Technology in the Classroom
BYOD
OUR VISION
It seems vitally important for a school or college to have and share a vision then to be open minded and flexible in fulfilling that vision. In the classroom our vision is clearly focused on how we can use and integrate technology to complement quality teaching and in turn afford students better learning opportunities.
The key attribute of our vision within and beyond the classroom is that IT is not being used for its own sake or for ulterior purposes. We believe that by keeping true to our vision and being open to development and change we can use IT to best meet the needs of our students.
Investment in Professional Development and Infrastructure
Staff are building an increasingly clear idea of how to use these powerful tools into the future and how they can add to their practice as teachers. IT in the Classroom has been one of our key professional learning areas for three years and will continue to do so for some time. The staff professional development has specially allocated IT support teachers and funds for further professional development.
Nelson College has first class IT infrastructure. It has an outstanding fibre internet connection and a fully wireless campus capable of coping with heavy demand. We have two dedicated IT Computer Suites and specialist suites for Technology, Art, Media Studies, Commerce, Music and Mathematics. Every staff member has a laptop and every classroom a data projector or TV. We view infrastructure as a case of continual improvement to keep in touch with the fast evolving environment.
‘The world of IT and education is one of infinite possibilities and a similar number of distractions. The same intersection is littered with opinions, often strongly held and the random application of facts and research.’
BYOD
The use of computers is necessary for all students at Nelson College. Students are strongly encouraged to bring their own devices to school. It is recommended that students bring their devices to school each day for use in classes and to enable a smooth transition between school and home learning.
Whilst there are a number of devices available to students, BYOD enables the use of devices in every class as well as at home. BYOD is embedded into our curriculum where students use devices to access their education in a range of subjects to develop knowledge and skills.
Digital fluency is one of these skills and is a key skill for the 21st century and enables students use/or manipulate technology through using productivity tools in the form of apps and programs, as well as develop higher order thinking skills in terms of critical thinking, problem solving and computational thinking (programming).
SOFTWARE
Beyond the classroom our IT focus centres on enhancing our connection with the community and in using technology to make life easier. Nelson College has three cloud or internet-based services: Ultranet, KAMAR and Office 365. These programs allow for work of many sorts to be shared between home and school. In this situation devices at home will become increasingly useful and important.
Purchasing a Device
DEVICE RECOMMENDATIONS
Choosing a device is not easy however we offer the following thoughts. Laptops and similar are generally better tools than toys, and tablets would seem to be better toys than tools. In general smartphones have limited use in an academic setting, they can be used for checking facts, calculating etc., but are not suitable as a primary device for classwork. The strength and design of the actual chassis is an important consideration in being transported and subject to heavy use. Battery life varies wildly but has a massive impact on the device effectiveness in the class. In making decisions it is important to be aware that our core software is Windows/ Microsoft based. Older hand me down devices present issues with connectivity and usually battery life. The school is considering how best to provide charging facilities as well as having devices to loan to those that cannot access their own. Some key considerations therefore are:
- Microsoft operability
- Battery life*
- Strong chassis
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- A high quality-screen
- Some storage – generally 64GB+
- Touch capabilities or non-touch**
*Charging:
Nominal charging facilities will be provided in the classroom and around the school. It is the general expectation of Nelson College that students have their devices fully charged in preparation for school each day.
**The pen is mightier than the keyboard
Research by Mueller and Oppenheimer has found that problem-solving, hypothesising, diagramming, conceptualising and notetaking are better done with a pen and paper than they are with a keyboard. Furthermore it is difficult to make symbols, diagrams and foreign characters easily on a device so the need for a pen is still real and will be for some time. Subjects such as Maths, Science, Physics, Japanese, Art and Music therefore are served better with a pen, however this can be a digital pen and we would recommend students taking these subjects to have a touch capable device with a digital pen or a digital tablet to make the most use of their device.
WHERE AND WHAT TO BUY?
Touch PC with Keyboard and Digital Pen
Touch PCs such as a Microsoft Surface are fully featured for learning and they have the important extra ability of the digital pen. This opens up a whole range of pedagogical opportunities including writing chemical and mathematical formulae as well as Asian language characters and much more. They can also jot notes that can be converted to text. NOTE: It is important to have a keyboard also with this type of device.
Pros:Â Video, camera, Internet browser, full keyboard, digital pen for handwriting input, runs, educational applications
Cons:Â Detachable accessories can get lost, loss of performance compared to similar priced non-touch devices
Laptop PC
Laptops make great learning tools with their higher performance levels that enable them to run educationally sound applications for music composition, graphics, and so on. The full keyboard also provides, students with an easier way to take notes and manage their work.
Pros:Â Video, camera, Internet browser, full keyboard, runs educational applications, mouse control
Cons:Â No handwriting recognition
As a school we do not have a preference as to where you buy your device. However, to make your life slightly easier when choosing a device we have partnered with Cyclone Computers, Harvey Norman and Noel Leeming to offer a number of recommended devices.
HOW TO BUY
Cyclone
To view or purchase devices from Cyclone please use the login details below to access the Cyclone portal.
http://byod.cyclone.co.nz/nelsoncollegeCyclone portal
Login: nelsoncollege
Password: ncbyod
Harvey Norman
Bring your own device buyers guide
Noel Leeming
Surface Devices
Windows
Noel Leeming’s – No Interest Loan for BYOD
FINANCE
We understand purchasing a device can be a financial burden and can put undue stress on families. Â Finance options are available at Harvey Norman and Noel Leeming, however again we recognise that entering into financial agreements can be stressful.
Nelson College has therefore partnered with Cyclone who will provide low cost finance options for our students who require this, for details please contact Tumuaki Tuarua/Deputy Principal Richard McLaren or your sons Dean.
Free Office 365
Microsoft Office 365 is a web-based version of Microsoft’s Office suite. Office 365 is accessible to students through the cloud, known as OneDrive, and includes Outlook Online for email, SharePoint Online for collaboration and the complete suite of Microsoft Office Web Applictions, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and more.
As a Nelson College student your son can download and run Office ProPlus for free on up to five computers and run Office Mobile for on their mobile device. All they need to do is login to their Office 365 account using their school email and password on their device and then follow the simple instructions.
Email: firstname.lastname@nc.school.nz
Password: ••••••••••
FAQ's
COMMON QUESTIONS
SECURITY
Students currently bring a number of expensive devices to school with only occasional issues with these devices. We are very much hoping the same will be true with computing devices. It is very important that students take responsibility for all valuable items. These issues among others will be covered through our Digital Citizenship unit. As always some lockers are available for students to secure their equipment.
As parents are we required to purchase from the College’s Portal?
No, The Portal is a starting point for devices which are available, it is not intended as a one stop shop. All of the devices on the portal are capable of dealing with current expectations. If you would like to have a look around at other devices, just make sure you are not comparing apples with oranges.
How will devices be kept safe and secure?
The College has a number of lockers available for use during the year. Students need to contact the Finance Office at the beginning of the year to confirm this. The school has strategies to minimise risk but ultimately students are responsible for all of their belongings.
Are there any options for devices where families may not be able to afford them?
Most retailers have finance available however the College has a number of netbooks available to be used in class where needed, parents should approach the student’s teacher or dean about this.
What about Subjects such as Art and Graphics that require ‘high-end’ devices?
The school continues to provide high end desktop suites for subjects such as Art and Graphics.
How will students assure they have enough battery for an entire school-day?
Devices will not be used every lesson of everyday and modern devices do have good battery life. We will have some charging facilities in each class in cases where devices are running flat. It will become a new learning to charge their devices each night.
With devices now being compulsory why is there still the need for stationery?
As we are still transitioning into BYOD and the fact that a number tasks are still done better with a pen and paper than they are with a keyboard, the requirement for stationery will still exist for some time.
All departments have been asked to review their stationery requirements and as the transition is BYOD develops we envisage the stationery requirement lessening.