Archive by Author | Stephen Corcoran

Many 2 One 2016: Recommended Devices

At St Stephen’s School we grow people and we see teaching and learning as an opportunity to engage with each other in exciting learning experiences. Our use of technology is paramount in supporting these engaging learning relationships.

The “bring your own mobile technologies” Many2one program has been implemented during the last four years at St Stephen’s School to include Years 5 through to 12.  We provide university level wireless infrastructure that caters for 8000+ mobile device connections. The “bring your own mobile internet browser” is here and having a significant impact on the transformation of teaching and learning as we prepare our students for a digital world that is rapidly changing.

Information and communication technologies are fast, automated, interactive and multimodal. ICT supports the rapid communication and representation of knowledge to many audiences and can be adapted to different contexts. It transforms the way that students think and learn and gives them greater control over how, where and when they learn.

Our 21st Century learning design framework leverages heavily on the power of the internet to create more personalised learning experiences where each student is empowered to have greater control over the time, place, path and/or pace of learning.

When buying a device for your child please note the following:

  • The Many2one “bring your own mobile technologies” program runs from years 5 to 12. Year 5 is considered a “phasing in” year where a personal mobile device is recommended. The majority of year 5 students acquire their own device during semester one and it is expected that all students have their own device in Semester 2. All year 6 to 12 students are expected to bring their own mobile device to school from the commencement of the year.
  • Our most popular device of choice is the Apple iPad with a 98% uptake in years 5 and 6. In the secondary sections of our school we are seeing an increased use of Apple MacBooks as the students get older. In years 7 and 8 we are seeing approximately a 20% to 30% uptake of MacBooks depending on the class with a 30% to 50% uptake in years 11 and 12. The balance is predominantly made up with iPads. We are seeing a small number of Windows based laptops, the most popular being the Windows Surface Pro 3.
  • The life of a device is at approximately 2 to 3 years before students are wanting to upgrade to a newer model that can handle the increased demands of new features and operating system resource requirements. We would recommend that you purchase your child’s device just before it is needed so it will give you more time before an upgrade is needed.
  • In our “bring your own browser” environment where the majority of applications and software tools are internet based, devices now come equipped with the majority of required software. The class teacher will recommend any applications that need to be purchased specifically. All students are given a Microsoft Office 365 subscription which includes the Office Suite for up to 5 devices (Windows, Mac, iPad), Office online and 1 TB of cloud storage.
  • The most important accessory you need to buy is a solid protective case and/or bag to ensure your device survives the rigors of the school environment.
  • It is common place that all secondary students also carry with themselves a smart phone that doubles as a tablet device used for educational purposes. The modern smart phone is now so powerful that it is starting to replace tablet devices like the iPad.

Device Recommendation Years 5 and 6
iPad (any current model ie. iPad Pro, iPad Air 1 or 2, iPad Mini 2 or 4). Wi-Fi only model with 32 GB minimum storage.

Screen Shot 2015-09-10 at 1.42.36 pm

Device Recommendations Years 7 to 12
iPad (any current model ie. iPad Pro, iPad Air 1 or 2, iPad Mini 2 or 4). Wi-Fi only model with 32 GB minimum storage.
Or
13-inch MacBook Air with 256 GB minimum storage and 8 GB of RAM.

MacBook

Or
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 or Microsoft Surface Pro 4 with 256 GB minimum storage.

Surface Pro 3