// Resources

School Laptop Guidelines

Apple iBook Guidelines 2005-2006
The Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative
St. Mark School

Meg Skowron

Introduction:

The Apple iBook and carrying case that are issued to you are the property of the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative (BWLI) and registered to St. Mark/St, Joseph High School. The laptops have been configured by Apple Computer under the guidance of the project’s partners to meet project goals. The laptops come equipped with everything a student will need as a tool for learning. They are loaned to the student and his/her family and must be returned at the end of this school year. Many of the decisions made for the iBooks and carrying cases were made in cooperation with BWLI project partners and Apple Computer.

We have two technology integration Specialists (Matt Collins at St. Mark and Mike Sheehan at St. Joseph) and a Technical Lead (Don Coudert) who will assist our school with implementation at St. Mark/’St, Joseph High School.

 

General Information:

The Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative is about teaching and learning, not about the computer. We believe this tool will support and enhance the teaching and learning process.

Each student will be issued an iBook as part of the program but must realize that it is a privilege, not a right. An iBook computer, power transformer, extension cord, duck head and carrying case will be issued to each seventh grade student at a designated time during the school year. The same iBook and above-mentioned items used in the seventh grade will be issued again to a student in the eighth grade.

The recharging of each laptop will take place in a designated room i.e. homerooms through a process to be coordinated by the school’s technology staff. Laptops signed out for home use should be returned fully charged the next morning. In order for students to take home their laptops, students need to follow the TWLI Take Home Guidelines, Procedures, and Sign-out. These procedures will be explained at Parent Orientation Meetings that will be held periodically at the school. Any inappropriate or careless use of an iBook or its carrying case needs be reported immediately. Misuse will result in your iBook computer being taken away for a period of time to be determined by designated staff at the school.

Laptops may be taken away for a period of time from students who have proven to be careless as demonstrated by the occurrence of multiple accidents resulting in major damages (EX: broken LCD display).

St. Mark/’St, Joseph High School realizes that accidents can and do happen. We would encourage students to be responsible and respectful of their iBooks, which are valued at approximately $1100. The tech lead and staff keep a record of all accidents and service required for each iBook. Students who have caused multiple major damages to an iBook may be required to participate in a review with Meg Skrowon, Matthew Collins and parents to determine if the privilege of having an iBook needs to be suspended for a period of time. Your iBook should be in your possession or secured in a locked location at all times. Donna Quallen and Matthew Collins will record each student’s password that will be held in confidence among school personnel. This password may be necessary at some times when the iBook needs to be serviced by our technical staff. Parents and guardians will be given their child’s password in order to supervise home usage.

 

Care of the Laptop:

In general, laptops should be in the possession of the students throughout the day. The only time an Ibook should not in the student’s possession is during a period of recharging or when it has been surrendered to a staff member. Once the iBook is issued to the student and his/her family, the student is responsible for it at all times.

The normal school rules of showing respect for property apply to the care of the laptop computers. Please keep the computer and case clean at all times, free of marks. The laptops will be inspected and updated periodically throughout the school year. The iBooks should only be used within the classroom setting and when signed out for home use. Never use the iBook on the bus while in transit. Protect the iBook from the weather and extreme temperatures.

Please use the iBook on a flat, stable surface. If it falls, it may break. Be patient. Sometimes computers require time to do their job. When plugging in the power adaptor to the charging port, be careful to line it up directly to avoid bending or breaking the prong. Don’t stack or place any heavy objects on top of your iBook

Keep your iBook in its storage case when moving between classes. Make sure that you close and Velcro the case before lifting to prevent accidental drops.

 

General Rules, Reminders, and Guidelines:

Computers will be assigned and registered in an online database to individual students. Students should never swap computers. You must keep the password to your computer confidential. Helping another student should be done with your voice, not your hands. Each person should operate their own computer themselves. The iBooks should never be left unattended.
Students are not allowed to play unauthorized games on their iBooks during the school day. These iBooks are intended to be used for educational purposes only.

You will pick up your iBook at the beginning of each school day in designated room. The iBooks will be returned to homerooms before lunch. The iBooks should not be taken to the cafeteria without authorization. Laptops can be picked up after lunch for afternoon classes and returned to the designated room at the end of the day. Remember that the iBooks will be cloned and restored to the original state at various points throughout the school year. Downloading any materials should be restricted to educational purposes. Please be aware of copyright and fair use guidelines as stated in our Acceptable Use Policy.

The BWLI iBooks come with an easy-to-use backup utility with 250MB of storage space on the bwli.org server. It is the student’s responsibility to back up important work regularly. After service or re-cloning, students are able to retrieve their work from this backup folder. Large files, like iMovies would need to be backed up locally by some other method. Contact the tech staff for assistance in backing up large files.

 

Internet, Email, and Network Guidelines:

All students will be using school computers and Internet services as part of their regular curriculum and instruction. St. Mark/’St, Joseph High School employs a Acceptable Use Policy to protect our students from the risks that can be associated with Internet use in our schools. Each student and parent must sign off on this plan. Catholic Schools of Pittsfield retains control, custody and supervision of all computers, networks and Internet services owned by, leased or loaned to St. Mark/’St, Joseph High School. Catholic Schools of Pittsfield reserves the right to monitor all computer and Internet activity by students. Students have no expectations of privacy in their use of school computers, including e-mail and stored files. Any inappropriate use of your e-mail or network services will result in your e-mail privileges being taken away for a period of time.