FAQs

Original question: My son has an IPAD 2 already, however it is full of games. Would he have to delete all games from it or could he keep some games as long as he had the space for them? Are there restrictions to the kind of games or content they can have on them? Would you think it best to get an iPad that is dedicated to just school?

For parents whose child already owns an iPad Mini or where they have already purchased hard-copy textbooks we will not be requiring them to buy a new iPad or new textbooks.  The reason why the iPad Mini is not an acceptable version of the iPad is because the screen is deemed too small to complete required tasks.  If the parent and child feel that they will be able to complete the tasks on the iPad mini then that is up to parent discretion.  In this scenario, a keyboard is highly recommended. Similarly, if parents already own the required textbooks as hard-copy textbooks we will not be requiring parents to re-purchase digital textbooks.  Whilst this may negate some of the benefits of switching to an iPad classroom, for instance the reduction in weight for carrying around textbooks and the ease and simplicity of accessing curriculum content, it is up to parent discretion as to what they decide to do. Please note: parents should not purchase an iPad Mini or hard-copy textbooks if they have not already prior to being informed of the iPad Program.

Whilst Apple does have an age restriction for those who can create Apple IDs, parents do have the option of either creating a transition account for those under 13 or by allowing their child to use their iTunes account.   For further information go to: http://www.apple.com/education/docs/Apple_ID_Parent_Guide.pdf.

Printing is still necessary, at times, in the classroom as there are still teachers who much prefer to mark using paper and students who will, at times, prefer to use paper.  With the iPad as a learning tool it will be possible for classrooms to operate entirely paperless, saving both the college and students money and having a positive impact on the environment.

It is highly recommended that you setup ‘Find my iPad’.  ‘Find my iPad’ and the iCloud service will allow another layer of security measures that will allow you to track, lock and erase the contents of an iPad.

The college will not be requesting parents who purchased hardcopy textbooks prior to knowing about the iPad Program to re-purchase a suite of digital textbooks.  However, if you have not purchased textbooks yet, digital textbooks should be purchased as this will complement the use of an iPad as a learning device.

The college has an extensive filtering system and controls what can be accessed through the college’s computer network; at home you do not have the same control. If you are concerned, there are parent locks available through the Apps Store.

Regular breaks ie 5 minutes every half hour, from using any ICT device are highly recommended. iPads will NOT be used every minute of every period and will NOT be used at recess and lunchtime. The iPad can be adjusted for brightness to suit the user’s personal preference and the font size can also be easily adjusted.

There are several ways to transfer files:

• The iPad can be plugged into a home desktop/notebook/netbook/ultrabook computer using iTunes

• The files can be sent via email

• The files can be sent via cloud-based technologies such as Google Drive and Edmodo

The files can be downloaded and uploaded to the school’s file system through WebDAV

Students will be provided an iPad help group accessible on their iPad.  In this group will be a range of tutorials, videos, how-to-guides and space to ask questions and get advice. Berwick College staff will be on hand providing direct support to students in the first few days of the school year as they get their iPads setup. The college will also have a core-group of staff and students that will act as an iPad support team.

The ebook features lets the students keep a number of textbooks on the iPad. In 2014, Year 7 students will purchase the a full-suite of digital textbooks which are available on the booklist. This greatly reduces the amount of resources that the students are required to carry from class to class. The iPad is light and has a long battery life which should easily last a school day. Students must charge their iPad at home each night.

Definitely. The biggest potential problem with using the iPad is breakage. We recommend one of the cases on the booklist along with a protective pouch of some kind to carry the iPad from class to class and to store inside lockers and school bags.

iPads will be used on a daily basis at school to access their textbooks, to take photos, record videos and animations, write up reports, do their reading and homework, develop presentations and research via the internet. The iPads will dramatically reduce the weight of the student’s school bag.

It is possible for apps to be installed/updated at school, however, because of the large amount of internet traffic in the college, it will be more efficient to install and update apps at home. Apps need to be updated on a regular basis when notified and time will not be given in class to download or update apps.

If you have internet access at home you will need to set up an iTunes account on your home desktop/notebook/netbook/ultrabook computer or you can setup the account directly on the iPad.  iTunes can be accessed directly from the iPad and apps can easily be downloaded straight onto the device. iTunes gift cards are often on special from any of the big department stores.

No, the college does not insure student’s personal property. However; we do have extensive video cameras that have the capacity to review any incidents in the school yard.  You may also be able to cover the iPad under your home contents insurance or can choose to source insurance yourself.

Year 7 students will keep their iPads with them in class. At recess and lunchtime the iPads should be LOCKED in the student’s locker.

“Yes” is the short answer. However, Berwick College staff will walk students through the creation of the iTunes account that will be set up using their school email address. If you already have an iTunes account you will be able to use that account along with the new school account.

There will be an apps list available on the college’s website and students will also be taken through the process of having the required apps delivered automatically to them over the school’s network.  Please note that this list may be updated from time to time and students will be made aware of any additional required apps they need to download and they will be pushed automatically to student iPads.

Yes, you can purchase your iPad via the booklist at a very competitive price.  You are also able to source your iPad from any large retail store or online.

If students have Cellular/3G on their iPad the college cannot control the traffic on their internet connection, which may allow students to access inappropriate sites and cause the family to incur excessive internet charges.  It also means that parents would need to pay for extra data-plans which is not necessary.

There are many tutorials and videos online that are easily discoverable with a quick Google search.  Apple’s official manual for iOS 7 (the latest operating system running on all new iPads) can be found at: http://goo.gl/NN6Sgv

We recommend that students purchase an iPad 2 (16Gb) or better, with Wi-Fi only. If students already have an iPad from their primary school or at home, that is fine, however, you will have to install some new apps that will be downloadable via a link sent in an email.

There are many factors to take into account when deciding on which device would be best suited to ensuring that student learning was improved. For our college, at this point in time, these factors included: 1) price point of the device, 2) our existing wireless infrastructure, 3) our internet access and its reliability, 4) the expertise level of staff, 5) the usability of the device, 6) the scope of the app-store and 7) the precedence for using the device in other schools similar to our own.  After much debate and exploration, our college decided on the iPad for a number of reasons: 1) it is easy to use, 2) it has appeal to parents, teachers and students, 3) many of our feeder schools have used iPads in their classrooms, 4) its app store is far more developed in education that either Android or Microsoft’s app store, 5) it works within our infrastructure, 6) the DEECD had done a trial and research into the use of the iPad as a learning tool, and 7) many other schools had successful experiences with using the iPad that we could learn from.

Berwick Secondary College has spent a significant amount of time this year testing iPads in the school environment and we are convinced that they are the ideal tool to deliver an innovative and varied curriculum at Year 7. The iPad will enable students to access the internet, school email, calendars and other online digital curriculum resources. It will allow students to word process, create spreadsheets, complete presentations and access a broad range of useful apps and information.