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.
Specifications
Here is a description of the kind of computer we would like students to bring to school every day.
- 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. These are not compulsory specs, but are offered as a guideline.
- Processor: Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 processors (or higher), 64-bit processors
- Memory: 8 GB of RAM
- Space: 300 GB or more of space, preferably on a solid state drive (SSD) for durability
- 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 and 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 English versions of the following software installed.
- An office suite with a word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation software, such as Microsoft Office or Open Office. We generally use Google Drive in the classroom, but having alternative software on the computer is a good idea.
- Web browsers such as Google Chrome (recommended as we work with many Google products) and Mozilla Firefox.
Students in the MYP and DP should have word processing software that allows the student to write text vertically (for Japanese class). Microsoft Office has this feature.
Third Party Liability Insurance
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.