Technology

Our bring your own device or BYOD program for grades 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 is an exciting way we can ensure students have appropriate access to collaboration, organization, and creative tools when they are needed. There are many devices that students could bring to work with in the classroom. However, we have found that using a Google Chromebook is the most practical and simple tool for school use. These devices are available at a variety of retailers in the Edmonton area.

At school, we promote the effective, ethical and educational use of technology with our students. This means that students would bring their own personal devices to school as part of their educational supplies and it will be listed under the appropriate grades school supplies (Gr. 5 to 9).

BYOD does not come without some obstacles.  Together we would be responsible to educate students on the proper use of the device, the educational opportunities, internet safety, responsible use, care and maintenance. 

Considerations:

• When considering purchasing a device for school, please consider a Chromebook.  This is the most cost effective option to meet your child’s educational needs while at Namao School.
• The BYOD would be in grades 5 to 9; hence, your child will use the computer for the remainder of their educational experience at Namao School.
• Safety and protection of the device is never guaranteed, so your child would be responsible to secure the device in a locked locker or in the charging space in the classroom.  Damage and loss prevention protection would be the responsibility of the family.
• For those who cannot afford a computer, we would have a few loaners available that could be signed out. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Krips at 780-973-9191.

Being successful with a BYOD program also means recommending appropriate devices. There are many great devices out there. Each has their own strengths and draw backs. Here is what we believe will have the most positive impact with our students in the classroom.

Recommended Devices for BYOD: 

Chromebooks

This is the recommended device for students here at Namao School. There are many Chromebooks available today. They all share the benefit of being quick to log on, easy to maintain, and can run all day.

Recommended Model and Store

We have partnered with BCOMM in North Edmonton to bring you a really great deal if you decide to go with a Chromebook. The model is a Lenovo 100e. Here are the specs:

Lenovo 100e: 11.6” display, MediaTek MT8173C 64-bit Quad-Core Processor (ARM Big.LITTLE architecture), two Efficiency cores (Cortex-A53, up to 1.7GHz), two Performance cores (Cortex-A72, up to 2.1GHz), 4GB RAM, 32GB Storage

We cannot post the price publicly, but it is much better than competitor’s prices. If you are interested, please follow this link: https://www.b-com.ca/education

You will need to register and use the school access code (3n8D2rF4). They recommend you purchase online and pick up in store. They will also mail the package to you for cost using Canada Post.

Other Models include:

Non-Touchscreen Chromebooks

Lenovo 14e: 14” display, 7th Generation AMD A4-9120C APU with Radeon™ R4 Graphics, two cores, 1.60 up to 2.40 GHz, 1MB Cache, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB storage

Touchscreen Chromebooks

Lenovo 300e: 11.6’ display, MediaTek MT8173C 64-bit Quad-Core Processor (ARM Big.LITTLE architecture), two Efficiency cores (Cortex-A53, up to 1.7GHz), two Performance cores (Cortex-A72, up to 2.1GHz), 4 GB RAM, 32 GB storage

Lenovo 500e: 11.6” display, Intel Celeron N4100 64-bit Quad-Core Processor (Gemini Lake architecture), four cores, 1.10 up to 2.40 GHz, 4MB Cache, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB storage

There are many more models than listed here. These meet our recommendation, and are easily available in St. Albert or Edmonton. When considering a Chromebook or any technology it is important to try it out. Visit a store and type on the keyboard. Check out the screen and determine if you like it or need something else.

Other Devices that could work - The minimum requirement for a device is that it has a screen large enough to read on, 10" or more. It should connect easily to our Wi-Fi at school and support 802.11N with WPS+ security. It can run all of Google's applications natively and have a full day of battery life. Real world experience is different than advertised battery life, so be careful with this one. It should say 8 hours or more of life just to make through our 6 hours day!

Please remember - The school wants this to be a positive experience for all children and families. If purchasing a device presents a real problem, please contact the school. We will work something out for everyone that is fair and appropriate. No one will be left