Frequently Asked Questions, which may assist in your understanding of the addition of devices within our College community, are answered below.
Are parents paying for the Digital Learning Device?
Yes. Parents are required to pay for the DLD. An AppleCare (Extended Warranty) Protection Plan is a matter of choice.
Will parents have to pay for the DLD if it is damaged, lost or stolen?
Yes. Parents will be required to pay if this occurs. We expect parents to ensure that they are adequately insured either by their home and contents or a separate insurance policy or have sufficient funds available to ensure the swift repair or replacement of the device.
Will parents be required to buy accessories?
Yes. The DLD must come with an appropriate charger and protective case. Any additional accessories are at the discretion of parents.
Will parents be required to pay for Apps (programs) from the Apple App Store?
Yes. Students will be required to purchase some apps from the Apple App Store. All devices are supplied by Apple with an Operating System (OS). However, an updated OS should be purchased via the App Store when prompted to do so by MCC.
- iMovie
- GarageBand
- Pages
- Keynote
- Numbers
These Apps are included in the purchase of any new iPad.
Is there an agreement I need to sign before my child can have access to their DLD?
Yes. As part of our program, parents and students will need to agree to the terms of acceptable use within the College. This will be in the form of a contract.
Will my child need an Apple ID?
Yes. All students will require use of an Apple ID. If parents have an existing ID, Family Sharing may be used instead of creating another account. Legislation requires that students use a parental account until the age of 13. We recommend that password control is maintained by the parent until an appropriate time and that you do not assign a credit card as payment to a student’s account.
Will my child need to have credit card details to register for an Apple ID account?
Will my child be able to put their music on the DLD?
Yes. Students are able to place purchased music on their DLD, however there must be enough working space for school related content. The College reminds students and parents that the music must be appropriate for school.
Is my child allowed to install games?
Yes. The device can be personalised by students, however there must be enough working space for school related content. The College reminds students and parents that the games must be of a suitable rating level for their age and are not to be played within the College.
Can the parents regulate what Apps are installed or deleted on the DLD?
Yes. Restrictions can be set on iPads by parents to regulate which apps are installed or deleted on the DLD, as well as access to the iTunes store. This can be explained in more detail later. It is recommended that iTunes passwords are kept secure by parents.
Can my child have their DLD taken from them?
Yes. The College reserves the right to remove the privileges extended to them at the discretion of the teacher. A DLD can be permanently removed and returned to the parent if students break the Acceptable Use Policy and/or Code of Conduct.
Does the DLD need space for a 3G Micro sim?
No. The College has recommended a WiFi only model. WiFi will be available at the College and students will not be allowed to create their own “Personal Hotspots” with any other mobile device while on the premises.
Do I need to buy a wireless internet connection for home?
This is a family decision. Please note that a USB dongle internet connection cannot be used with an iPad.
What happens if the DLD just stops working?
If there are issues with the technical operation of the DLD, it can be brought to the IT Help Desk for assessment or taken to the Apple store for assessment by the manufacturer. These procedures will be outlined at a later date.
Will the DLD add extra weight to my child’s school bag?
The current iPad’s weigh approximately 600 grams.
How does my child back up the information that is on their DLD?
The College encourages students to back up any data that they have stored on their DLD by syncing to an external drive, or using new technology such as iCloud, Dropbox etc. to back up any data. This will be outlined when students start using their DLDs.
Can you print from the DLD?
Yes. This is available over the College network for Senior School students via the IGA app. Students can also print from home if their printer is one of the devices configured to support their DLD. For further information, please read http://store.apple.com/us/browse/campaigns/airprint
Will my child ‘Jail Break’ their DLD?
The College strictly enforces copyright regulations. Any students found ‘Jail Breaking’ their DLD will void the warranty and permanently lose their privilege of access to the DLD.
Who controls my child’s internet access at school?
As part of our duty of care to all students, the College reserves the right to monitor and restrict all digital activity occurring within the College grounds.
We support the safe use of technology and therefore:
- Students are blocked from accessing inappropriate websites by our Web-filter Firewall Netbox blue.
- Questionable web searches are actively forwarded to the Pastoral Care Team via our Safe Chat feature.
- A record of all Internet activity is kept for all students at all times whilst using the internet from within the College.
“The College is in no way able to monitor digital activity occurring on a students device outside of the College grounds”.
Who controls my child’s internet access outside of school?
Students Internet activity outside of the College grounds is not restricted in any way because of parental ownership issues.
“Parents are responsible for the control of their students devices when not in the College”.
As part of our configuration process, we make it clear that if parents wish to place restrictions on their students digital devices then we will assist them enacting Parental Controls which is a standard feature on Apple iPads and MacBooks.
When existing restrictions or parental controls are discovered on an existing device, this will not be removed or deactivated without parental contact.
Who do we contact at the College if we are concerned about DLD usage?
If the concern is in relation to use within a course, the Subject Teacher. Otherwise, the Deputy of Teaching & Learning should be the first point of contact.
Will the battery last all day at school?
The battery life is approximately 10 hours with the current iPad devices. Students will need to manage their battery life in much the same way as they do their mobile phones. The College will not provide any charging facilities during the day.
Will my child’s internet use be monitored at school?
Will my child’s internet use be monitored at school?
Will my child still need their books?
Yes. At this stage the College believes that there is no suitable substitute for the current textbooks that are in use. This is under review by the College as it continues its investigation and evaluation of new digital textbooks.
