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 Why is it important for my student to have his/her own Tablet PC?
NCS is in agreement with the concepts and ideas detailed in our country’s new National Education Plan that every student needs to learn in new ways and develop 21st Century skills. The only way to insure that students have the opportunity to learn in ways that benefit them, and to develop and apply these new skills in every class, is for every student to have access to the right instructional tools twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
21st Century Skills
• Improved basic skills (math, writing)
• Improved digital age literacy skills (technological, cultural, global awareness)
• Improved inventive thinking skills (creativity, problem solving, higher order, sound reasoning)
• Improved effective communication and interpersonal skills (writing, public speaking, teamwork, collaboration)
• Improved productivity skills (create high quality products)
 What grades are included in the One-to-One Tablet PC Initiative?
The One-to-One Initiative is for all students in grades 8-12. Grades K-6 will share access to portable Tablet PC labs. Grade 7 will have full-time access to portable tablet PC labs in each class.
How were the Tablet PCs used by students during the school year?
The students uses the Tablet PCs in writing essays, researching novels, research for essays, stock market research, class presentations, keyboarding instruction, creating multimedia presentations, creating video presentations for class, creating original art, manipulating photos, homework on athletic trips, music theory lessons and composition, research for debate contests, biology essays, reading Biology eTextbook, viewing educational videos, creating vocab flash cards, working with mathematical formulas, graphs, and shapes, viewing educational websites, current events/news, creating graphical outlines/charts to organize presentations, online classes such as: Latin, History, Computer Science, Meteorology, Stock Market Investing, Business Management, and Creative Writing.
Which classes are using technology and have more access to various sources of technology because of the one-to-one program?
Algebra, Anatomy, Art, Biology, Broadcast Video, Chemistry, Choir, Communication Applications & Technology, Debate, Digital Art, Digital Photography, Economics, English, Geometry, Health, History, Life Skills, Math Reasoning, Multimedia, Music Theory, Online, Physics, PreCalculus, and Spanish have used Tablet PCs.
Why did you choose the Gateway Tablet PC?
After meeting with multiple vendors and reviewing many different options, it was first decided that the Tablet PC would be a better choice than a regular laptop computer for enhancing learning in the classroom. After reviewing many different Tablet PCs, the Gateway was the best choice because of it’s price, it’s convertibility between writing and keyboarding, and because the peripheral devices were built into the computer, (therefore, there were fewer individual parts to lose).
Is there a fee for the Tablet?
For the 2008-2009 school year, students in grades 8-12 will be charged a $825 Instructional Fee. This fee will be used to provide quality instructional tools for each student and will include the use of the Tablet PC. Students in grade 7 will be charged a $400 Instructional Fee. This fee must be paid online by June 30, 2008.
What does the fee pay for?
The fee goes towards upgrading all our instructional programs to meet the needs of today’s student.
This would include:
• Use of Tablet PC
• Classroom software
• Subscriptions (e.g. United Streaming)
• Internet access
• Support staff
• Digital instructional tools
• Online classes
• Insurance & warranties
• Monitoring programs
• Ongoing professional development
Do we have to purchase additional insurance?
No. Insuring the Tablet PC is facilitated in the Technology Office and is part of the annual Instructional Fee. If the Tablet is damaged, a deductible of $100 will be charged. Also, our insurance offers excellent loss and theft coverage to ensure the educational continuity of the Tablet PC program. Our program will include a tracking system that will allow the Tablet PC to be found and recovered by local law enforcement officers. If the Tablet is lost or stolen the family will be charged a $500 deductible for the first incident, $1,000 for the second and subseqent incidents.
Who will own the Tablet PC?
The Tablet PCs will be the property of NCS and will be assigned to students to use just like textbooks and other resources. The reasons for the school to maintain ownership include:
• Being able to install school owned software.
• Ability to exchange computers if necessary.
• The ability to clean and control the content on the hard drives.
Can I just purchase my own Tablet/Laptop or use one we already own?
No. NCS cannot support and repair a tablet or laptop that the school does not own; we cannot install school owned software on a personal computer; and we cannot ensure that a personal laptop or tablet would have the features needed in each classroom.
Couldn’t I get a better value by buying my own computer?
No. NCS purchases the Tablets on a volume basis that includes warranties, software, etc., at a discount level that is greater than what you would receive as an individual. Each Tablet PC also will have additional software loaded that will be needed for each class. These instructional tools will be school-owned and purchased at a school level discount.
Educational software has three different price levels: retail, single education price, and school license price. Many of our software programs are purchased at significant discounts because we purchase a school license. If students owned the Tablet PCs, we would have to purchase software at a much higher price, making the cost of the One-to-One program significantly higher.
Will I keep the same Tablet PC each year?
It is the plan for each student to use the same Tablet PC for three years. However, NCS reserves the right to issue a different computer to a student when necessary.
Can I purchase the Tablet, so that my child can take it to college?
At this time we will not be selling our inventory of computers, because we would not be able to insure consistent performance and quality for every student in each grade if we continually replace Tablets that are sold. The other consideration that parents need to take into account is that after three years the technology will be old and also many colleges have their own laptop programs which will require the use of a prescribed computer.
Will I return the Tablet PC at the end of the school year?
Yes. The students will return their Tablet PC at the end of the school year and they will be re-issued a Tablet PC at the beginning of the next year. There is a Tablet PC Summer program in which students can choose to participate. The fee for that program is $30.
Will I be able to keep the Tablet PC after I graduate?
No. The Tablet PCs will be the property of NCS and will be issued and treated the same as any other instructional resource that the student is issued. It will be a complement to the textbook, or in many cases the actual textbook, for the student.
Who will repair the Tablet PC if it stops working properly?
The Technology Office at NCS will handle all issues related to the Tablet PC, including loss, theft, damage, and repair. The student will bring the Tablet PC to the Technology Office where a diagnosis will be made and necessary action taken. The students are responsible for saving their data to their home directory. A limited number of “loaners” will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. If a computer has to be cleaned and/or re-loaded because of irresponsible use of the Tablet by unauthorized downloads, etc., a $25 fee will be assessed. NCS also will continue to evaluate the level of support needed and add staff accordingly.
How will my student know how to use the Tablet PC?
Ninth grade students are required to take the Communication Applications & Technology course. In this course, students will learn how to communicate with technology as a support tool and how to create presentations. Eighth grade students will be given an orientation and will have a Technology class. Computer skills also will be taught in each academic course which requires technology use.
Will all of my student’s textbooks be on the Tablet PC?
It is the goal of the school to choose the best resources for our students to learn. If the choice is between printed and digital resources, then the school will choose the digital resource.
Will students be responsible for “backing-up” their own files?
Yes. Students will be encouraged, reminded, and expected to back-up copies of their files to their personal space on the NCS server. In addition to the server, it is recommended that the students also copy their files to CDs and/or flash drives. Every tablet will have the ability to “burn” CDs and will have ports that allow them to plug in memory sticks and flash drives.
How can I control what my student views on the internet when they are not in school?
The internet/network programs will allow you to become an accountability partner with your child. Every website that your child views will be collected in a report that will then be available to you and to the school. This program allows our students the freedom of viewing the websites that they need to view for school, but helps them learn to make good choices and to be accountable for their choices.
How do I know that my student will not just play games on the computer during class?
Besides the internet/network monitoring programs, teachers will have the ability to monitor and control student use of the Tablet PCs with a program called SchoolVue. This software allows teachers to monitor students and to have students share their work with the class.
Updated: February 2008 |
