21
st
Century
Learning Initiative
BYOD, Device
Buying Guide And
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
©Louis Riel School Division June, 2015
21
stCentury Learning Initiative Device Buying Guide
This document is intended to provide the requirements for bringing your own device (BYOD) or purchasing a device for the 21st Century Learning Initiative in your school. This information may be updated from time to time. Please visit your schools web page for the most recent version of this information.
Students will require either a Laptop or tablet, for the program, and the device will need to interact with our network environment. Both Windows and Macintosh laptops and tablets are well suited for this initiative. All Windows based
laptops and tablets must be running Windows 7 or higher (newer). The Louis Riel School Division cannot recommend
one manufactures’ device over another but would be glad to comment on the suitability of a device you are
considering purchasing. If you have any further questions about buying a device please email [email protected] 1. If Purchasing a New Device
Purchasing the device as close as possible to the start of the school year (July-August) will have several advantages;
1.
Historically there have been great back to school specials available from computer vendors at this time.2.
The device will not have an extra few months of use and drain on its battery life.2. What to Purchase
The most common types of devices in use in the Louis Riel School Division are Windows, followed by Macintosh. Based on our experiences with last year’s group of students we offer the following general recommendations;
•
Devices must have a suitable Wi-Fi interface.•
Buying additional software packages are not required. All Louis Riel School Division students are eligible forthe Microsoft Student Advantage program. This program provides Microsoft Office to all students who attend Louis Riel School Division free of charge for up to 5 computers (Mac or PC).
•
Used devices that meet the basic requirements will work providing they have batteries capable of at least 4hours.
•
Keep in mind the weight and size of the laptop. A 13” laptop on average weighs1.5kg or 3.7 lbs. 15” laptops can weigh as much as 2.5kgs or 5.6 lbs or higher.
3. Purchasing Suggestions
The LRSD is pleased to announce a new purchasing partnership with Powerland (www.powerland.ca). All families of Dakota Collegiate and College Beliveau are eligible for special financing on "Off-Lease" or “used” laptops.
• The off-lease laptop or netbook may be purchased outright at the price of $150.00 each, taxes included
• Financing Available: Financing price of an off-lease laptop or netbook is $200.00, taxes included. A $50.00 deposit
is required at the time on pickup. The remaining $150.00 balance will be financed over the next 6 months ($25.00 payment per month)
• Powerland Computers also has a wide variety of new laptops and tablets available for purchase
For more information about our partnership with Powerland please contact your school or email: [email protected]
Purchasing a new laptop/tablet can range in price from $300.00 and up. However, a device in the $300.00 to $599.99 range will be sufficient for this program. Below is a purchasing guide to aid you. Note: Chromebooks are not a
Device Cost Range What’s inside? Pros Cons Laptops Powerland Partnership device $150 - 200(fin.) New devices $300 - 399
CPU - AMD E1, A4 or - Intel Celeron Ram - 2 GB – 4 GB (More is better) Hard Drive - 200 – 500 GB (More is better) Screen Size - 11 – 15 inch Battery Life - 4-5 hours Operating Sys - Windows
1. Low cost
2. Refurbished devices are common in this price range
1. Low powered CPU but sufficient for everyday needs
2. Smaller battery 3. Can be heavy (4-6 lbs.)
$400 - 499 CPU - AMD A4-A8 or - Intel i3 – i5 Ram - 4 GB – 6 GB (More is better) Hard Drive - 500GB – 750GB (More is better) Screen Size - 11 – 15 inch Battery Life - 4-6 hours Operating Sys - Windows
1. Low cost
2. More powerful CPU 3. Large hard drive 4. Might include a touch screen (Not necessary)
1. 15 inch screen are common in this price range which means a heavier device.
$500 - 599 CPU - AMD A8, A10 or - Intel i5 – i7 Ram - 6 GB – 8 GB (More is better) Hard Drive - 500GB – 1TB (More is better) Screen Size - 13 – 17 inch Battery Life - 4-6 hours Operating Sys - Windows
1. Powerful CPU
2. Touch screens are more common
3. Large hard drive 4. Touch Screens are common in this price range. (Not necessary)
1. 15 – 17 inch screens are common which means a heavier device. $600 – 1000 + CPU - Intel i5 – i7 Ram - 8 GB – 12 GB (More is better) Hard Drive - 500GB – 1TB (More is better) Screen Size - 13 – 17 inch Battery Life - 5-10 hours Operating Sys - Windows or OSX
1. Devices in this price range are offer more power than what is needed for this initiative. 2. Long lasting battery 3. Hybrid devices are available at this price range i.e. Detachable keyboards
1. Expensive
Tablets $300-499 CPU - Intel Atom-Celeron
Ram - 1 - 2GB Hard Drive - 16-64 GB Screen Size - 7-10.6 inch Battery Life - 6 -10 hours Operating Sys - Windows 8.1
1. Long lasting battery 2. Hybrid device 3. Light – 1.6 pounds
1. Slower processor 2. Can only install programs from the Windows Store 3. Smaller screen size
$500 – 1000 CPU - Intel i3 - i5 – i7 Ram - 2 - 4 GB Hard Drive - 64 – 128 GB Screen Size - 10.8 – 12 inch Battery Life - 8 -10 hours Operating Sys - Windows 8.1
1. Powerful CPU 2. Long lasting battery 3. Light – 2.0 lbs. 4. Hybrid device
1. Smaller screen – 10.8 – 12 inches
4. Devices NOT Compatible with the School Program
The following devices will not work with the school division’s internal systems and are not recommended. Several factors including; limited screen size or screen resolution, the inability to connect and use LRSD online documents, assignments or software are factors with the devices listed here.
1.
Chromebooks (Google’s cloud based OS) – Not Compatible2.
Android Tablets – Not fully Compatible3.
E-Readers (e.g. Kindle, Kobo) – Not Compatible4.
Android and Blackberry Smart Phones – Not Compatible5. Purchasing Software
No additional software will be required beyond the device’s operating system and an internet browser which all systems
ship with. As stated before, all LRSD students are eligible to download Microsoft Office for up to 5 personal devices that they have for their school laptop or at home.
6. Virus Protection
If you purchase a Windows device you may not need to buy an Anti-Virus program. There are a number of free antivirus suites that work just as well as paid ones. If your laptop is running Windows 7, we recommend you use Microsoft Security Essentials (Free). You can find a link to install the software here http://windows.microsoft.com/en- US/windows/products/security-essentials.
Windows 8 laptops have their own antivirus protection built into the operating system. If you would like you can install an alternate free antivirus tool such as AVG or Avast. Your newly purchased laptop may come with 3-6 months of free antivirus which can be used until it expires.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Will the students have open access to the internet?
A: No, Louis Riel School Division filters its internet feed blocking around 25 categories of information on the Internet. Students that are connected to the school’s wireless system use the exact same filters that we have in place for all school owned devices.
Q: What if our device gets stolen?
A: Theft of personal items can be a concern in a building housing a great many people like a High School. Students need to take responsibility for safeguarding their personal property by not leaving any valuables unattended.
The School Division is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items but has put in place several measures to help secure student belongings;
1.
The school has provided individual student lockers in an area that is monitored by security cameras which will increase security while items are stored in these lockers.2.
Louis Riel School Division will also register student devices purchased for the 21st Century Learning Initiative in the “STOP Security Plate” program http://www.computersecurity.com/stop/ based on parental requests. The Stop Security Plate Program helps to deter the theft of devices, and help to identify lost or stolen devices. Parents must notify the school that they wish to be registered.3.
The school has also provided a number of charge lockers where students can securely store and charge devices overnight if they chose not to take the devices home.Q: Do I need to have access to the internet at home?
A: No, internet access at home, although beneficial, is not necessary for students working in this program. At school the Division will provide free wireless access to the Internet throughout the building.
Q: Will the students do all of their work on their devices?
A: We do not expect nor do we encourage the use of student devices 100% of the day as this is impractical from a technology perspective in terms of battery life and not applicable as many classroom activities do not lend themselves to technology infusion.
Q: Do I need to buy a special Laptop case?
A: We don’t encourage the use of Laptop cases for the program. Students typically have a backpack for carrying school supplies which they can also use to carry their device. Please insure the backpack has sufficient space to hold all the items a student will need to carry and if possible has some padding or protection for the device. Laptop cases, although designed to carry and protect laptops, also inadvertently ‘advertise’ their contents and are more prone to be stolen if left unattended.
This information may be updated from time to time date please check your school’s web page for the most recent version of this information.
