General FAQ’s
Who is required to have an iPad?
All incoming freshmen and sophomores are required to enroll in the iPad program.
When will students receive their iPad?
Students will be issued their iPad along with training on the setup and use of the iPad during a special iPad orientation meeting prior to the start of school.
Why do students need a mobile computing device of their own?
In its efforts to develop young men and women of conscience, competence, and compassion, John Paul II Catholic High School is initiating an iPad program. This device meets a number of specific curricular needs that the school has identified for its students in the 21st century (see section Tech Curriculum Goals on this site). In particular, the iPad offers students:
– A personalized computing device that ensures equitable access as well as options for personal customization, integration and responsibility.
– Access via our wireless network to the Internet – an invention so unique and profound it seems inadequate to call it merely the greatest library in history.
– Access almost anywhere and anytime tumble computing power for engaging in the type of high-quality, data-intensive work our society now expects.
– Access to local storage for online books, databases, textbooks and audio & video files, so they can carry their studies with them in a variety of engaging formats.
– Engagement with curriculum that captures their attention, compels their involvement, involves their bodies as well as their minds (kinesthetic learning).
– Opportunities to engage in collaborative learning.
– A platform to develop and nurture creative problem solving.
– Contemporary and relevant avenues that promote student productivity and efficiency.
– Allows students a platform for learning and relearning the material (absences, long-term illness, special needs, etc.).
We strive to meet the needs of our students knowing that computing devices are simply tools. The teacher remains the essential facilitator of learning in every classroom.
Aren’t kids already overexposed to technology and social media?
We are aware of the hazards associated with overexposure to technology and social media. Our job as parents and teachers is to make sure that students know those dangers too, and become smart users of their smart phones and computing devices (please refer to Vatican documents in the Tech Ethics section of the webpage). John Paul II CHS faculty will help in that endeavor. As professional educators they know that sometimes it makes sense to put pen to paper or turn the pages of book, whether those are paper pages or electronic pages. At times it is important to lead discussion and other time it is equally valuable to just listen. And sometimes it’s essential to use an iPad to find the best answers, synthesize a volume of information and create something vibrant and dynamic. John Paul II CHS’s social justice mission calls us to create a level playing field, without digital haves and have-nots. The new program will ensure that every student has the necessary digital tools to advance his or her education and growth.
Why does the mobile computing device need to be an Apple iPad?
In principle, it doesn’t. The iPad just happens to be the best device currently available for the type of teaching and learning activities in which our students are engaged. It has a number of design elements that meet our needs, such as its long battery life, flat profile, touchscreen, and robust app developer community. In addition, students will be able to keep their iPad upon graduation. For more details on this, seeWhy iPads.
What kind of iPad will be used?
Each student will be provided an Apple iPad. The iPad will include a required case, a 30-pin sync cable, a charging block (please label this when you receive it), software, apps, campus-read Wi-Fi configured, ApplePlus and internet filtering software.
What happens when something better than the Apple iPad comes out?
Students will be getting the latest model. The iPads provided in this program are appropriate for the academic needs of the students There is no option for a different model. For us, the device is just that: a tool to be used in the service of teaching and learning. The education must always come before any particular educational tool — whether a desk, a textbook, a ruler, or an iPad.
What if we already own an iPad?
No. The new iPad is equipped with software for school and configured with specific user settings. Because keeping machines properly configured is in part a School responsibility, we need to standardize machines as completely as possible. The entire Freshmen and Sophomore class will use the same model in the same configuration.
What if we already own a different tablet?
No, JPII has carefully selected iPads as the mobile device that the school will use. A single technology creates a common platform for applications, instruction and support.
Purchasing FAQ’s
How will students receive their iPads?
iPads will be distributed just before school starts. Members of the classes of 2015 and 2016 are required to come to an orientation class to receive their iPads and get some basic training. For the sophomores and their parents, this will be on August 14 from 6:30-8:00pm. For Freshmen and their parents, this will be on August 15 from 6:30pm-8:30pm.
Who owns the iPad?
While a student at JPII, the iPad will remain the property of John Paul II Catholic High School. The reasons for this are twofold: 1) legal aspects, and 2) for the significantly lower cost of software due to volume discounts supplied to educational institutions. However, upon successful graduation, the iPad is theirs to keep.
What kind of contract or agreement needs to be signed?
– Acceptable Use Policy
– iPad Insurance Agreement
– Use Liability Agreement
– Student Apple iPad Use Agreement
Can more than one iPad be purchased?
We are sorry that we do not have the ability to serve as an iPad reseller. Onle one per student for every family can be purchased.
What about accessories or cases?
Students are required to use the case provided by the school (they cannot use their own case). Students may not decorate their cases.
The iPads will support the use of an external Bluetooth keyboard, air printers, headphones, docking stations, and stylus, however they will not be supplied.
Do students buy the apps for the iPad, or does the school?
Most apps that will be used in class will already be purchased and installed on the student’s iPads. The school will be running Lightspeed which will allow us to install applications on more than one iPad at a time.
If any other apps are required or desired, students will all have their own Apple ID that they use to buy and manage the apps on their iPads. Part of becoming a responsible user of technology is knowing how to care for the device, including downloading, installing, and using applications. Additionally, upon graduation, students will be able to continue using whatever apps they have purchased on whatever new iOS device they happen to buy in the future.
What happens when something better than the Apple iPad comes out?
Students will be getting the latest model. The iPads provided in this program are appropriate for the academic needs of the students There is no option for a different model. For us, the device is just that: a tool to be used in the service of teaching and learning. The education must always come before any particular educational tool — whether a desk, a textbook, a ruler, or an iPad.
What if we already own an iPad?
No. The new iPad is equipped with software for school and configured with specific user settings. Because keeping machines properly configured is in part a School responsibility, we need to standardize machines as completely as possible. The entire Freshmen and Sophomore class will use the same model in the same configuration.
What if we already own a different tablet?
No, JPII has carefully selected iPads as the mobile device that the school will use. A single technology creates a common platform for applications, instruction and support.
We will be adding questions as we go along, so please check back here frequently. If you do not see the answer to YOUR question, please do not hesitate to send us your questions! Click here to ask a question! Thank you in advance for your patience.