Appendix C: Laptop and Word Processor Policy

Transcription

1 Appendix C: Laptop and Word Processor Policy The School recognises that for some students with specific learning differences a laptop may be the most appropriate method of organising and presenting their work. Pupils are allowed to use a laptop in school as their normal, routine way of working where a need has been established, its use is recommended by an educational psychologist approved by the School, and where appropriate training has been undertaken. Use of a Laptop Pupils will be allowed to use a laptop in school as their routine, normal way of working under the following conditions: A need has been established and its use is recommended by an Educational Psychologist approved by the School. The pupil has received recommended training to ensure that typing is efficient, accurate and of sufficient speed to be able to cope in class: as a guide, we would expect 30 to 60 words per minute, depending on age. The pupil has undergone a course of recommended training in the organisation of work, the printing and filing of copies when using a laptop. The Learning Support Coordinator confirms in writing to the Head of Section that these conditions have been met. The Head of Section approves the use of a laptop as the normal method of working. The pupil has been using the laptop as her/his routine way of working in any subject where she/he wishes to use a word processor (WP) in an examination and has had specific practice and rehearsal in the use of a WP under examination conditions. Whilst the School accedes to JCQ s recommendation (section 2.8. in the Joint Council for Qualification booklet on Access Arrangements 2010/11), the complexities outlined above mean that it will be unrealistic and not in the best interest of the majority of our pupils to use a WP in an examination unless they have been using it as their routine, normal method of working throughout their examination years (e.g. Years 10 and 11 if they wish to use it for their GCSE examinations). Limitations to Laptop Use A subject teacher has the right to veto the use of a laptop in particular situations: Where its use might be dangerous or problematic e.g. in a particular experiment in Chemistry. Where particular exercises should not be done with computer assistance e.g. maps and diagrams. Where calculations are required without the assistance of computer functions such as in Mathematics. If an individual pupil, in any lesson, is using a laptop in such a way as to cause a distraction or disturbance to the learning of others.

2 Some school and home work may still be required to be hand-written to support the development of handwriting skills. Parents should be aware that examination candidates for the Legacy GCSE English and English Literature (current Year 11) are required to complete one assignment of their coursework in handwriting, even if they are permitted to use a laptop in examinations. Pupils are not allowed to connect their laptop either physically or wirelessly to the school network. Detailed Procedures Pupils should not expect always to have access to mains power and are therefore advised to have a spare battery. All written work, which would normally be done in exercise books during lessons, is to be printed out nightly at home and filed appropriately so that pupils possess a hard copy of all their work filed in ring binders or pasted into exercise books. Pupils should use a plain font (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Verdana) and allow room for teachers comments. Spell Check can normally be used on all pieces of work except in examinations. If there are problems with a laptop during lessons, the pupil should immediately stop using it and switch to pen and paper. Special arrangements may need to be made for tests requiring extensive prose if the member of staff wishes to receive the work immediately. Many internal examinations utilise structured papers which require pupils to answer on the question papers. However where papers require extended answers pupils are allocated to a room where they will use a school word processor. In public examinations pupils will use a school word processor. Pupils should not expect the School s technicians to maintain their machines or undertake repairs to them. Back-up Pupils should back-up their work on to a separate hard drive on a regular basis ideally weekly, but at the very least at each half term. The cost of losing a term/year s work, particularly in public examination years through a computer crash can be very considerable, both literally and in terms of stress. Printing work If pupils save work on memory sticks, it can be printed from almost any machine in the School. Printers are available in the Library, IT rooms and many other subject locations around the School. With staff permission, pupils may print their work in these areas. If pupils wish to print their work first thing in the morning, they should go to the Library, IT rooms or Lower School where a member of staff is usually available. The School s Information Systems Manager or a member of his team is available to help pupils if they are experiencing a problem printing.

3 Assistance with Laptops The Learning Support Co-ordinator will be available to: Help pupils to establish a daily routine and encourage them to operate in an organised and independent way. Act as a trouble-shooter for general staff queries concerning laptop users and their problems. Advise on outside help for keyboard competency skills. Provide a school laptop for a short period of time to allow a pupil to trial its use prior to purchasing their own. In all such cases parents are required to sign a Laptop Loan Agreement form (see Appendix i). Pupils may also seek technical advice from IT support. Security of Equipment a) All laptops and other equipment are to be security marked with the user s identity and postcode. b) Adequate insurance cover should be arranged by parents to cover damage or loss. c) The School does not accept liability for damage to or loss of any laptop computers, which will remain the responsibility of the owner at all times. Purchasing Advice We can make no specific recommendations when it comes to makes or models but there are some key points to bear in mind: The basic requirement is that any laptop parents buy is capable of running the latest version of Microsoft Office which at present is Office 2010 for a PC (2011 on Mac). Try to keep size and weight in mind. Go for a smaller model that is easier for a pupil to carry around all day but also keep in mind the size of the keyboard. It needs to be of sufficient size so that it does not restrict the development of touch-typing skills. Consider battery life. Ideally go for a longer life battery type as a pupil may not always be able to charge the laptop during the day. Get a good protective bag. If a pupil is using the laptop every day, a good sturdy bag will be needed to protect it from accidental damage. Check the warranty. Most only have a one-year return-to-base warranty which may be difficult if a pupil s work is on a laptop that has to be returned to the maker. Get a USB data stick. These can be used in school to transfer work and can be used to back-up the pupil s work. Use of Word Processors in Public Examinations The Joint Council for Qualification s recommendation for the use of word processors in examinations (section 2.8 or the 2010/11 booklet) must be viewed within the

4 context of the School s position on WP use for Years (See section on Use of a Laptop above.) Where a pupil is authorised to use a WP as their routine, normal way of working as per School policy and therefore may use it in examinations, the Examinations Officer will make contact with the candidate to arrange in which specific examinations they wish to use a word processor. Only the relevant software applications will be available; spell-check, grammar check and the thesaurus will not be enabled. There will be instructions informing candidates how to set up documents with all the relevant personal details. The word processor will be set to save automatically every five minutes, but we suggest saving at regular intervals in addition to this. At the end of examination the candidate will be required to remain in the room while their work is printed off and authenticate the relevant hard copy. Opportunities to rehearse the use of a WP are available in the period leading up to public examinations. Without this practice, it is unlikely to be in the best interest of the pupil to use the WP in an examination and a transcript may be a better option for a pupil with illegible handwriting (section 2.9 of the JCQ booklet). Touch Typing Courses The school runs an annual touch typing course in the Advent half term. In the first instance this is offered to pupils in Year 9, who are approaching GCSE, where they frequently wish to type their coursework. If there are spare places, then these may be offered pupils in other years. The School can also advise on alternative courses if places are not available on the School course. Astrid McAuliffe Director of Studies (Revised: February 2011)

5 Appendix i: Laptop Loan Agreement Form We (the borrower) agree to pay all costs associated with damage to this laptop computer or its associated peripheral equipment, or its replacement costs should it be lost or stolen. We understand that the replacement cost for this laptop computer will be no less than 500. We agree to return this laptop promptly to the IT Support Department when requested to do so or at the end of the appropriate loan period as determined by the School. The borrower is required to report any problems experienced with the laptop during the loan period. The IT Support Department forbids any users to install any additional software or hardware on the laptop. Unauthorised copying of software is a violation of the Acceptable Use Policy for Pupils using the School ICT facilities (a copy of which can be found on the School website, on the Intranet and in the termly Calendar). It is also illegal because copyright law protects software. The borrower is responsible for damage to, or loss or theft of the loaned laptop. In order to avoid damage/loss/theft, please follow these guidelines: (i) always carry the laptop in the protective case provided (ii) do not leave the laptop in an unsecure location such as a classroom, corridor or unlocked locker (iii) do not lend the laptop to other pupils (iv) the laptop is for the sole use of the borrower. Severely damaging a laptop, or failing to take appropriate action to prevent its theft, is a disciplinary offence. I have read and understand the Acceptable Use Policy for Pupils using the School ICT Facilities I have also read and understand this Laptop Loan Agreement. Pupil s name:... Pupil s signature:... Parent s name:... Parent s signature:... Date:... Please return this slip to the IT Support Department, Alleyn s School