Digital Devices at School

At Marina View School we give an opportunity to our Year 6, 7 and 8 students, to bring their own devices to school. We would like to emphasize that this is optional and not compulsory. However, we really encourage children to bring their own devices to use in class, to support their learning.

It is our aim to develop in our students the capability, skills and attitudes that will enable them to be learners for life. We want our young people to grow and develop, knowing and applying the qualities and characteristics of lifelong learners.

Our overall goal at Marina View School is to empower students to achieve and make a difference. Technology is an element to engage students and have students engage in their learning, therefore, the objective of ‘Bringing their own Personalised Learning Device’ is to develop an environment that caters for 21st century learning.

All students who bring a device must first sign the BYOD Student Agreement along with their parents. They must also have read the Student Responsibilities and Device Requirements documentation attached to the agreement.

Minimum Device Requirements:

• Battery life – 5-6 hours to get through a school day without recharging
• Weight – light enough for your child to carry easily to school
• Wireless access – must have wireless access to the internet
• Must be able to save to the device via hard drive
• Laptops – must have up-to-date anti-virus software
• No gaming hardware such as PSPs or mobile phones
• A decent screen size – laptpos and chromebooks have proven to be the most effective devices. Mini ipads are too small.

As part of our developments to support digital E-learning at school we have moved our staff to Google Apps for Education (GAFE), in 2014. From this, we see the educational benefits of having all of the school using GAFE. Currently our Year 6-8 students have their own GAFE account. This is really exciting as your child will be able to create their own learning space where they can store, share and collaborate their work.

Essentially, GAFE is a cloud based learning platform allowing teachers and students to create a range of documents online. GAFE allows us to collaborate and learn more effectively through the use of technology, and offers a range of new learning opportunities for teachers and students.

If you have any questions about student devices, you can email Colin Gover: info@marinav.school.nz