FAQs
About 1: 1 Learning Experience
1. What is 1:1 Learning Experience?
1:1 refers to one device for every student, where students will access learning through the device, both in and out of the classroom. By equipping students with an individual learning device in school, they are able to access the Internet and apps to complete online activities, document their learning progress and save their work across their subjects with ease.
2. What are the aims of 1:1 Learning Experience?
The main aim of the 1:1 Learning Experience is to enable our students to gain future-ready competencies. By redesigning how teachers teach and how students learn with technology, we strive to create a positive and impactful teaching and learning environment which encourages our students to:
- take ownership of their learning
- participate in collaborative learning and
- extend their learning beyond the classroom.
This is achieved through providing tools and resources that allow them to acquire and hone their collaborative, critical thinking and communication skills. It is hoped that students learn independence through self-directed learning, and have increased engagement in learning. In this way, each student will develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, practices and attitudes necessary to be a successful citizen of the 21st century.
Cyber Wellness
3. Will my child be distracted from learning?
The school will do its best to monitor student usage to prevent abuse. Every student will be informed about an Acceptable Use Agreement. However, the school encourages personal responsibility and seeks the cooperation of parents in monitoring their children.
4. How is access to potentially harmful online material limited in school?
The school has a website filtering system that aims to stop inappropriate material from reaching the students in the school’s server. Teacher supervision is also important in monitoring student usage and behavior online, and the school will continue to reinforce strategies for appropriate and safe online behavior through regular Cyber Wellness lessons.
5. How will the school monitor student use of the Internet at home?
We encourage parents/guardians to have regular conversations on Internet usage with your child/ward and be aware of what he/she is doing on their iPad.
Parents/guardians can also enable restrictions to stop your child/ward from using specific features and applications on the iPad, including blocking access to iTunes, restricting explicit content and in-app purchasing. Cyber Wellness tips and information will be shared with you regularly throughout the year so that you can assist your child/ward in making the most of learning with their iPads.
Use of iPads
6. How much time will my child/ward spend using the iPad each day?
The iPad is one of the many learning tools which teachers use in the classroom to help students meet the learning outcomes. iPads are not intended to be a replacement or a substitute for any of the more conventional tools teachers have at their disposal. It is the school’s belief that any well-rounded approach to education involves balanced access to a variety of tools and not just the iPad alone.
7. Will all of my child/ward’s work be done on the iPad?
No. The iPad is one of the many learning tools which teachers use in the classroom to help students meet the learning outcomes. 21st century learning requires a blend of digital and offline tools and experiences for students.
We are conscious of the screen time for our students. Teachers will be mindful of best practices such as: students holding or placing the iPad at a reasonable distance from their face; keeping the room well lit; limiting continuous iPad activities; and encouraging students to be free from devices during breaks and recess.
8. How can I assist my child/ward with their learning on the iPad?
At KPS we consider the education of your child/ward to be a joint effort. It is a partnership between teachers, parents and the student. We encourage you to talk to your child/ward about what they are doing and how they are learning. Cyber Wellness tips and information will be shared with you regularly throughout the year so that you can assist your child/ward in making the most of learning with their iPads.
9. Will students be able to use their iPad during recess and after school?
Students are encouraged to be active and socialise during break and lunch times. As a general rule, the use of the iPads will not be allowed during these times.
10. How will the iPad be kept safe in school?
Students are expected to keep the school’s iPads securely in their designated lockers and locked it up with a padlock whenever they are out of their classroom. There will also be classroom procedures in place to keep the iPads safe.
Choice of Device
11. Why iPads for P4 students?
Besides its intuitive design, our students have been well exposed to the use of iPads over their years in Kranji Primary School and are familiar with the navigation of apps in the iPad. Moreover, the iPad offers a wide range of apps which can expand the learning experience of students both inside and outside the classroom, making the learning content more interactive, immersive, and engaging for them.
12. Do I have to provide an iPad for my child to bring to school?
We will not require parents to provide an iPad for your child immediately in the beginning of the year, as students will be using the school-owned iPads for their day-to-day learning. We hope to help students familiarize and establish the routines for iPad usage first, before we encourage them to bring their own iPads to school. More details will be communicated to you should we require students to start bringing their own iPads to school.
13. What kind of iPad should I purchase for my child if I would like to help him/her get started?
We strongly recommend the iPad Wi-Fi 32GB (7th Generation), as the minimum device specifications required. These may be purchased from the Apple Store or a variety of Apple resellers. However, do note the device specifications as follows:
- Able to run iPad iOS 13
- Minimum 9.7” screen
- Minimum 32GB storage
- Durable case to protect the iPad
The newer the iPad, the longer it will be able to accommodate future software and app purchases. Purchasing an older iPad may mean your device is unable to be updated and the compatibility of apps may become an issue in the future.
Phones and “phablets” are not recommended as they do not provide the optimal experience when using some of the required apps. In addition to native apps, cloud-based apps will also be used.
14. What if my child already has an older iPad or another iPad model?
There is a chance that older iPads may have limited functions and may not support the required learning apps. The newer the iPad, the longer it will be able to accommodate future software and app purchases.
15. Why 32 GB?
The recommended size for an iPad in an educational environment is at least 32GB or more. Items stored in the iPad include apps, photos, videos and other media. Students who bring their own iPad are required to backup their personal media files on a regular basis to ensure that their iPad has sufficient storage space to store lesson materials.
16. Does the school have any bulk/group purchase for iPads?
The school currently has no plans to call for a bulk purchase of iPads. Current market prices for iPads that meets the specifications for the programme are very competitive and are easily available from most electronics and computer stores.
17. Do I need to purchase any other accessories along with the iPad?
All students are expected to bring their own headphones or earpiece with built-in microphone to class and are not encouraged to share their earpieces due to health concerns. If the earpiece/headsets are lost or broken, it is the responsibility of the parents to replace them.
18. Will my child/ward still need access to a device at home?
Yes, as students are not allowed to bring home the school owned iPads, he/she will still need access to a device at home to complete the online school work and learning activities.
19. When will my child/ward start to use the school-owned iPad?
We are targeting for your child/ward to using the iPads in school at the beginning of Term 1.
20. Can my child/ward bring home the school-owned iPad?
Students have to return all school-owned iPads to the school at the end of the school day and are not allowed to bring home any of the school-owned iPads.
Apps for the iPad
21. Do I have to purchase the paid apps for my child/ward?
The school will inform you of the list of apps that your child/ward will be using for his/her learning in class. All the apps in the school-owned iPads will be fully paid by the school. However, you will have to purchase the paid apps should you wish to download these apps into your personal iPad at home.
22. Does my child/ward need to have an iTunes account?
No, your child will not require an iTunes account at the moment as they are still using school-owned devices and are not allowed to bring home the device.
23. Will students be able to install apps into their iPad on their own?
No, students will not be able to install apps on the school’s iPads. All apps installation are managed by the school’s ICT department.
Technical
24. How do we backup the data and apps on the school’s iPad?
Students can save their work in their Google Drive to back up their learning data.
25. What is the Mobile Device Management (MDM) Program?
MDM installed in the iPad provides an additional layer of security, which prevents students from accessing inappropriate content and disables the downloading of apps.**