TIS students in Grades 4 to 12 are asked to bring their own computers (laptops) to school. Students must take personal responsibility for their own computers and must learn to keep them well-maintained and in good working order. It is not possible for siblings to share one computer. Each student must have his/her own computer.
It is fine for students to have a used/secondhand laptop rather than a new one for this purpose. If you will find it difficult to supply your children with a computer, please talk to the school about your options.
Here is a description of the kind of computer we would like students to bring.
- Must have a wireless connection to the internet that can handle the 5 GHz band
- Must be approximately A4 size or larger (while more cumbersome to carry, A4 size is ideal as it provides a good amount of screen space)
- Can be PC or Mac
- Can have Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system (in English or Japanese)
- The computer should be in good working condition and fast enough for the student to work at the same pace as other students. Various configurations can achieve this, but the following are recommended minimums: 2.0 GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, and 300GB of space on the HD. These are not compulsory specs, but are offered as a guideline.
- Must be able to handle video conferencing (web camera, microphone, enough memory to handle this task)
- No netbooks, Chromebooks, or tablets due to their limited screen size and limited functionality
- MYP students (Grades 6 to 10) will need a wired mouse for MYP Design class
- Should be durable
- Should come with a protective case
- Must have ALL PARTS (computer, cord, mouse, case, etc.) clearly labelled with your child’s name
If you have a computer that you think might be suitable, but you are not sure, please have your child bring the computer to school and we can test it out. If you are not sure what computer to buy, please ask the school for advice and recommendations.
The laptop should have the following (free) software installed.
It would also be beneficial for the laptop to have Microsoft Office (with at least Word, Excel, and Powerpoint) installed. We generally use Google Drive in the classroom, but having an alternative is a good idea.
Students in the MYP and DP should have word processing software that allows the student to write text vertically (for Japanese class).
If you have trouble installing any of these programs, please let us know and we will help with the installation.
In order to prepare for any accidental damage that your child might cause to another child’s computer, we recommend that each family look into getting “Third Party Liability Insurance” (第三者賠償責任保険). Most home, car, and life insurance policies come with this insurance as an extra (usually very inexpensive) option. We highly recommend that parents consider activating this option in their own policy.