Personally Owned Device FAQ
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Personally Owned Devices (POD)
In September 2014 W.H Croxford will be opening as a Personally Owned Device (POD) school. This means on the first day of school, and every day thereafter, every W.H.C student would be asked to bring a laptop to school to support his/her learning. To find out more, please keep reading……
What is the primary goal of this initiative?
The key goal of this initiative is improving and enhancing student learning through the implementation of digital devices and learning tools. Digital learning makes use of a variety of devices, resources, applications, and communication tools to engage students in critically analyzing information, creating new knowledge, communicating what they have learned, and choosing tools that are appropriate for a particular task.
Why move in this direction?
There has been a surge of research related to the role of technology in the daily lives of students. Dr. Sharon Friesen, a leading researcher in the area, believes five core principles must be followed to engage today’s “millennials”, a term used to describe the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s:
• Effective teaching practice begins with the thoughtful and intentional design of learning that engages students intellectually and academically.
• The work that students are asked to undertake is worthy of their time, their attention, is personally relevant, and is deeply connected to the world in which they live.
• Assessment practices are clearly focused on improving student learning and guiding teaching decisions and actions.
• Teachers foster a variety of interdependent relationships in classrooms that promote learning and create a strong culture around learning.
• Teachers improve their practice in the company of peers.
Surrounding and infused into each of these five core principles is the effective use of the technologies. It is undeniable that the face of education and the role of technology are changing rapidly.
What happens to textbooks?
Students will still have access to physical textbooks if they so desire. However, e-texts and other internet resources will be extensively utilized as they provide the most up to date and relevant information to students. In addition, students must learn to search and evaluate digital resources as a necessary skill set for being a productive 21st Century Learner. Once information is digitized the learner has the ability to interact with the content, organize it, highlight it, and manipulate it as they see fit. A variety of applications (readers, etc) provide additional supports to learners.
Textbooks are often out of date as soon as they are printed and can range from $70 - $120 dollars to purchase. Their weight along with the need to physically catalogue and care for the books are additional reasons we are seeing a shift to digital resources.
How will this project get laptops into the hands of all students?
Beginning in September 2014 all students enrolling in W.H. Croxford High School will be encouraged to purchase a laptop for school. The minimum standard for a laptop will be either a Mac (recommended) or PC laptop, but as computing devices evolve, that minimum standard may change. We will update minimum standards on our website, so please check back.
For students who are unable to purchase a laptop, the school will have a limited supply of loaners for them to sign sign a contract for the year. These laptops are not to be removed from the school at any time.
Will students that already have laptops be able to use them for the initiative?
If students already have laptops that meet the minimum standards, they are more than welcome to bring them. However if specialized functions are required for a specific course, such as video editing and storage, a current student owned computer might not be adequate. In such cases, the school will have computers/laptops for these specific purposes.
How will the students be able to power/charge their units for a full day's usage?
Students will need to be proactive in charging their machines daily at home. The school will be supplying power charging sources should students need them.
How will computer theft be addressed?
W.H.C strongly recommends parents insure their student’s computer through home insurance. As with all possessions brought to school, it is important for students to keep their valuables secure by keeping them in their locker.
What other technologies will be used through this initiative?
The use of laptops will provide students with a multitude of learning tools to enhance and support their learning. In addition to providing access to the internet as a resource students will also access and use some of the following cloud based (do not have to download or buy) software:
- Google – email, document storage and organization as well as a vast set of communication tools allows learners increased flexibility in accessing their learning.
- Moodle – A learning management system that provides access to course materials, supports, resources, quizzes and other information for the course.
- Career Planning – tools to provide students with career information and tracking their progress to their educational goals.
How will students learn to use these tools?
All students joining us in September will be provided extensive training on the use of the various tools. As part of the student advisory program, ongoing support and use of the tools will occur during the year. A critical piece to learning the tools will be learning appropriate digital citizenship, or how to act appropriately in a global world.
Will parents be charged extra fees?
Outside of the purchase of a laptop for their student, no additional fees will be charged for this initiative.
Who can I contact for more information?
Parents are encouraged to call the school office at 587.775.3521. You can also check back to this website are for continued updates.
