Ministry of Education The Ministry of Education believes that education should evolve and nurture an ICT framework designed to enhance, broaden, strengthen.

Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education believes that education should “evolve and nurture an ICT framework designed to enhance, broaden, strengthen and transform learning, to develop the learner into a person who is excellence-driven, global in perspective, innovative, ingenious, creative and prepared to participate fully in the global economy of the 21st century.”

“A computer-user gets to see how knowledge is applied to real life, far more vividly than old instruments of teaching and learning would have shown…words, facts, pictures, colours, multi-dimensions, opinions, variety; information entering the mind in a lively fashion, and remaining there much longer because of such impact, and teachers enjoy the chance to diversify their classroom practices.”

Who owns the laptop?Laptops are assigned to each student as a tool for learning and remain the property of the Government of the

Republic of Trinidad & Tobago (GoRTT) until after 5 years, only then, it

becomes the property of the student.

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Included in your Laptop Bag:LaptopMouse

ChargerManual

SOFTWARE PROVIDED ON LAPTOPS

The un-installation of any of the provided software is strictly prohibited.

Installed Software: Microsoft Office Suite 2010 Adobe Reader 9 Bing Maps 3D WorldWide Telescope WWT Mars

Virus Protection: Mc Afee Total Protection Service

Taking care of your Laptop

- No food or drink is allowed on or around your laptop.

- Chords, cables and removable storage devices must be inserted and ejected carefully.

- Students should never move their laptops while the screen is open.

- Laptops must never be left in an unsafe place (eg: exposed in a car or any unsupervised area)

- Students are not permitted to use “skins” on the monitor cover, in an effort to “personalize” laptops.

- Laptop Serial Number sticker should not be covered, defaced or removed.

How you should carry your laptop

- Laptops should always be kept in its protective case /laptop bag when they are being transported at all times.

- The laptop must be shut down before placing it in the laptop bag, to protect it from possible overheating and battery drain when being transported.

Proper screen care for your Laptop

•The laptop screens can be damaged if subjected to rough treatment.

•Do not place anything near or on the laptop that could put pressure on the screen, as it is particularly sensitive.

• Students should not move their laptops when the screen is open

•Do not poke the screen with your finger or any devices.

•Do not place anything on the keyboard before closing the lid (e.g. paper, pens, pencils or disks)

•Do not use abrasive materials or chemicals to clean laptop screens. Clean the screen with a soft, dry cloth or anti-static cloth

•Do not “bump” the laptop against lockers, walls, car doors, floors etc as it will easily damage the screen.

- Students shall be responsible to bring their laptop to all classes, unless specifically instructed not to do so by their teachers.

- Students must fully charge their

laptops at home before bring them to school.

- Students must secure their own laptops when bringing it to school, while it is on the school compound and when it leaves the school.

Screensavers Inappropriate media may not be used on the desktop or as a screensaver

Pictures of guns, weapons, pornographic materials, inappropriate language, alcohol, drug, and gang related symbols or pictures will result in disciplinary actions.

MUSIC, GAMES AND PROGRAMS

•Sound must be muted at all times when the computer is in use in the classroom, unless instructed differently by the teacher for instructional purposes

•Do not save any music, games, or personal programs to the hard drive

•All students MUST save their work on a flash drive/portable hard drive at least once each week.

•When a laptop has to be repaired, a clean installation of the software is required, the ICT Technician is not responsible for saving/backing up schoolwork

Accessing the internet at home

Students will be allowed to connect their laptops to their home Internet

services.

RANDOM INSPECTION OF LAPTOPS

Students may be selected at random, to handover their laptop to school personnel for a thorough inspection to ensure conformity to the Ecal laptop policy.

Parents Responsibilities

• Educating their children in responsible internet use and online awareness.

• Talk to your child or children about Social values and the standards that they should follow on the use of the Internet.

• Monitor their activities while surfing the web or accessing Social Networking sites.

• Block content you find to be inappropriate for your children.

• Talk to your children about keeping the school laptop safe from theft and how to handle situations when confronted.

• Enable parental controls on their laptops to protect yourchildren when they are not being supervised.

Students Responsibilities

- Use laptops in a responsible and ethical manner.

- Obey general school rules concerning behaviour and communication that apply to computer use. - Use all technology resources in an appropriate manner so as to not damage school equipment.

- Help MOE protect their computer system by contacting your ICT Technician about any security problems they may encounter.

Students Responsibilities - Monitor all activity on your account(s).

- Always log off the computer after you are done working to protect your accounts and files. If a student does not log off, any email or Internet activity under their name will be considered their responsibility.

- If a student receives email containing inappropriate orabusive language or if the subject matter is questionable, he/she is asked to print a copy and turn it in to the school.

- Decide where your child can and can't go on the Internet. - Increase your computer security to aid privacy. - Monitor where your child go online. - Remind your child not to communicate to strangers online - Encourage your child to keep their passwords secret. - Ensure your kids follow age limit guidelines. - Always use a first name or nickname to identify yourself online. - Never disclose a phone number or give an address to people you don’t know. - Never send photographs of yourself to strangers. - Never agree to meet someone they met online without adult supervision.

- Exposure to inappropriate material

- Physical Molestation - Harassment and Bullying - Viruses and hackers - Legal and Financial

- Educate yourself and your children about the dangers in Cyberspace.- Contact the police if your child has received pornographic material via the Internet or if you suspect he/she has been the target of an online sex predator.- Obtain information from websites recommended by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) through its Children Online Protection Programme. This can also be accessed through our website.

Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago#5, Eighth Avenue Extension, off Twelfth Street,Barataria, Republic of Trinidad and TobagoTel: (868) 675-8288,Fax: (868) 675-1055Email: [email protected],Website: www.tatt.org.tt

DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURESStrict guideline and disciplinary procedures have been developed and included in the Ministry’s eConnect and Learn Policy document. Any student who attempts to access, submit, post, publish, forward, download, scan or display inappropriate material will be disciplined according to these rules and regulations, which are supported by the National School Code of Conduct. The policy also addresses topics that include, but are not limited to, Illegal Use, Violation of Copyrights and Plagiarism.

Disciplinary actions - Student conference

- Parent contact- Detention- Suspension- Restitution- School community service- Revocation of computer access and use- Removal of privileges

- Accidental damage to a Laptop must be immediately reported to the ICT Technician, a Teacher or the Principal.

- The loss or theft of a Laptop must be reported immediately to the Police who will provide you with a Police report, which must be brought to the Principal and the ICT Technician.

The laptops are on a ONE year warranty, which facilitates the need to fix any hardware related issues. After the year is up the responsibility to purchase and fix any hardware is then to the Parent /Guardian.

Parents will have to sign a contract of agreement having received their child’s laptop. The Laptop’s serial number will be recorded and a copy of the contract will be given to you which you must keep in a secure place. Parents will also need to provide an ID Card or Driver’s permit on the day that you collect your child’s laptop.

“The Ministry of Education (MOE) believes that basic education should "evolve and nurture an ICT framework designed to enhance, broaden, strengthen and transform learning to develop the learner into a person who is excellence-driven, global in perspective, innovative, ingenious, creative, and prepared to participate fully in the global economy of the 21st Century”. 

Policy Statement