Introduction
Students are not expected to bring laptops nor are we providing individual laptops to students in years 7 to 10. Student are permitted to bring a laptop to school if they wish to however this is not required. The school has sets of laptops that can be booked by teachers when required for classes.
We will make a conditional offer of a loan laptop to Year 11 and 12 students who must return the laptop upon leaving Picton High School.
Picton High School understands the importance of technology in assisting students with their learning. Picton High School will assist students in developing digital literacy, fluency and citizenship, preparing them for the future world in which they will live, learn and work. This procedure has been developed to address the increasing availability of digital technology and how it can be utilised by students to enhance their learning experiences.
The aims of Picton High School are to:
Work towards the creation of a collaborative digital learning environment that supports student learning and innovative teaching practice.
Enable students to use technology to enhance their learning and to prepare them for the challenges of the 21st century workforce.
Provide the opportunity for teachers to tailor lesson delivery so that students can use their devices in class.
Acceptable use of devices
Each year student will participate in an "Acceptable Usage" program early in 2023. This program will inform students on safe use and safe transport of laptops. As student's demonstated laptop skills increase, student may be required to use them at home.
Minimum Specification
While most devices running Windows 10+, MacOS, or a Chromebook will work ok, an operating system that is still receiving updates is required. Make sure you are running a up to date version of an Internet browser such as Chrome, Edge, or Safari to maintain compatibility with our online platforms. A physical keyboard is recommended if using a tablet.
Please be aware of system requirements for Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Cloud available for free to students. These apps are not required unless there is specific course content.
Access to WiFi
Internet access through the department’s Wi-Fi network will be provided on departmental sites at no cost to students who are enrolled in NSW public schools.
Student Home Page
To make it easier to access school learning platforms Picton High School recommends you set your device home page to the following site or add a shortcut to your browser toolbar.
https://sites.google.com/education.nsw.gov.au/pictonhs-studentlinks/
Tech Support
Delegated Teachers and the Technical Support Officer (TSO) will seek to provide some technical support for students and their devices.
It will be the responsibility of the Student to remember the procedures required to connect their type of device to the Wireless and the Internet.
Damage, Loss and Misuse
In cases of malicious damage or theft of another student’s device, existing school processes for damage to school or another student’s property apply.
School Software
All NSW Department of Education school students are eligible to download and licence Adobe and Microsoft software.
This software is only available to download onto personally owned devices.
Students will need to use their @education.nsw.gov.au student email address to register on their first visit. An @education.nsw.gov.au student email address will be provided after enrollment.
Software available includes:
Additional Software
The following software is reccomended but not required:
Helpful Resources
The following are some helpful resources for parents to consider. You may wish to use and explore each to help monitor the use of their child’s digital technologies in an effort maintain safety and security within the online environment.
eSaftey Commissioner
https://www.esafety.gov.au/
Digital Citizenship
https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/
Stay Safe Online – Parent resources
https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/for-parents/raising-digital-citizens
Google Safety Center – Family resources
https://www.google.com/safetycenter/families/start/