List of 15 frequently asked questions.

• So why the iPad versus other devices?

  The Technology Committee compared more than 10 tablets, laptops and notebooks ranging from the iPad to the Kindle to the MacBook to the IBM Lenovo Thinkpad. They compared the devices’ price, height, width, depth, weight, display size, display color, battery life, storage, memory, DVD drives, ports, eReader capability and flash support. After much discussion and debate, a consensus was reached that the Apple iPad was the most suitable device that would support the top 5 benefits/goals noted by the committee members at the best price point and with the longest battery life (10 hours).

• Can students charge iPads at school?

  The iPad is required to be at school every day fully charged. Charging stations will not be provided. Students should get into the habit of charging them overnight.

• How will the school handle physical damage of a device?

  AppleCare+ for iPad extends your coverage to two years from the original purchase date of your iPad and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee. Any iPad damage must be reported to the Technology Department via email at support@belenjesuit.org. All repairs including cracked screens must be handled through the Technology Department. Do not visit an Apple Retail Store Genius Bar for a repair unless authorized by the Belen Jesuit Technology Department. Failure to comply with this policy will result in a $50.00 iPad configuration fee.

• What happens if the iPad is lost or stolen?

  The student is financially responsible for the full cost of a lost or stolen iPad. Students must keep track of their own iPads. It is the student’s responsibility to keep his iPad safe and secure. The iPad should never be left unattended anywhere; this includes the halls, central patio, cafeteria, gym, locker room, fields, café Belen, library, unlocked classrooms or parking lot. The iPad should be secured in a locker or locked classroom while the student is attending extracurricular activities.

• Can my student use a case of his choice?

  Students are required to use the school issued case with their iPad. Students can place school appropriate stickers on the case to personalize it and distinguish it from others.

• Does the iPad take the place of all textbooks?

  Yes, all textbooks will be available in digital format. 

• How will teachers use the iPad in their classes?

  The short answer is that teachers will use the iPad as a tool to enrich student learning, based on 21st Century teaching models. Among its uses will be to access information beyond the four walls of the classroom, to analyze material from a variety of sources, to communicate a student’s findings and conclusions, and to engage with other learners. An iPad is an additional tool similar to chalk, LCD projectors, online grades, and many other resources that enhance student learning.

• Will the iPad be used all of the time in every class?

  The iPad will be used in class at the discretion of the teacher. There will certainly be times when traditional paper and pencil will be used. It is like any tool we use in our classrooms, and there is nothing that we use 100% of the time.

• Can students buy games? What sort of management will the school put on the student iPads?

  Students may only download apps from the App Catalog found on their iPad. The iPad is an educational tool intended to facilitate teaching and learning in the 21st century; our goal is to better engage students in the learning process. Innovations and relevance in education are hallmarks of Jesuit education. We have put the aforementioned restrictions in place based on our experience over the past three years and in response to our faculty and parents' input and requests. The goal is to remove potential distractions to the educational process and teach responsible use of the iPad.

• What happens if my student downloads too many expensive apps without my permission; apps unrelated to school work? Will I be able to refund those items?

  All of Apple’s app sales are final, so it is essential that you discuss this with your son. If your student currently is downloading songs or videos from iTunes, most likely you already have had this discussion. Apple IDs can be created with no credit card. You can also set up an allowance-type account and/or use Apple iTunes gift cards for app purchases. Information about Apple ID’s can be found at http://www.apple.com/support/appleid/ 

• There is unsuitable content on the internet. Is there any type of filtering?

  Belen Jesuit Preparatory School has web filtering active to prevent inappropriate content and malicious web content on the devices.

• What happens if my student loses his or her data?

  Belen Jesuit will not have a backup of your student’s data. The easiest option is to use iCloud to backup all the data on the iPad at least once a week, or at whatever interval you choose (note: if he loses data, the backup will only restore all content up to the time of the backup, so anything added or changed in the intervening time will be lost). To find out how iCloud backups work visit http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203977#icloud.  For specifically saving documents, pictures or presentations we recommend Google Drive.

• What about backing up information? Can it be placed on the school network?

  Each student is expected to back up his own information in a timely fashion via iCloud or GoogleDrive.

• What kinds of activities or content are prohibited in the classroom?

  The general rule is that if there is something a student should be doing, then that’s what they should be doing. If the class is researching something, then that’s what all students should be doing; if students are on their own time, then they can choose what to spend their time on. Just as a student can get a penance hall for being disruptive in class or listening to their music instead of their teachers, they can get a detention for doing something on their iPad other than what they should be doing.

• Aren't kids already overexposed to technology and social media?

  We are aware of the dangers associated with overexposure to technology and social media. Our job as educators and parents is to make sure that students know those dangers, too, and become smart users of their mobile and computing devices. Your student’s teachers will help in that endeavor, but parents play an important role in this educational component. Teachers will be trained to use the right tool at the right time. Sometimes it makes sense to put pen to paper or turn the pages of a book, whether those are paper pages or electronic pages. Sometimes it's important just to listen or to have a group discussion. And sometimes it's essential to use an iPad to find the best answers, synthesize mountains of information, and create something dynamic that will help transform our world. We also want to create a level playing field, without digital haves and have-nots. The iPad program goal is to ensure that every student has the necessary digital tools to aid his or her education and growth.