Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
At Hopkinson, we are one of the pioneers of the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program. For the past 6 years, we have been a 1:1 iPad school, thanks to the efforts of our parents in sending their 3rd-5th grade students with iPads. During the 2017/2018 school year we transitioned from BYOD with iPads to Chromebooks. This is the device that is consistent to the BYOD program implemented at both of our middle schools. This home-school partnership affords students the opportunity to become very proficient in the use of digital devices with keyboards as learning resources, prior to entering middle school.
Beginning in third grade, students 3rd-5th grade, are encouraged to bring their own Chromebook to school to use in the classroom. Chromebooks will be stored securely in your child’s classroom and can safely be transported to and from school in your child’s backpack at the end of each day. We also recommend that you purchase a case for your child’s Chromebook. Furthermore, the middle and high schools in Los Alamitos also expect students to bring their personal devices to school as instructional tools. This investment stretches far beyond Hopkinson Elementary.
As parents and educators we have the opportunity to capitalize on our children’s engagement and fluency with technology to enhance their learning and prepare them for what is already a technologically driven world. Both the Common Core Standards and the consortium on 21st Century Learning, stress the importance of digital literacy for our current students. Many educational experts also predict a move to more usage of digital resources/books, and we already know that the new state/national assessments are administered online. These computer-adaptive tests will demand familiarity with the online platform, media literacy, and keyboarding skills.
For students who will participate in BYOD, we recommend purchasing a Chromebook that meets a minimum technology requirements:
- 4 GB RAM, 16 GB SSD, 11.5 inch screen, and 802.11ac high-speed wireless
- The most important specification is the 802.11ac high-speed wireless connection which allows your child’s home device to connect with our site’s Wi-Fi with protective firewalls