BYOD – Bring Your Own Chromebook
In 2020, we encourage students in Years 7-10 to bring a Chromebook to the College every day (it is not compulsory at this stage) but it is highly recommended. Years 11 & 12 will still be able to bring Windows, MacBooks or a Chromebook.
What do we recommend?
Year Group
Years 5-9
Years 10 – 12
Recommended Device
Chromebook
Windows, MacBooks or a Chromebook
*A note on tablets: We find that tablets (e.g. iPads, Android Tablets) do not always offer the functionality that students need, even with a remote keyboard.
JB Hi-Fi Solutions Education portal
School Code: SMCOBYOD
Why Chromebooks are good for Saint Mark’s students ?
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Chromebooks work seamlessly with Google’s educational software. Google Classroom and G Suite for Education, as well as Google’s consumer applications like Gmail or Google Keep, are integrated into the Chrome OS experience. When these applications are present; students and teachers can work online or offline, and the application syncs with Google’s servers in a seamless way.
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It’s very difficult to tell you’re working with an app that stores its data in the cloud because the experience is so good. But you’ll know it did when you pick up a completely different Chromebook and everything is just as you left it.
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This is great for students and allows them to focus on the task in front of them instead of making sure things are properly saved and synchronised.
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A student needs a few basic things to get the most an education has to offer and a Chromebook is a great way to fulfil those basics.
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Most parents can provide a Chromebook, Because they are inexpensive and easy to use.
Advantages of a Chromebook Laptop
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Lightweight OS
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Long battery life (8-10 hrs)
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Affordable device for all students
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Fast boot times
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Browser-based simplicity
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Extremely thin and light
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Automatically update
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Built for durability to handle student wear and tear.
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Compliment the G Suite for Education
Supplier Availability
One Educational Supplier “Learning With Technologies” (LWT) to stock a variety of Chromebooks. Price range = $370 – $450 each model configured with our requirements as above. Although the College will receive no monetary benefit from your private transaction with LWT, we feel comfortable that whichever of the models you select from their specific range will be 100% compatible with our system and requirements.
*OR feel free to purchase your Chromebook from any retail store like Officeworks / JB Hi-FI; they stock variety of Chromebooks as well.
NOTE: The College has investigated numerous suppliers to source its preferred product/s. Deciding on LWT was due to their willingness to configure various models to our specifications and with the most competitive price to offer parents to purchase with some options and based on compatible use within the school environment.
These models are also built for educational use and therefore are of a durable build quality. The Chromebooks that you find in retail outlets do not always have the same build quality and are not as durable as the devices the College has chosen at LWT. The transaction between LWT and the parent is a commercial transaction and has nothing to do with, or benefit the school in any manner.
Chromebooks – FAQ
What software is required on the Chromebook?
Google Chrome is the only required software. This is a free download.
How will my child’s device be kept safe and secure at school?
Students are not permitted to leave their devices on bag racks nor are they permitted to access the devices at morning tea or lunch breaks on the playground. They must take their devices to ever lesson even if they are not going to use it. It is important that students follow these School rules to avoid loss or damage to their devices.
How will my child be safe online?
School internet access is filtered but due to the nature of the internet, that doesn’t guarantee that your child cannot gain access to inappropriate material. Even the fact that your child has an email address means that it is possible for them to be sent mail or shared into a document by someone with less than noble intentions. We feel that educating students in Cybersafety and Digital Citizenship is essential and doesn’t replace good parental and teacher monitoring at home and at school.
Can my child bring a different device to school ?
This program is only compatible with Google Chromebook which we would like the whole school to adopt as per the reasons outlined in the Overview. In short, our whole school structure/culture is based on Google compatibility.
We would suggest to hold on till your child sees the device with his/her peers and then you can decide.