What is the One:One device scheme?
Our One:One Device Scheme is an investment in the future of education, and the future of our students. We believe this scheme to be incredibly important for our students, not only supporting equality and equity of opportunity but also future-proofing our young people for careers that may not even exist yet, it is ensuring that they leave secondary education with the right level of digital skills, and it is preparing and empowering them with the tools, and the knowledge, to meet the modern needs of further education and employers.
The One:One device comes with the Microsoft 365 suite, internet security and is updated regularly to keep our students safe online.
This is a device for learning and is of upmost importance that our students are safe online, therefore, students are unable to download applications and software and unable to access various websites/searches due to our filtering and monitoring systems.
Students are loaned a device upon joining the college and we encourage students to be respectful towards, and responsible for, the device at all times.
We expect students to bring their device fully-charged each day and to be prepared and ready to learn. We understand that sometimes accidents happen, and so we keep record of if a device needs to be repaired. We communicate and collaborate with parents to ensure that deliberate or repeated damage does not occur, because as with any loan the loanee is responsible for its condition.
Why Chromebooks?
Being able to distribute identical devices to all students enables us to provide holistic support to any student.
The security level of a Chromebook means that we are able to monitor all traffic between both teachers and students, thus providing everyone a safe and secure environment in which to explore their ideas.
Chromebooks store data in ‘the cloud’ so it is much easier to retrieve work, backup files and to collaborate in real time.
The shift towards embracing digital learning requires a great deal of planning and development but as we move further into the 21st century we need students to engage in learning in more sophisticated ways, we would be doing our students a disservice by not providing them with the devices required to achieve this.
Digital Teaching and Learning
At Brixham College we increasingly use Microsoft 365 to facilitate, support and accelerate learning. Students can access many of their lessons and learning through Microsoft Teams, which allows greater flexibility to revisit content as part of their classwork or revision. The school also subscribe to various educational software, and with the provision of a device, students have very few reasons why not to access, accelerate and extend their learning.
For a student to have their own device in the classroom it allows them to personalise their learning, seek support almost immediately, work at their own pace and engage in opportunities unavailable without technology.
Students are all provided access to Immersive Reader. This accessibility tool allows students to have text read to them, to change the background colour, text size, text font, or even translate text into a preferred language. Access to their own device, together with use of this tool, personalises content and makes learning accessible for everyone, no matter what language they speak to additional learning need they may have.
In terms of the acceleration of progress and attainment, Chromebooks offer us and students the opportunity to be able to work in different ways. The use of digital devices both in and out of the classroom are not a substitute for good teaching, but rather a tool that can be harnessed with great effect in order to substitute, augment, modify and reimagine learning.
