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Student Handbook |
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This document is intended as a guideline for students to use and refer to for different aspects about their notebooks during school days:
Student notebook computer policy This policy document is subject to continuous review and may be altered as required. Use of your Notebook Computer in conjunction with the School’s Network is subject to the provisions of the Access Rights and User Policies.
Your notebook With each Notebook comes a copy of this User’s Guide booklet. On delivery of your Notebook you will receive a training session on all the technical aspects of notebook care and use. Read this booklet carefully and apply the information in it, particularly the section on battery charging, battery care and power saving tips. Use of your Notebook Computer in conjunction with the School’s Network is subject to the rules and conditions contained in the Access Rights and User Policy. - It is the responsibility of each student to bring the Notebook to school each day with the battery fully charged. - Power outlets will be available in classrooms. If you need to use these power outlets, do so with the comfort and security of others in mind. - When using a power outlet, make sure excess cable lead does not cross the floor and impede walkways. Wind the power cable into a gentle loop when storing it in the bag. Winding it into a tight coil will twist the cable permanently. - You should not operate the Notebook while it is sitting in the base of the bag. This will cause overheating problems and if the power lead is connected it will bend the terminals and damage them. - Water and computers do not mix – never drink anything while working on your notebook or place drink containers near the computer.
Work Protocol Classroom use: Students should line up outside the classroom carrying the Notebook (in the bag) in the hand or over the shoulder away from the wall to prevent screen damage. When entering the classroom, leave your Notebook in its bag until directed to open it by the classroom teacher. At the beginning of class, wait for your teacher to direct you to switch on your Notebook and to open the lid. When the teacher is talking directly to the entire class, it is expected that you will close the lid of your Notebook so that you can devote your full attention to your teacher. Closing the lid will not harm the screen. Closing the notebook lid may cause the operating system to go into Standby or Hibernate mode. You can learn more about this feature by reading the notebook manual, asking Technology teachers or IT support staff members. Always back up your work every day to a CD or to a USB flash disk. At the end of the lesson do not shut down your Notebook or disconnect the power until instructed to do so by your teacher. Behavior: Students should not interfere with another person’s Notebook, floppy disks, network connector, computer bag, power cable and most importantly data. The Notebook computer is an educational tool. It is expected that students will always use the computer in a responsible and appropriate manner. If undesirable material is found on a Notebook, or determines that the software being used in an inappropriate manner the Classroom Teacher and/or IT support staff members will take appropriate action. Respect the privacy of others and do not attempt to access anyone else’s files.
Saving work All school work will be saved into an appropriate School folder. The procedure for this will be covered in the introductory series of workshops when you receive your Notebook. The auto save function can be set on most applications to save your work at regular intervals such as every 5 or 10 minutes. All work must be backed up to your Home Directory S: Drive on the teachers’ computers and also on a CD and/or a USB flash disk. The management of the Notebook is the student’s responsibility. If the recommended procedures are followed, all students should have back-up copies of their work on the drive S:. Therefore, hardware or software failure will not prevent the student from submitting work on time. The computer "crashing" is not an acceptable reason for late work. When your Notebook needs to be left with our technicians at the help desk, you will be given a receipt for the Notebook which will give the date and time the problem was reported. It is the responsibility of students to show this to their teachers. A limited number of loan machines will be available if your machine has a serious problem that takes time to fix. A copy of the service and support plans including Service on Wheels will be described in a separate handout. File Management Managing your Folders in the Windows XP environment is a most important skill. If you manage your work efficiently you will always be organized and well prepared. Setting up your folders properly from the beginning is vital. The procedure for this will be explained to all students in a series of Introductory Workshops in the Technology periods and must be followed at all times.
Sending & collecting student work Unless specifically requested by the teacher, all work must be emailed to teachers to addresses specified by respective teachers. Students are required to use their school mail addresses to send their work. All other mails will be discarded and treated as junk mail. Word Processing Your teachers will explain the requirements for setting out work (formatting). In most cases: The recommended font is Times New Roman for the body of your text. The recommended minimum font size for the body of your text is 12. All pages must be numbered. Each page must have your name on it.
Shutting down your computer Normally on a school day the Notebook should be kept on Standby mode. This enables the Notebook to be reactivated without significant delays. The full Shut Down procedure should be followed when turning off the Notebook for long periods of time (more than 60 minutes). Do not move the Notebook until all disk activity has stopped - watch the hard disk activity LED. Wait for a minimum of 30 seconds after shutting it down before attempting to turn the Notebook back on. Carefully disconnect the power lead from the power outlet before removing it from the Notebook. Gently close the lid. Make sure the Velcro safety strap is on and the bag is zipped up and the shoulder strap is secure before you pick it up. It is recommended to shutdown the notebooks before you leave the school.
Carrying your Notebook
Carrying the Notebook in
Class:
Security The Notebook should be brought to school every day. The only exceptions to this will be during major events such as Mid-year exams, Finals, sports, drama etc. Students will be informed of these events. It is the students’ responsibility to take the notebook from the school as there will be no-one to remind them to do so. Place a key tag on the bag with your name and info on it. This tag will help you and your teachers identify your bag. This will reduce the chance of picking up the wrong bag. Any student who finds an unattended Notebook should take it to the help desk. The Notebook is an expensive and complex learning tool. Thus a constant awareness of security is important, especially when traveling to and from school.
Breakdowns during school hours There are several levels of assistance available when a breakdown or breakage occurs. If it is a software problem that the technician cannot fix in 15 minutes the entire Hard Disk of your computer will be re-imaged. This means you will lose all data on the computer – but this should not be a problem since you have been making sure that you back-up every day to a CD or USB flash disk. Haven’t You! Most of the problems you will have with your computer will be caused by the software not the hardware. Many of these are caused by the user ‘tinkering’ with the system or the application. Do not change or delete anything from the operating system MS Windows XP. Do not load any programs onto the notebook without first checking with the technician or help desk engineers that they are compatible.
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