1:1 Portable PC Labs in K-6 Schools by Stu Hasic – September 2010

Case study video -

Getting the Netbooks Model No A21 Cost (currently) $ ex GST Order directly from Lenovo via –

Getting the Trolley Model: PCLocs Revolution 16 Part No. 78Y5275 Cost (currently) $1, ex GST Order directly from Lenovo –

Getting Wireless Access Points (one per trolley purchased) Model: HP Procurve MSM410ww with One Port Power Injector (Supported by Sydney Region ITSU) Part No. J9427B + J9407A Cost (currently) $458 ex GST Order directly from MatrixCNI – (Andrew Ratcliffe – )

Getting USB Mice (one per netbook purchased - OPTIONAL) (one example) Part No. Tecom SF-8167 Cost (currently) $8 inc GST (consumable item) Order directly from AnyPC.com.au NOTE: Lenovo have USB mice for $16.71 ex GST

Doing the Sums (one trolley) One trolley fully kitted out: – PCLocs Revolution 16 Trolley – 15 Lenovo DER Netbooks (half a class) – HP Wireless Access – 15 USB Mice (approximate price) $ $ $458 + $115 Total = $9,520 ex GST (x2 for full class)

Important Preparations Optimally condition every battery! – Fully charge & drain each battery 3 times Organise a class booking schedule ALLOCATE each student the same laptop each time Have a process for reporting problems with individual netbooks

Important Preparations Name each netbook appropriately – xxxxNETBOOK001 (where xxxx is school code) – Label each bay in the trolley according to each netbook name – Mark a Netbook number against each student on the class roll – Have a contingency plan for PC failures

Important Preparations Setup Wireless Security on your WAPs – WPA2 with Pre-Shared Key – Use Sydney Region IT Services to get Supportable standards Mount your WAP and Power Injector on a board for easy connection and setup Label everything!

Important Preparations Buy a Power Timer for each trolley – Don’t just plug them into power all night every night! – Only charge for about 4 hours – Don’t charge if the trolley was not used at all that day – This will extend battery life

Set Rules and Guidelines All teachers and students need to understand how the Portable PC Lab works and how it should be used – Provide clear instructions and rules Sample Classroom Netbook Use Procedures Sample Classroom Netbook Use Procedures

For What Purpose? Why do you want a portable PC Lab? Where will trolleys be stored? What can netbooks reasonably do? How long will a session be? What will the clear goals be for each netbook session?

Software? Sharing? Printing? Beyond the pre-installed software, what else do you need? And Why? Is access to the school’s server needed? Is printing required? – If yes, to which printer? Who manages printing when 30 students in a class print at the same time?

Factor in the Future! These netbooks have 2 years’ warranty. How long do you hope they’ll last? – Buying into 1:1 is not a one-off cost – Is there a replacement budget? – Batteries are consumables - $75 each! – Evaluate, assess and reposition!

Questions? Of course. Who’s going to spend $20,000 or more without asking questions?