A School iPad - Let’s Do This!
Welcome to a new school year with your MVMS student’s school iPad! Having a school iPad presents an opportunity for parents to proactively coach their child to use a digital device as a tool to support learning while minimizing distractions and conflict.
Start by asking your child to give you a tour of their school iPad. If you lean in and get curious, you can set parameters in a tech positive way. Even if they already had a school iPad last year, the start of the school year is a great time to revisit tech use.
Dive into a few apps/platforms and have your child walk you through how they work for a particular class. Make sure they give you a tour of Google Classroom. What are they excited about? Do they have any questions?
During the iPad tour, you’ll notice MVMS school iPads do not enable access to texting/iMessages, FaceTime, the App Store, or Social Media. Aside from the learning apps that MVMS has installed on the iPad, students have access to Safari and Chrome browsers (but many websites are blocked by MVMS filters), Google suite (Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drive), the Google app (which can be a backdoor to YouTube) as well as YouTube Kids (which is another possible distractor - you can choose not to install it). Motivated students can also access unblocked internet games, so notice if your child seems to overuse their school iPad.
Initiate conversations about healthy tech use, and try to frame these conversations as “your family as a team vs. sticky tech design,” instead of pitting parent vs. child.
See below for the top tips to help you manage the school iPad at home!
Ask for your child’s school iPad password. As the parent/caregiver, you should have access to the school iPad anytime. Save the iPad password somewhere handy.
Review and adjust notification settings (instructions here). Teach your child to tailor their notifications so they only receive those they really need and actually will read.
Clarify when and where your child can use the school iPad. Ideal practice is to use the iPad in a common area rather than in their bedroom, but this isn't always feasible. Another approach is to start usage in a common area until you feel your child is ready to use it unsupervised. If used in a bedroom, consider a door-open policy.
Set an overnight charging routine outside the bedroom. We strongly recommend that your child charge their school iPad (and any other personal devices, especially phones!) overnight in a location outside their bedroom so devices can’t disrupt their sleep. Having digital devices put away overnight is arguably the most important step you can take to protect your child’s wellbeing. Setting up a charging station and a separate alarm clock are helpful steps. Many local families have their middle schoolers stow all digital devices by 9pm.
Encourage use of the iPad’s attached keyboard to avoid hunt-and-peck typing habits.
Praise good sitting posture and consider the ergonomics of a student’s iPad setup when possible.
Turn on Apple "Screen Time" (instructions here). The MVMS school iPad has a “Screen Time” tool (found under “Settings”) which should be turned on to track use and to establish any time limits if overuse is a suspected issue. Occasionally review your child's Screen Time data with them, praising good habits and troubleshooting any issues.
Review the district’s 1:1 Program Agreement with your child, especially the section outlining appropriate student conduct on the first two pages. This is a good opportunity to underscore your expectations that they only use the school iPad for educational purposes. Common pitfalls we have seen are kids playing unblocked internet games, searching the internet using incognito mode, and sneaking access to YouTube.
As issues come up, try asking questions from an inquisitive (not emotionally fired up) perspective, channeling your “coaching” role. Remember that healthy tech use is a SKILL that needs to be taught and practiced - you are your child's coach and mentor at home. Expect some learning pains and course-corrections as you guide your child towards healthy tech use.
Want more details? Download our more comprehensive school iPad tips for MVMS families.