{"id":956,"date":"2013-08-30T20:05:53","date_gmt":"2013-08-30T20:05:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/?p=956"},"modified":"2013-09-10T17:16:19","modified_gmt":"2013-09-10T17:16:19","slug":"a-back-to-school-checklist-for-those-digital-school-supplies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/a-back-to-school-checklist-for-those-digital-school-supplies\/","title":{"rendered":"Parent-friendly advice about that back-to-school checklist of ‘digital’ school supplies"},"content":{"rendered":"

*This article was contributed by Linda Lavender, computer network administration instructor at the VBCPS Advanced Technology Center<\/a>. <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Notebooks? Pens, Pencils?\u00a0 Highlighters?\u00a0 Check!\u00a0You are ready for your child to go \"SalemHS4\"<\/a>back to school.\u00a0Or are you?<\/p>\n

There may not have been required technology items on your child\u2019s supplies list, but having access to technology may make a marked difference in your child\u2019s education.\u00a0Here is a digital back-to-school checklist you might want to consider as the new school year gets started.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest technology trends grabbing our attention is tablets.\u00a0And why not?\u00a0 They are ultra-light, portable, can access the Internet and using them is relatively easy and mostly fun.\u00a0So if a tablet is on your checklist \u2013 the next step is deciding which is the right one for your child.<\/p>\n

First rule of thumb, don\u2019t overspend.\u00a0Today\u2019s technology changes so rapidly, what is current and ideal this year, may not be that useful in two years.\u00a0Seven inch tablets are a good choice. They are cheaper than their 10 inch models, can fit easily in book bags and purses and they all have built-in-wifi access.They are great to use with the VBCPS Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy and support hundreds of Apps. There are many choices and they range in price considerably so compare models. Don\u2019t forget a case to protect the tablet and screen protectors for preventing accidental scratches.\u00a0If you are a fan of e-readers, most e-reading platforms can be used on any tablet.<\/p>\n

Laptops are usually a good choice for middle and high school students.\u00a0 At this age, they are using more advanced software.Laptops are a good choice for students because they are portable, which is great since learning and studying can occur everywhere. There are many choices for laptops \u00a0and some relatively inexpensive models which have the Android platform installed.\u00a0Most Windows based laptops are currently shipping with Windows 8 \u2013 there will be a learning curve here \u2013 brand new interface, but it is based on the concept of using Apps.\u00a0 You may want to consider a touch screen if you are getting a Windows 8 laptop \u2013 makes using the operating system a lot easier.\u00a0 But don\u2019t spend retail prices for Microsoft Office \u2013 you can buy it through Virginia Beach City Public Schools and Journey Ed for around $10.00.\u00a0 One final piece of advice \u2013 get a warranty.\u00a0Laptop screens can break easily, and they can be costly to repair.<\/p>\n

A much less expensive item on your list to consider is portable storage.\u00a0 A 16gb portable storage device is more than sufficient for classroom assignments and storing student work.\u00a0There are so many to choose from \u2013 consider one with a key chain so it\u2019s less likely to be misplaced.\u00a0Portable mini-drives are a consideration \u2013\u00a0 500gb or 1tb of storage is now pretty standard.\u00a0Students can store their music library, school work and more.\u00a0 Students watch a lot of videos online and through their school resources, so consider some comfortable headphones.\u00a0Don\u2019t forget simple things like surge protectors when using the laptops, and even a spare tablet charger is a good investment.<\/p>\n

Above all else, don\u2019t rush your purchases \u2013 take your time, compare prices at local retailers and online.\u00a0Talk to your child\u2019s teachers and find out what technology they are using in the classroom, especially the software.\u00a0Software availability and compatibility are essential in picking the right device.\u00a0If you are still lost, attend the Parent Connection\u2019s free Technology Expo at the Advanced Technology Center on November 13th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Our student experts will answer your questions and all the above devices will be there for you to experience in a hands-on setting!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

*This article was contributed by Linda Lavender, computer network administration instructor at the VBCPS Advanced Technology Center. Notebooks? Pens, Pencils?\u00a0 Highlighters?\u00a0 Check!\u00a0You are ready for your child to go back […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=956"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":970,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/956\/revisions\/970"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vbcpsblogs.com\/core\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}