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A reminder to all parents that there will be an coffee morning at Pleckgate High School on Monday 18th March 2013 at 10am to allow parents to ask questions regarding the iPad Mini students will receive in September 2013.
Below is a list of questions we have already received from parents.
Q: Why 1:1 as opposed to a class set of iPads?
A: Each student with their own device means that they take real ownership of the device and look after it, learn how to use it effectively and develop appropriate skills in its usage. The link between home and school learning means that projects can take on much greater depth and not be restrained by the 55 minutes in the classroom that are available to work on them.
Parents can play a greater part in supporting and understanding the work that students are doing in class. By carrying the iPad from lesson to lesson it is easy to develop cross-curricular projects: real data gathered in science can be analysed in maths for example. Students’ engagement and involvement in a subject can be fostered and will increase their levels of self-motivation.
There is clear evidence, in Humanities lessons, that providing students with more open ended homework tasks has greatly increased their motivation and effort levels, however the presentation and peer-assessment of these projects is often limited as they are produced electronically and have to be printed off or watched one at a time with the whole class. This would no longer be an issue if each student has his or her own device.
Q: Why not wait for a few years until more schools have gone down this route?
At present there is a huge amount of support and enthusiasm available to help us drive forward this initiative. Digitally literate students are required now and any stalling in the process may leave our current students at a disadvantage.
Q: Most businesses do not use iPads, how will you ensure that students have all the IT skills they may need?
The iPad does not replace the need to teach ICT, this will still be delivered to ensure all students can use Microsoft Office effectively. Whilst there are Apps that facilitate programming, e.g. Code, in the future the school could purchase Raspberry Pi computers for these students. The iPad can function as a screen for these devices, either by VPN, or an App like Air Display.
Q: Will our students be in danger if they are carrying an expensive iPad to school?
We take this concern very seriously and our advice to students will be to hand the iPad straight over if they are challenged. The iPad can be remotely tracked, it will be labelled with Selecta DNA, it is insured so can be replaced and all the students’ work will be backed up. Issues of this nature will be referred to the police. A large number of our students currently carry expensive smart phones to school and are not under threat because of this. There are many other schools currently equipping students with iPads.
Q: How will we ensure that students are not in danger when using social networking sites?
It is possible to block access to certain sites within school on the iPads, in the same way that it has been with PCs, even whilst the devices are at home. We are also mindful of our duty of care to our students and the responsibility we have to educate them so that they understand the risks associated with social media and use it safely and positively.
Q: Will students spend all day staring at a computer screen?
Staff training will focus on effective short term use of the iPad. It will not be used in every lesson, all lesson. Many of the uses will involve using the video camera or working collaboratively with other students. A lesson with heavy iPad use may see it used as a quizzing tool at the start, to carry out 10 minutes of independent research in the middle and to photograph written work to swap with a fellow student to peer assess at the end.
Q: Can students download games onto the iPad?
The iPads will be monitored, students will be able to install apps, including games, onto them however there will be a 10 game rule limit and all the games must be kept inside a games folder. We will monitor this through our computer system and random spot iPad checks. Any students who abuse this will have the ability to install apps revoked for a period of time.
Q: How will the teacher stop students playing games?
The teacher will still be in charge of the classroom, and set engaging, challenging activities with expected outcomes that drive the focus of the class just as they do now. From our trial we have found that students enjoy using the iPads and are motivated by the independence and creativity.
However, if there is any it will be dealt with in the same way that poor behaviour is dealt with at the moment. Teachers will always have the right to remove Apps from an iPad during the lesson, ask students to close the case or put the iPad away. iPads can also be set to run just one app.
Q: What if students use the iPad to photograph each other or a member of staff without permission?
This issue is covered in the Acceptable Use Policy and will be taken very seriously; in the same way that it is now if a student uses their phone in this way. Playing games and taking photographs/video are possible now, as the majority of our students carry mobile phones. iPads would fit into our existing policies for dealing with such incidents. We also have the ability in rare circumstances to disable the camera on the iPad for a period of time.
Q: How often and complex will it be to login?
iPads do not have separate user accounts like computers so there will not be the same requirement to login. Any access to services like school email, files, iTunes or other Apps that hold personal information will store any required username and password details within them so will only need to be changed whenever you change that password. However, if someone were to find an iPad they would be able to access this information without needing to enter these details so it is important that the iPad has a password lock on it. This can be as simple as a 4 digit code to a more complex alpha-numeric password; we are able to force every iPad to have a password.
Q: Where will students’ work be saved
Depending on the type of work, it may be stored in several locations. Some files will still be stored and accessed from existing school resources like School Files or network drives and others files will be stored in “the Cloud” using services like Google Drive. Some files will be stored on the iPad itself and these will be backed up automatically to the iCloud.
Q: What happens to the students work if the iPad is lost, broken etc.
It is envisaged that most work would be stored either in “the Cloud” or handed in to the teacher and these files would not be affected. As the iPad will have been backed up recently, students will be able to restore the files and settings onto their new iPad using iCloud. The iPads can be remotely locked and wiped if they are lost or stolen.
Q: What happens if a student forgets to charge their iPad?
Students are encouraged to ensure their iPads are fully charged at the beginning of each school day, similar to how students are expected to bring in their planner every day. Sanctions will apply if students fail to bring in their iPad charged on multiple occasions. There will be chargers available in school but these are limited.
Q: What happens if a student forgets their iPad?
Should a student forget their iPad, the same procedure as above would apply. It will be the same as not having a pen for example, and they will receive a sanction for this.
Q: How will students print from iPads?
Whilst there will still be the need to print certain documents, students all have a school email account and any work that is created on the iPad can easily be emailed to their teacher or handed in via an app. Allowing students to hand in work electronically, we will be able to reduce the amount of printing that needs to be done and also reduce the amount of paper that is wasted, something that will be of benefit not just to the school but the environment as well. If a document did need to be printed students could email the work to themselves to print from a desktop computer.
Q: What happens if a student does not have Internet access at home?
If a student does not have access to the Internet at home then the iPad can still be used but will lose some of its effectiveness. While the student will not be able to access services like email, they would still be able to work on most Apps that are installed on the iPad and create new files\content. They will have to save this content on their iPad and then back it up once they return to school and are connected to the Internet. Essential resources such as textbooks made by their teacher can be downloaded directly onto their iPad whilst they are at school.
Q: What are the principles of the 1:1 iPad scheme?
We have looked very carefully at the options for the 1:1 iPad scheme and aim to propose a solution that delivers the following objectives:
Fairness – we want all students to benefit from the iPads, regardless of financial circumstances. We hope that all parents who are able to contribute will do so.
Sustainability – we want a scheme that will be sustainable for the school in the light of tough budgets ahead.
Affordability – we want the monthly donation to be as low as possible.
Q: How does the scheme work?
Each student will be given access to an iPad for use in school and at home. It is not a lease scheme or a purchase scheme.
Parents will be asked to pay a voluntary payment of £30 per year for each iPad to give students ownership of their iPad. However, there is the possibility of helping our families on lower incomes. Additionally, for families with more than one child at Pleckgate we will offer a reduced contribution of £25 per year per child.
The school will purchase the iPads and associated items in the iPad bundle including the case, the insurance, the warranty and the starter apps. The iPads remain the property of the school for the duration that your child attends Pleckgate. To make the scheme affordable to all, the amount we are suggesting does not cover the full cost of running the programme. Additional money will be provided from school funds, and grants we may win from other sources.
Q: What happens if I break or lose my iPad?
The iPad is covered for limited breakage and loss. A total loss of the iPad will result in a £50 excess fee and broken iPad that is not covered by warranty will result in a £20 excess fee. If we deem that you have claimed for an iPad multiple times then this will result in a conversation with parents about whether the iPad is allowed to go home or if the iPad must now be kept in school. Ultimately you should look after your iPad since it will be yours to keep as long as you stay at Pleckgate for the full time and have good behaviour and attendance. Fully details of this will be given out nearer the time.
Q: What happens when my child leaves school?
If the iPad is more than 2 years old, your child has good attendance and behaviour then you will be given the option to make a small contribution towards the iPad and keep it. If the iPad is less than 2 years old (for example if it was replaced due to a loss / breakage) or your child has poor attendance or behaviour then the iPad must be returned to the school. Any iPads not returned when requested will be reported to the Police as lost or stolen.
Other Questions
There will be an evening nearer September that will demonstrate the use of the iPads in lessons and explain the finer details.
You may email or call school at any time if you have a question.
Email: Mr. L Hall (E-Learning Developer) lhall@pleckgate.com
Mr. N Ford (Deputy Headteacher Teaching & Learning) nford@pleckgate.com
Ms. C Ridgway (Headteacher) cridgway@pleckgate.com
Year 5 students from Brookhouse Primary School were invited to spend the day at Pleckgate High School to experience what lessons are like here.
