Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Chromebooks@Amesbury

Many schools around New Zealand are trialling/using/exploring BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) as a strategy to enable students 1:1 access to computing devices for their learning. Schools are achieving this in different ways. Some are adding a device to their stationery lists. Others are beginning by allowing those who have a device at home to bring it into school and use it for their learning thus increasing the number of devices available.

As a staff, board and school community, we have explored BYOD as a way of enabling a higher ratio of devices to students. However, we acknowledge that inherent in the BYOD strategy are complexities that are difficult to work out. The issue of equity is one such complexity, as are issues related to security.

The board and staff are in agreement that cloud-based and other learning made possible by technology is powerful and that a high ratio of devices to students is required to effectively and successfully leverage the learning opportunities and advantages available with technology. This is particularly so as one gets further up the school.

However, the Board is not convinced that BYOD is the way to provide this. Rather, it has decided that the provision of mobile devices is so integral to the way teaching and learning is done at Amesbury School, that the Board will do its best to fund the necessary provision of devices. Hence, the recent purchase of 80 - 90 Chromebooks.

Therefore, BYOD is off the table in the medium-term. However, a number of parents have asked if they can purchase Chromebooks for their children at school prices. Some of these parents are keen for their children to have their own devices which they can use both at home and at school. We have agreed to allow this given that the advantage of cloudbased learning is that it allows anywhere, anytime, just-in-time learning. However, we are very clear that while we welcome student-owned Chromebooks at school, these machines must have the management consul loaded onto them so that teachers will be able to check what students are doing on their Chromebooks at any time. This is an essential security requirement.

So, to clarify.... the school will provide students with significant access to mobile device (particularly in the Harakeke Hub). Students may purchase Chromebooks through the school. If the intention is for the student to use his/her Chromebook at school, then the management consul must be loaded on.

If you are keen to piggy back on the school's order, then please let Matt know as soon as possible.

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