At Alexandra Secondary College we always strive to provide the best opportunities for student learning and outcomes. We believe that the use of digital technology is central to effective teaching and learning by enabling students to access information online, and engage in collaborative and creative work.

Access to technology is provided to students through a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. Given the shortage of stock currently in Australia, we encourage you to confirm purchase of a device for your child in the near future.

When looking to purchase a device for your child please take note of the following:

  • The College network does NOT support android devices including Chromebooks.
  • iPads are NOT supported. This is based on operational limitations.
  • Apple Macs are NOT recommended for students in junior levels. We rely on the free Paint.Net graphics software for image editing and drawing. Comparable graphics software is not available for a Mac, free or paid. Additionally, students studying Japanese have access to a free Japanese word processor when using a Windows device. Comparable software for use on a Mac costs an additional $128. It is expected that students can realistically be expected to use two devices over their six years of secondary schooling. We therefore recommend that students delay purchasing a Mac until their senior years. If you are considering the purchase of a Mac, please contact Jacki Tossol at the College to discuss prior to purchase.

We have negotiated with Learning with Technologies (LWT) one of Australia’s largest educational technology resellers along with a local business, Country Tech Alexandra to provide you with access to a variety of devices available to purchase at educational pricing rates and at a variety of price points. Whilst you are not obligated to purchase from either of these companies, there are advantages in doing so.

As a large education supplier of technology, LWT is able to supply industrial standard machines at educational pricing. LWT services warranty claims on site at the College. Country Tech is a local business, which is conveniently located. It is able to service warranty claims in store. Both suppliers offer favourable financing options, and a more simplified method for logging warranty and insurance claims.

Important: Please note that you should ensure that any device you purchase comes with a 3-year warranty.

The Federal Government has passed a new law that came into effect on 5 October, 2021. This new law requires all manufacturers, insurers and resellers of laptops and other goods and services nationally to create a four-day deferral period. This period starts when you commit to purchase a laptop.  In short, this means when you select insurance to go with your device on the LWT website, you will be charged for the device only at checkout. You  will then be sent an email to pay the remainder on day five. This effectively gives you a five-day period to opt out of the insurance. You will also receive a mandated email titled “You can say no to add-on insurance”. LWT have implemented these changes in order to be  compliant with the legislation. We appreciate this may be quite confusing for you.

Of significance to Mac purchasers is that Apple have advised LWT that they are pulling AppleCare from the general market due to this legislation. LWT are currently exploring a solution for you, the purchasers.  In the short term it is our understanding that you can still purchase AppleCare from Apple directly.

Models from LWT can be ordered via their online portal at https://alexandrasc.orderportal.com.au/ Devices purchased from LWT will be shipped via Australia Post to your designated address.

Recommended devices from Country Tech can be viewed here.

When deciding which Windows device to purchase from any supplier we suggest you take into consideration the following factors:

  • Storage capacity – the more the better – 128 GB minimum, 256GB preferred
  • Storage – SSD (Solid State Drive) versus HDD (Hard Disc Drive) – Both do the same job. HDD is cheaper but SSD boots a machine faster and has higher overall performance. We highly recommend an SSD as not only will performance be faster, but battery life will be optimised meaning the battery will last for longer during the school day. Note that SSD usually adds approximately $100 to the cost of a machine; however, we consider this to be money very well spent.
  • The chosen machine MUST be able to run Windows 10
  • 3-year warranty and insurance
  • Cost

Please note that all devices offered by LWT, and recommended by Country Tech meet the recommended specifications of the College.

Should you consider purchasing a device second-hand, we urge you to ensure the machine meets the specifications listed above.

Students should ensure they have an appropriate cover/case to protect their device. Both LWT and Country Tech offer a range of cases for purchase.

Students will be provisioned with access to Office 365, a cloud based, online Microsoft platform to facilitate learning anytime and anywhere. Office 365 will provide your child with access to the Microsoft suite of programs including: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Mail at no charge.

If providing a device is problematic, we encourage you to contact us at the College.

We look forward to working with your child next year.

Should you have additional questions please do not hesitate to contact Jacki Tossol at the College on 5770 2000.