Cannon Middle School iPad Program

Interesting article about other school using iPads instead of traditional textbooks. http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/education/catholic-schools-shelving-textbooks-for-ipads-219852/

Questions from iPad Update

1)     Can families be billed all at once for the unit? Yes, we will include a billing option that will allow full payment at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year. If families choose that option the device will belong to them immediately and no further payment will be necessary.

2)     What happens to the 2012-2013 8^th grade class that only pays for one year? Several options are available for the 2012-2013 8^th graders. 1) Families can pay the full amount up front and own the device at the end of the school year (see above). 2) Families can pay the partial amount first and decide at the end of the year to pay the other half and keep the device 3) Families can pay the partial amount first and then pay nothing at the end of the year and return the device to Cannon School in mid May.

3)     Can students decide if they want a black or white iPad? Unfortunately no, because we are ordering them in bulk they will all be black.

4)     Can students order a bigger (greater than 16GB) iPad? If families are purchasing their own iPad any size/model is fine. All school purchased devices will be 16GB.

5)     When is the deadline for ordering insurance? The insurance will need to be purchased on May 1^st when the model confirmations are made.

6)     Is the insurance option available for families that supply their own iPad? Unfortunately  no, the insurance option will only be available for units purchased through the school.

Please keep the questions coming! As we dive into uncharted waters I really appreciate all the insightful questions and comment s from parents and students.

Have a great week!

 

iPad Program Update

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing spring break and is ready to greet the spring sunshine as we push into our final trimester. While there are many exciting things awaiting our middle school community this spring I do want to start getting ready for the iPad initiative that will greet us when we get back to school in the fall. I hope that you will take this time to read the information below and complete the required survey by no later than March 26th. 

Now that Apple has brought us a new wave of pricing for the iPads I wanted to send an update about what that means for our project. We have decided that based on the price reduction of the iPad 2 we will go with that model in order to save money for our families. The total cost (billed over two years) will be $548. This includes a 16GB iPad 2, all required apps, and an Otterbox (or equivalent) case. If purchased retail this package would cost $675. After a student has participated in the program for 2 years the iPad/case/apple care will belong to the family.

For school purchased units we will also offer an optional insurance policy that will cover breakage, loss, theft, etc. The policy premium will be $50 with a $50 per incident deductible.

Many parents have asked if they can use their existing ipad or purchase one on their own. While the answer is yes, please keep in mind the following requirements:

1)     All student units must be iPad 2 or later. 

2)     Students must have all required applications installed by Aug15th 2012. The total cost of required apps will not exceed $100.

3)     Students must have a sturdy case (no smart covers).

4)     Families assume all responsibility for units that are not purchased by the school.

5)     Families must replace lost, stolen, damaged units within 10 school days of the incident. We will provide a loaner unit for the first 10 days and after that student accounts will be billed $10 per day for the use of a loaner.

Below is a link that will help us plan for the purchasing of the new units. Again, all parents are asked to complete this 2 minute survey before Monday, March 26^th. We appreciate your support of the project and please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MSipad

 

Cases

The two cases we are currently considering for year 1 are the Otterbox Defender and the Griffin Survivor. Both are sturdy cases that seem to be able to survive the world of Middle School. If you have any other cases you love or you think would do a good job let us know so we can take them for a test drive!

Hardware Question?

Can you send out the specs for the devices? We have a gen 1 ipad but it does not have a camera for
example. So if we were to pickup a new ipad we would want to get the right one.

All we know right now is that we will require an iPad 2 or later. Apple makes it difficult to predict what is "on the horizon" but the rumors tell us the iPad 3 will be very similar to the iPad 2. The only problem with the iPad one is the lack of a camera. Students are already doing a LOT of really cool stuff in the classroom with the camera feature. Aside from the camera we will be getting the WiFi 16GB models. Please leave a comment if you have additional questions!

What happens if my student breaks their school owned iPad?

We know accidents will happen. We are in the final stages of crafting an optional in-house insurance plan that will cover breakage, theft, etc. This plan will have a fee associated with it but will cover the iPad if it is damaged. If parents elect not to enroll in this coverage it will be the families responsibility to replace the device.

 

Do I have to participate in the iPad program?

Yes. Over the past two years we have collected enormous amounts of data and done extensive classroom testing on these devices. After careful planning we have determined that this tool will be a great enhancement to our middle school learning experience. We are extremely excited about the opportunities that await our rising 7^th and 8^th graders!

 

Can I buy my own ipad?

Yes, students are permitted to use a personal iPad for the program. Students will be required to bring a fully charged iPad 2 (or later) device to school every school day. Network access will be provided to family owned devices before the beginning of the school year. If a family chooses to purchase their own device they will be responsible for every app needed for the school day, a well constructed case (no smart covers) and they will not have the option of enrolling in the schools insurance program. The iPads purchased through the school will include all the required apps, a Griffin Defender Case, and Apple Care (total = $640)

Overview

This blog is a place to ask questions, and learn more about the 2012 Cannon Middle School iPad deployment. Please keep all questions positive and constructive. We will do our best to answer any questions within 24 hours. 

Question: How much will this cost middle school families?

There will be a technology fee very similar to the fee associated with the upper school laptop program. Students will be assessed the fee during both 7th and 8th grades and be able to take the iPad with them after their 8th grade year. The exact fees will be finalized when we get closer to the purchase date as a lot is expected to change in the coming months.