iPad FAQ

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An external connected or Bluetooth keyboard is required. It is always a safe bet to purchase the Bluetooth keyboard from Apple.

It is strongly recommended that all students use cases to protect their iPads.

Students will probably need an iPad cover, headphones/earbuds, and insurance when purchasing the iPad. Additionally, there will be apps and eBooks that may be necessary and we expect that cost to be less than $100, in addition to the current price range of an iPad.

No. Orange Lutheran has determined that the Apple iPad is our mobile learning device of choice and the only tablet device that students will be able to bring to school. All students will be required to have an iPad for use at school and home.

Each teacher will be letting students know which apps are needed during the first week of school for their particular course. The only app that ALL students will need is Notability, which is the school’s note-taking app of choice.

No, Orange Lutheran does not sell iPads. iPads may be purchased at many stores, as well as through Apple.

Students can find which classes have digital textbooks available in the Orange Lutheran Bookstore.

Families should strongly consider purchasing Applecare, which extends the normal one-year warranty coverage of manufacturing defects and malfunctions to three years. However, students are expected to care for their iPads. Broken, lost, or stolen devices will be the responsibility of each family. Orange Lutheran is not able to provide a loaner or temporary replacement.

Please do not leave iPads or computers unattended. When not in use, please place them in your locker! All iPads can be identified by serial number. Students should enable “Find my iPad” under the iCloud settings on the iPad. Information on “Find my iPad” can be found here.

Yes. Students must have an iTunes account to add or sync apps. Each student may use his or her current account if he or she has one. It is strongly recommended that students consistently sync their school-related Apps and Documents on the iPad with iTunes or iCloud. This will help in the event that their device is damaged or lost. Directions can be found here.

With the advent of “family sharing” we highly recommend students have their own Apple ID account within the family sharing option. Directions can be found here.

 

Does iTunes accounts require a credit card for purchases? How will I keep my student from charging iTunes purchases without my permission?

It’s true that generally, a credit card makes things easier, but we understand that it can make them too easy! One way to solve this would be to set up an iTunes account without a credit card. To make any purchases, a student would need to purchase and add an iTunes gift card to the account. Once the value of the gift card has been exhausted, no further purchases can be made until another gift card is added. The family sharing option also allows parents to set up an “approval” step before a student’s purchase would be approved. Directions can be found here.

Students will be able to install their own apps or music, similar to their phones. Please be aware that with the 16GB model, students may not be able to store excessive amounts of their own apps, music and photos. There are parental controls that can be configured on the iPad, if this is a concern to you.

There are some good Internet browsers available for the iPad that allow parents to set limits to the sites students can view. One such app is Mobicip. Installation instructions are available on the Mobicip website. You can also setup general restrictions, even limiting websites use to only sites you input and approve, using built-in parental controls.

Although we wish we could guarantee a 100% safe environment, some wise proactive steps to take would include: Make sure all iPads are locked in lockers, especially during sports, practices and events. Record the iPad serial number at home. Get your iPad engraved with your name. Insure your iPad. Configure “Find my iPad” in the iCloud settings which uses wifi or 3G connections to locate your iPad and tell you where it is.

On campus internet provided by Orange Lutheran complies with State filtering requirements. Any concerns with this service can be directed to the Technology Department staff. Any iPads, or phones for that matter, that have mobile internet access are unfiltered as they do not receive internet access through Orange Lutheran’s services. These devices should be managed by parents through device specific parental controls.

While the iPad should be able to handle most of a student’s computing needs, it is not intended to replace a laptop or desktop computer. We strongly suggest that you use a full-service laptop or desktop computer to sync the iPad. For students who only have an iPad, Learning Commons computers are available for use in submitting online classroom assignments. If students are a part of our Blended program or considering taking multiple online courses, we recommend a laptop, preferably a MacBook or MacBook Air 13″.

Syncing the iPad simply means connecting it to a laptop or desktop computer, a process that backs up the contents of the iPad and usually takes just a few minutes. The most effective situation will be using a laptop or desktop computer at home. If there is no home computer available, we recommend a cloud-based storage system such as DropBox, Google Drive, or iCloud. Syncing does not affect how the iPad is used. It merely provides a backup for the iPad in the event that something should happen to it.

Yes and no. Our tech department will always help students with problems related to setting up an iPad, accessing school resources, or general use issues, regardless of who owns the device. However, since we do not own your equipment and did not purchase maintenance contracts for you (though you may have), we cannot send your iPad off for repair and we cannot help with replacement of lost or stolen devices. As always, you can contact the technology department if you need advice on iPad repairs.

Apple offers free help on how to get started with your iPad.