School-issued laptops can enhance students' learning and their academic experience. From allowing students to easily research information to enabling them to collaborate with peers inside and outside of the classroom, school laptops offer countless benefits. Nevertheless, as laptops begin replacing paper worksheets and textbooks, many parents may have some concerns and objections to these school-issued devices.
Here are some of the common objections parents might have to school-issued devices such as laptops and tablets:
Some schools hold the student responsible for any damage the laptop incurs while it is in their care. Problems such as a cracked screen or broken hinges can quickly add up.
The cost may be even more of a concern if a parent has multiple children using school-issued devices.
Because the laptops belong to the school, many parents feel concern over their student's privacy and data when they are using the device. They might wonder if their child will be tracked in any way or if their browsing history will be saved and recorded for the school to review.
Additionally, privacy-minded parents are likely to object if the device has a camera, particularly if the school can access it remotely.
Another concern parents commonly express with regard to school-issued devices is the increased screen time. With access to everything from online shopping to social media, students might find it easy to get distracted when they should be focused on learning.
Some parents prefer that their children do more of their work offline — both at school and at home — so they can focus better on the materials and spend less time on a device. Spending all day on a screen can also cause eye strain if the user does not take periodic breaks, which can be of particular concern for younger children.
Similar to student privacy, most parents want to know what kind of steps the school has taken to ensure internet safety. When the student is using the school-issued device, will they have access to inappropriate content or will it be filtered out? Are there parental controls to limit the types of websites and videos that could potentially come up in the search results?
It could be difficult for parents to monitor what appears on these devices, causing them concern about their child's online behavior and safety.
Schools can implement various safety features and precautions to ensure their devices are being used to enhance students' learning experience. When schools issue these laptops or tablets, it is important to include an information package that describes how the devices should be used. Students should be aware of the rules for using the device at school and at home. Additionally, the school should always be transparent and describe how the student's privacy and data will be protected and used.
Along with the information package, schools can host a course focused on internet safety, covering what is appropriate and safe to search for, post and share online. Understanding what to do and what not to do online can help students use their school-issued devices to their advantage while boosting their digital literacy skills.
To help alleviate parent concerns regarding the cost of any repairs should the device suffer damage, the school can implement a payment schedule to ease a potential financial burden.
The original education-focused case company, Higher Ground has been designing premium functional protection for school-issued devices since 2003. Each line of laptop and tablet cases includes design features to enhance the functionality, accessibility and usability of educational devices — without sacrificing aesthetic appeal.
To ensure these solutions are built to last, the company sources only quality materials, such as EVA foam and TPU, and performs extensive testing on each design. Higher Ground stands behind every case with a lifetime warranty, providing schools and parents alike with peace of mind.
Interested in receiving a sample or quote? Reach out to Higher Ground at 888-662-4300 or by completing a request form.
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