements on BYO ipads at Peregian Springs State School. Minimum Specifications for BYO ipads It is recommended that students who choose to BYO ipad at Peregian Springs State School have a minimum of 9.7 ipad Air 2, with 64Gb capacity. See below for further details. ipad Name Year Model Number (Wifi model only) Allowed ipad (5 th Gen) 2017 A1822 YES ipad Pro 12.9 /10.5 2017 A1670, A1701 YES ipad Pro 9.7 2016 A1673 YES ipad Pro 12.9 2015 A1584 YES ipad Air 2 Late 2014 A1566 YES ipad Air 2013 2014 A1474 YES* (battery capacity may be degraded, due to age) ipad Mini All All NO ipad (4 th Gen) 2012 A1458 NO ipad (3 rd Gen) 2012 A1416 NO ipad 2 2011 A1395 NO ipad (original) 2010 A1219 NO Screen size Minimum: 9.7 screen To be able to make efficient use of their device when collaborating, sharing and particularly when using the on-screen keyboard BYO ipads must be at least a 9.7 ipad. As in previous years, ipad Minis are not permitted, as they do not meet this specification. This is also a requirement for us, as a NAPLAN Online trial school in 2018. ios (Operating System) Minimum: ios 11 (released in September 2017) Student s ipads should always have the latest ios installed. Apple releases free updates to this several times a year. From 2018, all BYO ipads should be running ios11 (released in September 2017), as it includes the new Files app, allowing users to browse, search and organise their files in one place. Also, as a NAPLAN Online trial school in 2018, all ipads must be running on ios11. https://www.apple.com/au/ios/ios-11-preview/ Capacity Minimum: 64Gb Once students start to take photos, make movies and slideshows smaller capacity ipads fill up very quickly. Please remove as much personal data and apps from the ipad. Cellular/3G NO 3G/Cellular allowed BYO ipads must have the SIM card removed before the device comes to school. This allows the student to only connect to the internet through the school s centrally managed filtering system, whilst at school. Air Drop YES, BYO ipads must be able to use Air Drop, which allows fast and reliable sharing of documents between students and teachers, and the ability to share the students work onto data projectors etc. *ipad2s (2011 2014), ipad 3 rd generation (2012), ipad 4 th generation (2012 2016) are unable to Air Drop, Connector Lightning connector Case YES, a sturdy case that provides protection to the back and front of the ipad is a must. Apps App Store Unsuitable BYO ipads Remove all personal banking, finance, shopping, messaging, social media and non school-related apps Consider the books, music, videos and photographs are stored on the ipad and delete/remove any of these as you feel necessary Do not save your credit card in the settings in the App Store Sign out of the App Store or set up Family Sharing before the ipad comes to school. (A help sheet on setting up Family Sharing will be on our website soon.) An App list will be sent to you at the end of the year and these apps must be downloaded at home prior to the start of the school year ipad Mini all iterations - unsuitable due to small screen size - some models using old 30-pin dock connector - unable to run ios10 or 11 - inability to Air Drop ipad2, ipad 3 rd and 4 th generation (2011-2016) - unable to run ios10 or 11 - inability to Air Drop - 30-pin dock connector - battery life likely to be degraded due to age of ipad
Can my child bring an ipad Mini to school? No, the ipad Mini is not allowed. The screen size is far to small to be a productive tool for learning. See the minimum requirements (above) for further information. Can my child bring an ipad Pro to school? An ipad Pro is not necessary and quite a bit more expensive and heavier than a standard ipad. If parents prefer to purchase an ipad Pro, then that is up to them. A standard ipad, running ios11, is more than enough. We already have an ipad. How do we know what model the ipad is? Turn your ipad over and look for the model number, A then 4 numbers (e.g. A9876). Or look in Settings> General> About and scroll down to model number. Then check this website: https://support.apple.com/en-au/ht201471 What Apps does the ipad need to have? Families will be sent a list of required Apps to be downloaded onto the ipad before it comes to school in 2018. There will also be information sent to families with regards to setting up Family Sharing. Why can t we send older models of ipads? All BYO ipads must be able to use ios11. Older ipads that cannot run ios11 do not allow many features/functions that students and teachers use everyday, such as Air Drop and Siri. One of the key features of the new ios11 is the Files app, which will enable users to browse, search and organise their files in one place. In the future our students will be using ipads to complete NAPLAN Online, and ios11 is the minimum specification for this. More information on ios11 https://www.apple.com/au/ios/ios-11-preview/ As well, due to their age many older ipads will have a shorter battery life than newer ones, and hence may not last the full school day. Can I send a 32gb model to school for my child to use? It is preferred that students have at a minimum of 64Gb of storage on their ipads. The operating system (ios) and apps take up quite a bit of that storage space to start with. Then when students begin to add their own files, pictures, movies, audio recordings, from experience 32Gb ipads become full very quickly. Where can I buy an ipad from? Parents can purchase an ipad from any Apple Store or Apple Reseller. The school does not have any arrangements with a particular supplier. You may be able to get Education/Student pricing through Apple Stores or Apple online. Please wait to be notified that your child is in a BYO ipad class for P-2. Will my child be able to charge their ipad at school? Generally speaking, no. Students should make sure their ipad has a full charge at the start of the day. By making sure that unnecessary apps are closed, a static wallpaper is used and that power saving settings are in place, students can usually get a full school day out of their ipad. There are certain times, in an emergency, where if the battery has run out on a student s ipad, their teacher may allow them to use their charger in order to retrieve a necessary file. Will the children be learning to touch type in class? The school doesn t have any plans to teach students to touch type. Although it is a fantastic technical skill to have, many students have already developed their own typing style, from using devices since they were quite young. Teachers will work with students on aspects of keyboard awareness. There are many free Apps and websites that Parents can set up with their child to use at home to improve their keyboard proficiencies. How are the ipads stored during the day when they aren t being used? Are they safe? Teachers provide secure storage for BYO ipads during the school day. If a student accidentally left their BYO ipad in the classroom at the end of the day, the teacher will secure it safely overnight and notify parents. What about Internet safety? What does the school do about cybersafety? Education Queensland maintains strict filters on all school networks across the state. All teachers closely supervise all computer and ipad usage in the classroom and guide students as to where they can go on the
Internet. As part of being an esmart accredited school, class teachers implement the school s Cybersafety Program in all year levels. Part of this program teaches students what to do if they feel unsafe on the Internet, including how to screenshot offensive material. It also pays specific attention to the sharing of personal information online. In older year levels students also have access to our PSSS Concern ICT reporting site, if they have concerns about cyberbullying or other unsafe online behaviours they may experience. Which case should I buy? Some of the strong cases our current students have on their BYO ipads are similar to the one below. It is up to parents to decide which case will be best for their child. Safegrip Rugged Case www.buzzcases.com.au Tough Gripper www.casebuddy.com.au www.mycasecovers.com.au Shockwave II Toughcase www.casebuddy.com.au ipad Air Heavy Duty Case www.littlesun.com.au Koosh Cases www.buzzcases.com.au Which classes/year levels will have BYO ipad available next year in 2018? From 2018 we plan to offer more students across Prep Year 3 the opportunity to bring their own (BYO) ipad to school for learning each day. From 2019, we hope to be able to offer all students in Prep - Year 4 classes the opportunity to BYO ipad. See timelines below. 2017 (this year) 2018 (next year) 2019 Prep 2 BYO ipad Classes 4 non ipad Classes 2 BYO ipad Classes 3-4 non ipad Classes* 2-3 BYO ipad Classes 2-3 non ipad Classes Year 1 2 BYO ipad Classes 4 non ipad Classes 3 BYO ipad Classes 3 non BYO ipad Classes* BYO ipad available in all Year 1 classes Year 2 7 non ipad Classes 3 BYO ipad Classes 3 non BYO ipad Classes* BYO ipad available in all Year 2 classes Year 3 Year 4 2 classes with 1:2 shared schoolowned ipads 4 non ipad Classes 2 BYO ipad Classes 5 classes with access to 1:2 or 1:3 shared school-owned ipads BYO ipad available in all Year 3 classes* NO BYO IPAD** All classes to access school-owned ipads in 1:2 or 1:3 situation BYO ipad available in all Year 3 classes BYO ipad available in all Year 4 classes (for students who began to BYO ipad in Year 2 in 2018) Year 5 BYO MacBook available in all classes Year 6 (as has been the case since the mlearning program s inception in 2011) * All non ipad classes will have access to a set of 4 6 shared school-owned ipads in each class. Once a year level is offering BYO ipad across all classes, students without their own ipad will also have access to shared school-owned ipads (and school MacBooks) when needed for their learning, but this will not be all day every day. ** Please note that due to our mlearning Program in Year 5 and 6 being BYO MacBook, we will not be asking students in Year 4 in 2018 to BYO ipad. Instead, all Year 4 classes in 2018 will have access to school-owned ipads in either a 1:2 or 1:3 situation.