Loreto Normanhurst Frequently Asked Questions on 1:1 Updated 30/10/2009.
Welcome to the Loreto Normanhurst 1:1 FAQ, this
site will answer many questions, and evolve as we further develop
our implementation plans for 2010 and beyond.In 2010 Loreto
Normanhurst is implementing a phased approach to 1:1 learning. To phase it in
over a period of time we have selected year 7 and 10 to participate
in a 1:1 school program where the same model of computer will be
distributed to every girl in year 7 and 10.
In years 8, 9,
11 and 12 we will continue to provide desktops and laptops in the
current arrangement where we have over 550 spread around class rooms
and learning spaces. Teachers will continue to utilise these devices
as they normally have when they need ICT in their curriculum.
Years 11 and 12 will have the option
to provide their own personal computer and carry it to and from
school for each day if they and their parents believe it is right
option for their learning. Those choosing this option will be
charged the ICT Levy.
If your question is not answered below, please email
1to1@loretonh.nsw.edu.au.
Year 7
1:1 School Program
Year 8
Access Existing ICT
Year 9
Access Existing
ICT
Year 10
1:1 School
Program
Year 11
Access Existing
ICT AND/OR Optional Personal
Computer
Year 12
Access Existing
ICT AND/OR Optional Personal
Computer
Why
does Loreto want to use a 1:1 model for learning?
How will the Netbook be
used?
I already have a laptop at home? Why do I need
another one?
Will the Netbook
be used every lesson?
How much will the levy cost?
What else do I get for
the levy?
How heavy will the Netbook
be?
Will my daughter be able to maintain and improve her handwriting
skills?
What
is the Board of Studies position on handwriting?
Will my daughter
still need textbooks?
Will there be some
training for typing?
How will cyber
bullying be managed?
How will we, the school in partnership with parents, manage the
internet access and appropriate computer use?
Do I have to pay the levy?
Will the price
change over the years?
What happens if my daughter breaks, loses or has her Netbook stolen?
What happens
if the machine is out of action?
Do I own the computer
at the end?
Will it work on our
home wireless?
Will my daughter be able to load her own software on the notebook
computer?
What if my child forgets to charge the battery and it runs out at school?
How will my
daughter transport the Netbook?
How will the
device be secured at school?
What’s the life expectancy of the Netbook hardware?
What
provisions will there be for printing?
How do girls back-up
their work?
Will I
have to buy my daughter another Netbook?
Boarder Specific FAQ
How will Boarders
charge their Netbooks?
How
do boarders connect to the network and internet?
How does the school monitor Social Network (ie: Facebook, MySpace)
sites for Boarders?
Year 8
and 9 in 2010 Specific FAQ
Why do we have to wait
to be 1:1?
I am in year 8 or 9 in 2010 and I want to buy a laptop at Christmas,
can I buy a school one? And can I bring it to school anyway?
Year 11 and 12 in 2010
Specific FAQ
Does my daughter have to bring in a computer each day.
Should my daughter bring in her own laptop?
Should we purchase a new computer for her to carry to school?
W
What
support will be offered?
Will there still be an approved dell model computer for parents to
purchase?
What
happens if it is dropped/broken at school?
Can we bring in a
Apple Mac computer?
I am in Year 11 – 12 do I have to pay the levy if I completely look
after my own computer?
________________________________________________________________________________
Why
does Loreto want to use a 1:1 model for learning?
Since 1996 Loreto
Normanhurst has kept pace with technological changes and in many
ways has set the standard for how ICT works seamlessly in a school
environment. The school has managed to grow ICT in innovative and
challenging ways so that ICT is an integral part of learning at
Loreto. As we developed our Loreto Normanhurst Student Growth Model
we examined how ICT underpinned student learning outcomes and we
continue to explore this area daily. As pedagogy has changed so too
has our use of ICT and now we embark on the next exciting phase of
this journey.
How will the Netbook be used?
The devices will be used
at school and at home as a learning tool when and where necessary.
The Director of Students: Learning is working with Heads of
Departments and teachers to ensure that the Netbooks are used in a
productive way to enhance the learning of your daughter(s). All NSW
Board of Studies syllabi include ICT outcomes and faculties at
Loreto have long embraced ICT in the curriculum; 1:1 will allow
anywhere and anytime access to ICT.
I already have a laptop at home? Why do I need
another one?
The school has decided
that students will have the same Netbook to manage the learning
environment effectively. There needs to be consistency in the
software and hardware to plan and enhance learning.
Will the Netbook be
used every lesson?
This
will depend on the focus
of the lesson according to the programs and syllabus. Students will
bring the Netbook to each lesson.
How much will the levy cost?
The levy will cost $150
per term for three years.
What else do I get for the
levy?
The Netbook will have
antivirus software, Microsoft Office 2007 and other educational
software and ICT support infrastructure.
How heavy will the Netbook
be?
Approximately 1 kg
Will my daughter be able to maintain and improve her handwriting
skills?
Yes. The use of pen and
paper is still very important and all teachers will still focus on
appropriate handwriting for their course work.
What
is the Board of Studies position on handwriting?
The BOS is predicting
that the HSC will become an online assessment in the future.We are
exploring strategies for Online Assessment at school.
Click here for to a recent SMH article from the BOS
Will my daughter
still need textbooks?
Yes. However the school
is investigating ways to streamline the use of text books to help
reduce costs and weight while enhancing learning. There are options to purchase site licenses for websites and PDF
texts at a reduced cost.
Will there be some
training for typing?
Yes. As per normal
learning strategies, ICT skills will be assessed and differentiated
programs implemented. Some may require greater assistance than
others. There will be a basic introduction to typing using online
programs.
How will cyber bullying
be managed?
As per our usual
policies for Bullying and Cyber bullying. This is an issue that the
school already addresses and there are policies in place to manage
this.
How will we, the school in partnership with parents, manage the
internet access and appropriate computer use.
The internet and its use
is an education in itself. Loreto has existing Acceptable Use
procedures and security and web filtering will be consistent with
existing policies.
At
home parents would
need to monitor computer use. The device would be connected to
your home network or wireless internet connection and would be subject to
whatever filtering you have in place.
Do I have to pay the levy?
Yes. You will pay the
levy if you are in Year 7 and Year 10 in 2010. The $150 per term
levy covers the cost of the purchase and other associated costs.
Will the price change
over the years?
The
price will be the same for the life cycle of this Netbook, which is
three years.
What happens if my daughter breaks, loses or has her Netbook stolen?
Certain Netbook
misadventures will be covered by a 3 year warranty. Insurance
procedures will be outlined in a Netbook agreement.
For example a hard drive that stops working will be covered by the
warranty, whilst a dropped laptop with a broken case would have to
be repaired as an insurance claim.
What happens
if the machine is out of action?
Students will access a
help desk, where they will receive support. We can use replacement
devices whilst repairs are made. We have arranged a service
agreement with the provider which looks after day and boarder
students all year – including holidays.
Do I own the computer at
the end?
Yes
Will it work on our
home wireless?
Yes. It is the parents
responsibility to connect the device to the home network. We can
provide some basic steps which will assist you in setting the
Netbook up on your home network. Particular setups might be more
difficult to provide support to the home.
Will my daughter be able to load her own software on the notebook
computer?
Yes, but only if the
software is for educational purposes and does not compromise the
functioning of the Netbook.
What if my child forgets to charge the battery and it runs out at
school?
It is a student’s
responsibility to charge their battery overnight. We want to
establish good battery life habits. It is
expected that at some point in the second or third year the device
will have a replacement battery and where appropriate students will
have limited access to powerpoints in the school.
How will my
daughter transport the Netbook?
It is expected that the
Netbook will slip into the school bag.
How will the
device be secured at school?
During school time it
will be in the possession of the student or locked in a locker
during breaks.
What’s
the life expectancy of the Netbook hardware?
3 year life cycle.
What provisions
will there be for printing?
Students at school will
be able to print to a range of locations. Whilst at home they would
need to print to the home printer.
How do girls back-up their
work?
There is storage on the
school network. We are investigating the use of
an external hard drive.
Will I have
to buy my daughter another Netbook?
The netbook will have a 3 year lifecycle.
It will be refreshed in year 7 and 10.
No, students at school are required to connect via the
network connection at school as it is monitored and filtered
appropriately.
Boarder
Specific FAQ
How will Boarders
charge their Netbooks?
There will be
appropriate access for boarders to store and charge their devices.
How do
boarders connect to the network and internet?
Via a wireless
connection to our network.
How does the school monitor Social Network (ie: Facebook, MySpace)
sites for Boarders?
Currently all websites
are filtered and at some times of the week opened for access. All
access is written to Log files which can be examined by the
appropriate staff members.
Year 8
and 9 in 2010 Specific FAQ
Why
do we have to wait to be 1:1?
Research shows that a
phased approach is the best to manage the implementation of a 1:1.
As we phased in our Loreto Student Growth Model we need to phase in
the rollout of 1:1, both for a smooth management of the devices and
the learning programs. Additionally the planned 3 year lifecycle
fits a year 7 and 10 implementation. We are still investigating our
implementation approach for 2011 year 9.
We are
planning to continue
our high levels of access to technology for all students, we are
not removing any technology in 2010, actually we are adding an
extra 300 devices in year 7 and 10 leaving 550 operational for
the rest of the school.
I am in year 8 or 9 in 2010 and I want to buy a laptop at Christmas,
can I buy a school one? And can I bring it to school anyway?
No. The planning of
learning activities for year 8 and 9 in 2010 will not require 1:1
access in every lesson.
Year 11 and 12 in 2010 Specific FAQ
Does my daughter have to bring in a computer each day.
No.
Should my
daughter bring in her own laptop?
This is a personal choice if you and your daughter believe it will help her learning, however it is not necessary to rush out and purchase a new computer. We advise discussion on how your daughter learns and how she would manage it, in order to make the right choice for your daughter.
Should we purchase a new computer for her to carry to school?
Do not rush to purchase a new computer, especially as a Christmas present. It really is about personal choice, about how your daughter learns and if there is no need to change her study habits, the ICT at school will be adequate for her learning, and the home has a computer for her to use, then do not feel pushed to Opt in.
W
All students in year 11 and 12 will need to bring their device
in to the ICT Help Desk to be assessed. Not all devices will be
assessed as suitable for use on the Loreto Network. Some items for consideration
prior to this includes its reliability, battery life, warranty and
insurance.
What support will be offered?
The installation/upgrade of an
appropriate operating system, certain application
software for learning tools, day to day help desk
functions within the realms of keeping the device
running. Hardware issues will be identified, however
hardware replacements etc would need to be organised
and repaired as you would any device at home.
Will there still be an approved dell model computer for parents to
purchase?
We will name the appropriate
specifications that are required in a parent owned
device for future purchase.
What
happens if it is dropped/broken at school?
The device your daughter brings
to school is your property, and would be insured
under your insurance policy, you should check that
the coverage includes the transport to and
from school as well as time at school.
Can we bring in a
Apple Mac computer?
No. An Apple Mac will not operate
successfully on the Loreto Network.
I am in Year 11 – 12 do I have to pay the levy if I completely look
after my own computer?
It is not possible to do
this. The levy will provide software and hardware support,
installation of software and connectivity to the Loreto network and
all ICT infrastructure.
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