What do kids need for high school with regards to devices etc for education?

[forloves]

Hi all,

Don't really have anyone else to talk to about this. DC starts high school in Sept and is already an extremely unmotivated learner. I know they will need A LOT of help managing homework and general learning.

At the moment they have an iPad used mainly for roblux and editing videos! I don't want any screen time arguments so I was thinking of getting a cheap Samsung tablet just to be used for learning - do they use many apps for maths practice? Or is this unnecessary?

And aside from that would a laptop or desktop be best?

Anything else that would aid learning?

Thank you!

It depends on the school. DD1’s school set homework via google classroom. A bit of it is online but most actually is paper or in her books and to be honest there’s not much of it - decent school though! Her google classroom is linked to my EduLink account so I can see what’s been set. She uses the desktop or laptop for any homework on websites or research. She prefers to do that downstairs because we’re on hand for help! The advantage of a desktop is that you can see what they’re up to and whether they’re just resorted to watching rubbish on YouTube!

That's what I'm thinking. I don't really want a laptop on a lap upstairs. I prefer her to sit and concentrate at a desk downstairs. Interesting that you say there's not much homework. That's not what I've heard from others and I'm worried!

Opposite at DS school the only thing purely on paper is art. Maths, french and science is on an app, the rest is all Google classrooms. DS does some of it in his phone if it’s straightforward but the rest on laptop

My year 7 hasn’t needed anything specific, she uses either her phone or iPad for homework. She not had a lot of homework yet, think it starts to ramp up when they start GCSEs.

My 3 all use chromebooks, I have DC in years 7, 9 and 11.
Most of their homework is on Google classroom, Hegarty maths and Seneca learning.
I prefer something with a keyboard over a touch screen especially if they need to write an essay.

We're in the same situation. I've decided to wait until either we get info from the school, or he has started and we have a better idea of what he needs. He can share my laptop for homework until then.

IMO you'll need a laptop by the time they start GCSEs and it's probably good to get one before then as well. Ours had cheap reconditioned laptops in Year 7 and used OpenOffice. We found that whilst there wasn't tonnes of homework there was an awful lot of making presentations and creating revision notes type homework, that are just much easier with a laptop (or at least with a proper keyboard). Plus all the homework is online, and, although you can use a phone to access it, it can be hard to read documents on a phone screen. Or you can just resort to printing everything out of course! (Which reminds me - a good home printer is also worth getting).

Ideally your child needs a desk in a quiet space. If you want that to be downstairs, it will only really work IMO if you have a room that's separate from the family living space. And laptops shouldn't really be on laps for any length of time (glares at own DD who seems to write most of her essays in bed)

I appreciate not everyone has space to facilitate this, but if you do, it's preferable to having them work on (e.g.) the kitchen table with the rest of the family carrying on around them.

DD needs access to Google classroom. Stuff like her ingredients list for Food is published there

She has apps for English, Maths and French.

Her school computer labs are open until 5pm daily for any pupil that needs them.

School uses Google classroom to set work, sometimes for register on strike days and they use hegarty for maths homework.

Both DDs have Chromebooks and got them when DD1 was beginning of year 9 and DD2 started year 7. I was fed up of trying to get stuff done on a tiny screen with the eldest. And better for their typing skills I hope eventually.

I have one in yr 8 and one in yr 6, about to start secondary in September. Both schools ask their new intake of year 7s to have Chromebooks. The schools have a scheme whereby you can pay off monthly and have insurance etc.

All work is set on Google classroom.

I would ask the school or wait until they send more transition information to you.

i would expect the need would be for something with a proper keyboard.

dc attends a school that issues devices so everyone has the same thing and makes this much easier. They only use tablets through year 5. After that they switch to laptop style devices. She has been using a MacBook for the last 3 years, but she turns it in this year and I don’t know what they are issuing next year.

We have a laptop (with a dodgy battery so it stays plugged in on a desk) and a printer.

We get a lot of homework via the school system, some is completed and submitted online, some is printed out. I don't think that a tablet would be as effective in our case.

Mine is in year 10 and has only ever seen used his phone. They really don't need a laptop.

Just to add he uses everything everyone else has mentioned. Google class rooms etc etc, all on his phone

Does he write essays using just a phone? Make revision notes? Or does he do these on paper?

DD got a laptop when she started Y9. Before 2020 a lot was done on paper in handwriting but Covid changed all of this.

They already used a in-school system for setting homework so she used our Mac to access it but wrote on paper. With Covid everything needed to be done electronically and uploaded for the teacher.

Now even Y7s are required to have either a device available for them or they use the school computer room until 5pm for their homework. If you can afford it, get your child its own device.

Homework was normally done independently but we had plenty of practice in Y5 and Y6 as they got a fair amount to do already, so it wasn't really new to her.

They use maths and MFL apps or can access it via the website but they also have to do PowerPoint presentations so it's more than just writing in Word.

Dd likes to use the laptop for her homework, she does the majority of it downstairs on the table. Her school uses a system called Firefly which once logged in she has online access to all Microsoft software. Currently she doesn't get enough homework to warrant her own laptop.

She does have the Firefly app on her phone and she can log in and check any homework set. If it's a quick test or a quiz she will use her phone but prefers to use the laptop. We have printed three things out since September.

Im willing to believe that there are low technology schools that don’t use online textbooks. I can believe there are schools where a student in year 10 has never had to make a PowerPoint presentation or submit a short film, but how does he submit essays and research papers? Even back in the 80s we had to have them typed.

@forloves will there be an adult at home when she comes out? As I was here mine came home, got changed, had a snack and a short time to chill then straight onto homework. It is easier to motivate them through homework rather than get them off tech/fun stuff to now do homework.

Keyboards are far easier to type on than tablets or phones. Mine both had desktop (gaming) computers but depending on what school operate on, if Google Classroom then a Chromebook would be ideal, no viruses and updates in seconds. Definitely have a set place to do homework too, and not a bedroom.

Teach them about researching, ie don't trust Wiki, look at more than one source and learn to reword things as they make notes and use those words when writing up so they don't accidentally plagiarise. Possibly work on this over the summer.

As for motivation maybe chat about jobs and pay and buying the things she wants that she can relate to now like Robuxs, better phones etc. The harder you work the more choices you have and you want her to have a great life.

On his phone and on to take notes.

Everything is done on his phone that's not required to be write in his text books.

That's a very useful post, thank you for taking the time!

@forloves my youngest is 17 and on for 4 A stars at A level like his older brother. The gaming computers were rewards for their effort in school, it did mean high grades but their commitment to homework etc was what was actually rewarded plus their attitude to learning in school as referenced on their reports plus phone calls from teachers. School had an open evening in year 7 for parents and children about researching and who you can trust online for info. It was really good but then the whole school was great.

There are usually threads for how to prepare your child for secondary in regard to organisation, making sure they keep on top of homework etc. There will be ones from previous years but no doubt there will be one for this year too. I tried to find it but trawled page after page, sorry. Have a think about what may work for your child. Establish a routine, if mine didn't have homework then they used their homework slot to read around something they were doing. It might just be watching Youtube videos but gave them a wider view. But every night, whole bag emptied, books put into a magazine file labelled with days so they would put maths in Wednesday's file as that is when they next had it. Timetable in several places especially on the back of the front door for a last minute check etc. Homework visible on wipeboard with due in date. We could see it, as could they.

Also now, have a look at what coats, bags or shoes everyone is wearing in case that is an issue where you are. Luckily for us plain rucksacks and coats are fine, no real brand snobbery here.

So in year 7, how long was the homework slot you insisted on? And was that every day? Your boys have done so well. I do need to get DC into a routine somehow.