In our mission to continue to provide a world class education to our students, we felt that moving forward with our technology integration initiative through a 1 to 1 Student Laptop Program reflects what is best for student learning. Students of today, our future leaders of tomorrow, can no longer be considered literate if they do not possess the skills needed to be productive in a technologically advanced world. We are committed to developing our students as 21st Century Learners and would be unable to do so without the tools of the 21st Century.
ASFM is continuing to use the Bring Your Own Device program for grades 10 through 12, but for the 6th, 7th, 8th, & 9th grade students the Bring Your Own Apple Laptop (BYOAL) program will be a requirement. We are requiring that parents of our 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th grade students provide an Apple laptop that meets our ASFM System Requirements. It does not have to be a new device, but it must have up to date software according to what is outlined in the Student Laptop Setup Guide.
ASFM will be supporting 6th, 7th, 8th, & 9th grade families to ensure a successful continuation of our 1 to 1 initiative. To help students prepare for their responsibilities with the device, teachers will be working with the students the first to days of the school year to establish important norms for utilizing the device as a tool for the classroom. To ensure that students are clear about the expectations and privilege of this program one of the activities will include going through the Responsible Use Policy with students during their training as well as preparing them with other activities built around the program needs for success. We will also be threading digital citizenship lessons into our curriculum where teachable moments are found to ensure safe and ethical use of technology tools. To support parents at home, we will be requiring their participation in monthly activities to help the family prepare for the transformation of student learning at school and home. To confirm participation, parents will be required to submit evidence that they have completed the challenges requested by the DigitALL CHANGE program. These are very powerful devices that we are trusting the students with and the use of these devices require guidance, supervision, and clear expectations for usage. In addition to the DigitALL CHANGE program challenges for parents, we have also gathered online resources on our Digital Citizenship page for parents to access at anytime. We will also be hosting training at ASFM for parents throughout the school year on important topics related to keeping our students safe while using technology. We appreciate your active participation in the digital lives of your children.
Just as we ask you to help protect your children online, we also want you to help them protect the financial investment of the laptop as well. We have done some leg work for you to provide information on the Protecting Your Laptop page about service center locations, investigating insurance coverage, the importance of anti-virus software, and recommended protective gear. Finally, if parents cannot find the support they need from our collected resources, they can either check the Student 1 to 1 FAQ page or e-mail us at tech.integration@asfm.edu.mx for speedy responses.
Parents, another reason for ASFM asking parents to purchase the laptops for their children was to encourage you to be an active guide for your child while they are using technology at home. It is your device to get to know as a parent. Work with your child through this experience as they learn to develop their skills with these online tools, keep the conversation flowing about what they are doing, why they are doing it, and who they are doing it with. Not only will it protect your child, but it will also open an important dialogue about what they are learning. No longer will you hear that we are doing the typical teenage response of "Nothing" at school.
We are working hard to supply you with the tools that you need to be a participant in their digital lives. Just as you would not allow your child to roam the world unattended and without guidance, your guidance should not be absent when they are exploring the world through the Internet. If you do not see the resources you need on the Protect Your Child page, please contact us at tech.integration@asfm.edu.mx.