BYOD News
Bring Your Own Device
MGC is now recommending to all families a particular make, model and supplier for student laptops that we believe meets the expectations of the 21st-century curriculum. Additionally, we recognise that handwriting is still an essential skill. VCE exams are handwritten and will continue to be and MGC strongly encourages the use of active pen-enabled devices which provide more significant natural interaction with the learning programs.
As over 50 staff have now been issued with enhanced pen laptops and MGC has formed a partnership with a leading and trusted education supplier to offer families an easy method to purchase a pen-enabled notebook.
Managed Laptop Program : FAQs
What are the additional curriculum benefits of a managed program?
- Students will have access to a greater array of free software through the Edustar image - this enables a teacher to confidently arrange a lesson knowing students will have the required program.
- Downtime due to damage and repairs will be significantly reduced.
- Staff will know what students have on their devices, minimising confusion and preparation at the start of a lesson.
- Pen-enabled devices allow for a whole new level of interactivity.
What ongoing support will the College provide?
The College provides technical support onsite to troubleshoot problems for students. If there is a fault with a student laptop purchased, our technicians will log a warranty claim, and technicians will come to MGC and will fix within two business days after a claim is processed.
Is there a warranty, and what happens with insurance?
Most laptops come with a one-year limited warranty. This can be extended to three years by purchasing an extended warranty. The Department of Education has no insurance to cover student laptops for loss, theft or non-warranty repairs.
Parents are advised to check home insurance policies and consider covering the laptop for accidental damage and loss. Insurance can be purchased. The College accepts no responsibility for damage or loss and cannot enforce payment from another family if a laptop is accidentally damaged by another student.
What is the expected lifetime of the device?
A laptop is expected to function effectively for between three to five years, depending on individual use and the extent to which it is looked after. Students should, therefore, be able to use their laptop from Year 7 to Senior School.
Families can access the Parent laptop purchase portal here: https://mgc.orderportal.com.au/
Finally, MGC Computer Services are happy to provide advice but only take questions via email. Please contact the IT Manager of MGC, Anthony Keen on anthony.keen@mgc.vic.edu.au for any questions regarding IT @ MGC.
