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FAQ
Q1. Why did SSIS decide to implement a laptop/netbook program?Q2. What is the Middle School netbook program and how is it different form the high school 1:1 program?
Q3. What netbook model will my Middle School student be using?
Q4. How and when will the netbook be distributed to Middle School students?
Q5. My middle school student has a computer can he bring it to school?
Q6. Can I purchase the netbook outright instead of paying the technology fee?
Q7. What happens if my child's netbook is not working properly?
Q8. How often will the netbook/laptops be used?
Q9. Will the netbook/laptop be used in all classes?
Q10. Will students be allowed to use the computer all the time in class?
Q11. What happens if my child is better at learning with pen and paper?
Q12. Can I use a Macintosh computer be used in the High School?
Q13. When do teachers integrate netbooks/laptop use into their instruction?
Q1. Why did SSIS decide to implement a laptop/netbook program?
A. The increased use of technology has emerged as an important part of life in education, and in the world. Laptops make it possible to bring this learning power to individual students in their classrooms and homes, allowing for greatly increased access to information and learning opportunities.
SSIS’s fully wireless campus allows students to connect to the school’s network and to the Internet all over campus at any time. Our students live in a world in which familiarity with technology, computing, and their connection to learning is expected and common place.
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Q2. What is the Middle School netbook program and how is it different form the high school 1:1 program?
The most important factor in the acquisition of 21st Century Skills is the actual time spent using technology. To this end SSIS will provide each middle school student with a netbook computer for use during the school year.
SSIS has chosen to provide each student with the same platform (hardware and software) as we believe it will enable more efficient teaching and learning of these important skills.
In High School the students have the ability to bring in their own laptop. In the High School technology is used as a tool to enhance learning and we are not directly teaching ICT skills.
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Q3. What netbook model will my Middle School student be using?
A. For the 2011-2012 school year, ASUS Eee PC 1215B netbook has been selected. We negotiated a very competitive price on the netbook, and it includes all the networking hardware and software required to work seamlessly on the SSIS network.
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Q4. How and when will the netbook be distributed to Middle School students?
A. The netbooks will be distributed during the first week of school in August.
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Q5. My middle school student has a computer, can he bring it to school?
A. To quickly answer your question, no, students in the Middle School will not be permitted to use their own laptops. Here is an explanation as to why:
SSIS has chosen to provide each student in the Middle School with the same platform (hardware and software) as we believe it will enable more efficient teaching and learning of these important skills. The netbook is that platform along with the support and software included in the annual technology fee.
In the High School, the students have the ability to bring in their own laptop but with these students, the technology is used as a tool to enhance learning as we are not directly teaching ICT skills.
In sum, the use of technology as a learning tool is taught in the Middle School, but not directly in the High School. This is a notable difference between the 1:1 programs in the two divisions.
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Q6. Can I purchase the netbook outright instead of paying the technology fee?
A. No. We believe the fee program is the easiest for parents and the school. “Out-of-program” netbooks would not have the extended warranties and required software licenses, making their overall support laborious and costly and subject the student to undue anxiety.
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Q7. What happens if my child's netbook is not working properly?
A. If your child's netbook is not working properly, they should take it to the ICT office. Our staff will diagnose and fix the problem. If we cannot fix it in a timely fashion, it will be sent to ASUS for repair and your child will be issued an identical loaner netbook to use until his netbook is repaired.
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Q8. How often will the netbooks/laptops be used?
A. The netbooks/laptops are a tool to support learning. Teachers will determine when using the netbook/laptop is appropriate. We anticipate increased usage as students and faculty become more familiar with the computers. However, technology will not be used simply for the sake of it. It will only be used when and where appropriate – therefore in situations where it enhances and extends the learning process.
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Q9. Will the netbooks/laptop be used in all classes?
A. The netbooks/laptops will not necessarily be used in every class that your child attends every day, but they will be used within all subjects. The success of a netbook/laptop program is not the computer being used “a lot” but computers being used where appropriate to improve learning.
Here are some examples of how laptops might be used in class:
- Access to a wider array of interactive resources and information other than that which a teacher and a book provides in a traditional classroom.
- The ability to quickly download digital materials from the SSIS Learning Portal thereby saving the time, expense and wastage of paper.
- The ability for students to expand the walls of their classroom and include other students and experts in the field through online educational discourse.
- Ready access to powerful communication tools (video and podcasting, for example) through which students can demonstrate their understanding.
- The ability to directly upload data from their heart rate monitors in P.E. class and import it into graph making programs giving them a visualization of their progress.
- The ability to simultaneously write documents with students through the use of online tools providing the ability for peer-editing of written work.
Q10. Will students be allowed to use the computer all the time in class?
A. Use of the computer in classroom settings will be at the discretion of the teacher.
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Q11. What happens if my child is better at learning with pen and paper?
A. Certainly pen and paper learning will not go away right away, or perhaps ever. Certain subject areas require pen and paper (such as Math) where inputting the symbolic notation is overly cumbersome. One of the key advantages to pen and paper has always been the ability to annotate and comment in the margins. With assignments teachers could write comments, underline and correct mistakes and then hand back to the student. However, all of this annotative ability is present in modern software applications as well as other annotative capability such as audio or video annotations.
Annotations with pen and paper can also be powerful for active reading. Research has shown that underlining, paraphrasing and commenting whilst reading text can help readers with retention and understanding. However, currently many of the resources we give students such as textbooks and literature cannot be annotated as they need to be preserved for future students. Thus in these cases digital resources will prove a distinct advantage.
With digital resources students always retain the right to print things out if they prefer not to read from the screen, and many resources will continue to be in book form for some time to come.
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Q12. Can I use a Macintosh computer be used in the High School?
A. In all cases, we recommend a PC instead of a Mac. If you already own a Mac that meets the given requirements, you do not need to purchase a PC. PCs are the predominant choice of SSIS. Please note: Macintosh computers may not be compatible with all software.
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Q13. When do teachers integrate netbooks/laptop use into their instruction?
A. In the Middle School, netbooks are used almost daily in the core academic subjects of math, science, and humanities. In the High School, laptops are used effectively in class for collaborative projects, note taking, data analysis, and student presentations.
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