Chromebook Hire Program
In 2022 St Brigids implemented the the Chromebook Hire program in Year 4. This exciting program allows your child to experience learning beyond the confines of the traditional classroom. A Chromebook is a laptop of a 'different breed'. These machines are designed primarily to be used while connected to the internet, with most applications and documents living in the cloud. As 21st century learners, our students collaborate, communicate, think critically and create. Chromebooks allow us to develop these skills across all learning areas. Technology is integral to teaching and learning in contemporary classrooms. Our Chromebook program will enable us to prepare your children for future education in secondary school (where a laptop program is well established) and for the learning they need to be experiencing now, including ICAS testing, PAT testing, and NAPLAN online. St Brigid's has been an enthusiastic adopter of Seesaw and the 'Google for Education’ (G Suite for education) platform, using these resources at home and school.
Elements of the platform include:
●Managing classroom resources
●Communicating to students and families
●Collaborating and feedback in real-time
●Storing unlimited resources that can be accessed anywhere and at any time via Google Drive.
Additional advantages of this Chromebook project, includes access to Overdrive at school (online eBook library). Accessing this resource gives students access to thousands of appropriate books to borrow -many with enhanced features such as audio playback when reading.
Teachers will continue to manage student learning through Seesaw and Google Classroom. Teachers can monitor and access student accounts to provide immediate feedback. These platforms facilitate classroom organisation (allowing teachers to share materials with students at the click of a mouse), student visibility (allowing teachers to see how a student is going with a task and support as needed), and differentiation through providing materials at individualised levels (increasing confidentiality as other students will not be aware of individualised projects and scaffolding).
This Chromebook project takes the following form:
●Each Year, Students in Year 4 will be allocated a new chromebook and case. This device will become the students' ‘personal device’ and will be used in both Year 5 and 6.
●At the end of Year 6 (if the child has engaged in the project since Year 4), parents will pay a small fee and can keep their Chromebook and case.
●The devices will be returned over the Christmas holiday break to be checked, updated, and maintained.
●Year 4 students will attend an induction session (at school) before devices are allocated to the students. Parents will be provided with written guidelines and processes for the project.
●Parents are required to pay a one off $50 deposit
●The project's cost will be $50 per term(added to the term school fees). The students will be allowed to take the device home for educational use -but must bring it to school every day.
●All repairs are to be organised through the school's IT department and may be charged to the user.