LAPTOP PROGRAM Frequently Asked Questions McGinn Road, Ferny Grove Q 4055 PO Box 128, Ferny Hills Q 4055 Tel: (07) 3550 5777 Fax: (07) 3550 5700 Email: info@fernygroveshs.eq.edu.au www.fernygroveshs.eq.edu.au www.facebook.com/fernygroveshs Principal: M A Breckenridge Laptop Program Will my child need a laptop at Ferny Grove SHS? Ferny Grove SHS implemented the Laptop program in 2012 with the introduction of the NSSCF (National Secondary Schools Computer Fund) which was a federal government initiative. Although this has now ceased, the laptop program will still continue through a parent contribution scheme. All students in Years 7-12 will have access to a high quality, high performance laptop with the latest software installed, that can be used both at school and at home. You are encouraged to take advantage of this program so the student can maximise the use of this learning environment at home as well as at school. How much will the laptop participation scheme cost? It will depend on your child s year level and the duration the laptop needs to be retained. Please refer to the individual year level participation form for specific details. Will my student get to keep the laptop? The following applies only to students in Years 7 and 9 in 2015. Students in all other year levels are under a different arrangement and disposal details regarding their laptops have not yet been confirmed. More information will be provided as it comes to hand. At the end of the Participation Agreement the school will dispose of the device according to Department of Education Training and Employment (DETE) policy. You, as parents, will have the opportunity to take ownership of the device at that time. As the device will be at the end of its expected life, the school will dispose of the asset to parents for a nominal fee of $1.00.
Why has the Take Home Laptop Program become more expensive than in previous years? Will all students have the same laptop? National Secondary Schools Computer Funding (NSSCF) was previously provided to schools. That funding enabled Ferny Grove SHS to purchase the laptops required for a year level and allow parents to pay this off over 3-4 years. No. As time progresses and new laptops are required, the model supplied may change. This is because of the pricing available through the Government contract, new models being released and changes in the value of the Australian dollar. However all laptops will be capable of fulfilling their primary task of education for students in the digital world. Can I buy my child their own laptop from a local retail store and connect it to the school network? No. Only Education Queensland computers are licensed and equipped with the Education Queensland Managed Operating Environment (MOE) to connect to the school network. The MOE offers students access to: the secure filtered school internet, school licensed software, school printers and connection to network software resources. What features are available to the school when laptops are purchased through the Government contract? All laptops purchased through the Government contract automatically come with a 3 & 4 year onsite full service or replacement warranty, including a 4 year warranty for batteries. Contract computers enjoy the protection of a lemon clause, where if a computer is returned three times it will be replaced. Can I buy exactly the same brand laptop at the same or lower price from a retail outlet? Education Queensland has enormous buying power. It can negotiate an ultra-low price for 50 000 units at a time, directly from the manufacturer. Taking in consideration the installed software, Full 4 year warranty, Extended battery, and technical support, It is highly unlikely you could match this pricing even on run-out or so called specials. School sourced laptops are commercial grade built with premium specifications, and are robust in design for student usage. Can my child choose an Apple Mac laptop instead of the laptop on offer? The laptop that the school will purchase will be the only laptop available to students in that year level. I had intended to purchase a laptop for my child who is in Years 7, 8, or 9 in 2015. Should I proceed? We encourage you to take advantage of Ferny Grove State High School s laptop program, so that your child can maximise the use of this learning environment at home and at school. Please note that according to State Government policy, personally owned laptops cannot be supported by the school and are not able to access Education Queensland networks. Your participation in our laptop program will ensure that they will receive a high quality, high performance laptop that can be used both at home and on the Education Queensland computer environment.
Why can t students provide their own laptops? By having the same laptop platform within our school, it guarantees that there is no incompatibility with software and hardware; the security of the Ferny Grove SHS Network is intact and new programs and updates are fully tested before they are deployed remotely to student laptops. What other advantages are there in signing up to the laptop program? Like the current school system, the software build on the laptops will be robust and reliable. The laptop selected will be a model especially designed to handle a school environment. In addition, the IT Department will be available to assist with any technical difficulties at the helpdesk. Can my child hand back his/her laptop after one year and receive a new model for the following year? No. The laptop issued at the time is the most appropriate laptop available at the time of purchase. The laptops will vary depending on the availability of models through Education Queensland purchasing power. The issued laptop will stay with the student throughout the program unless recalled by the school. Students are required to hand back their laptop at the end of their program or should they leave the school prior to this. Does my child get to keep the laptop at the end of the three or four year cycle? No. The laptop will always remain the property of Education Queensland. What if I do not wish to pay the Parental Contribution? In this case, your child will have some access to a school device during school hours. School devices consist of several speciality labs and a number of desktop computers which are available for use in the Library. Will my child be expected to bring his/her laptop to school every day? Yes. Ferny Grove SHS teachers are transforming the way they teach to take advantage of students having unlimited use of laptops. Students taking practical subjects may elect to secure their laptop for certain periods, but the new digital platform for the curriculum program will ensure that laptops will be essential tools in each classroom. Will my child be using the laptop all lesson, all day in every lesson? No. Use of the laptop will be at the teacher s discretion depending on the suitability of use for the task at hand. World best practice suggests that laptop programs enhance student learning when they are used for approximately 35% of the available teaching and learning time. Students will still require other tools of learning; i.e., books, pens etc.
Is there a secure area where my child can leave his/her laptop during sport, lunch or when at assembly? It is expected that students will have their laptops with them at all times except under special circumstances. A number of secure lockers are available to hire for student use, and can be secured by a student bought lock. Will students be permitted to use the device during school holidays? Yes. Students are permitted to keep their devices during holiday periods unless it has been recalled for maintenance. The school has the right to ask that devices remain at school during the school holidays. This is generally done to deal with any warranty service, software upgrades or annual stocktake. They cannot be taken on an overseas holiday, as this is not covered under the contracted warranty. IT Department Will there be any access to technical support? Yes. An onsite help desk in E Block will operate between the hours of 7.30 am until 3.30 pm daily. Can students 'walk up' to the IT Help Desk for assistance? Yes. Students can access help during the above times. Please ensure that the protective cases accompany laptops when visiting the help desk. Will a replacement laptop be available for students if theirs is taken for repair? Students will be issued with a Hot Swap laptop if theirs is required for repair. Students will need to ensure all their files (from the laptops hard drive) are backed up so they can continue to access them. All files saved on the schools network will be available for access via the hot swap laptop. What is the expected repair time period? Generally it will be one to seven days. Repair times will depend on the job complexity and the current workload. External repair technicians repair laptops on the school premises. Will the IT Department require the laptops for maintenance periods? Yes. There will be times when laptops need to be connected to the network for deployment of software upgrades.
How will my child know when laptop maintenance is required period? A notification message will be posted to students via their school email address. Connectivity Is wireless connectivity to the network available at the school? High Density Wireless connectivity is available throughout the school and can be accessed via student s laptops. Will an internet filter be in place? Yes. Upon connection to the Education Queensland network all computers are subject to internet filtering. As is currently the case, this will restrict access to certain sites. At home, this filtering system will not apply, however a system will be installed which stops inappropriate sites from being accessed via the laptop. Can I purchase USB mobile internet for my child to use at school? No. It is a violation of acceptable use policy to use mobile internet devices on government owned computer devices. Does FGSHS have any monitoring software for Laptops at school? Ferny Grove State High School uses the network monitoring software AB Tutor, which is monitored by the IT Department. The LanSchool program, although an educational tool for teachers, also allows staff to monitor laptops to ensure students remain on the classroom task during lessons. Does FGSHS monitor Laptops at home? Our software does not do any offline or after hours monitoring. It does not monitor at home or take cached screen shots. It is direct monitoring only whilst on the school network. What software is installed on the main build of the school laptop? The laptop will be installed with Education Queensland Managed Operating Environment (MOE 4.1) which includes Windows 8.1, Microsoft Office Professional suite 2013, Adobe Master Collection Creative Cloud, Antivirus Protection program and a host of subject specific software your child will require.
Can my child install their own computer games and other personal software? Yes provided the software is licenced and legal and the student is in the take home program with Elevated Access permission ticked in their Charter document. As the device is school owned, students must not store illegal or inappropriate materials on it. Students are not to access private software during the school day. Software that prevents use of the device for education purposes will be removed see Reimaging. What material is deemed inappropriate? Illegal (unlicensed) software, pirated music, pictures or videos, any software not purchased by the student and any content that is not suitable to be viewed by persons under the age of 18. What is Reimaging? In the event of software failure or installation of inappropriate material, the school will Reimage the device. This will wipe all data including the student data and restore the operating environment to its base state. The school does not require consent for this procedure. Students must ensure their data is backed up at all times to prevent data loss in the case of a Reimage. Will Ferny Grove SHS take any responsibility for data lost on the computer? No. Backup of data is the responsibility of students. Students will be shown correct back up procedures and advised on an appropriate backup schedule. Students are to back up onto a USB or portable hard drive. If a student installs a virus on their laptop, can it spread to the network? Each laptop will have Education Queensland owned Antivirus software installed. This will ensure that most intrusions will be removed from the laptop. The school network also has an antivirus network system to protect against possible attacks. All precautions are taken against malicious software using Symantec Endpoint Protection. Please do not install your own anti-virus protection software as this will negate the one on your child s laptop. Will the IT Department assist me with home internet settings and connectivity problems? Direct all enquiries to a local private computer technician or to your home Internet Service Provider.
How will students be kept safe online? The Department of Education, Training and Employment has provided all devices with a Cybersafety help button designed to keep children and families safe online. It is an online resource hub that provides instant 24 hour access to Cybersafety help and information. All students are encouraged to use this should they feel uncomfortable with any online interactions. Further information for parents /guardians and students can be found at: http://education.qld.gov.au /studentservices/behaviour/qsaav /docs/cybersafety_brochure.pdf Security Will there be a place where my child can leave the laptop unattended during a school day? Yes. A number of lockers will be available for hire; however, laptops will be in the student s possession for the majority of the time whilst at school. What happens if my child s laptop is stolen? A component of the participation fee is the insurance premium. The insurance policy will cover you against theft of the laptop. Theft or loss must be reported to the school immediately. The school will advise of procedures to follow which will include a Police Report and Statutory Declaration. What if the device is broken? A benefit of the Ferny Grove SHS laptop program is that laptops are covered by Accidental Damage Protection. There is accidental damage cover and some items are covered under the manufacturer s warranty. Where the damage is determined to be non-warranty damage, then the full cost of repairs will be charged to parents. What happens if the laptop is accidentally damaged? If accidental damage occurs to a laptop, the student needs to log the damage or situation via the help desk and a resolution will be reached. (An excess will apply deemed by the hardware vendor). Please refer to the laptop charter for insurance excess amounts. What is accidental damage? Accidental damage is where a device, in the possession of its assigned user, is damaged as the result of an unexpected and non deliberate external action. For example: a student trips dropping the device, resulting in its damage. The final determination of warranty coverage is made by the hardware vendor.
What is non-accidental damage? Non-accidental damage is where damage is not covered by warranty and not classified as accidental damage. Non accidental damage includes damage caused by careless or negligent actions such as breaking the screen by closing a foreign object between the screen and keyboard or picking the laptop up by the corner of the screen and applying too much pressure or placing a heavy load of books on the laptop without the cover. Will students have access to a replacement device should the home device require repair? Yes. The school will provide a replacement device called a Hot swap in the event that the repair to the original device takes more than one day.