Tech Resource Guide for Parents & Guardians: Tech Basics: What Students Need

What Does a Nobles Student Need?

• Apple laptops (e.g. MacBook Air​ and MacBook Pro​) are most commonly used across the school, although some Chromebooks are leveraged in classrooms. A smaller percentage of the community uses Windows-based devices. Laptops are generally recommended over tablets since they are more suitable for traditional assignments involving typing/writing/word processing while offering similar capabilities for web-based work.​ ​
• If you are looking at an Apple device, the base MacBook Air currently being sold at the Apple store would be a good buy that can last the next few years. See here. 
• If your student plans to do heavy video or digital photography, it may suit you well to add more storage and RAM to your computer configuration. 
• Internet Access Requirement: A reliable internet connection at home is very important for student access to class websites and daily homework assigned by teachers. Financial assistance may also be available for internet access. (Details below)

Nobles Middle School Technology Overview 2024–2025

Nobles seeks to support all students to use the best computing device to complement their middle school academic experience. Our middle school teachers incorporate technology in their classrooms when deemed advantageous in the pursuit of the best classroom learning experience. Student use of academic technology for research, writing, collaboration, communication, assessment and accessing multimedia content is critical to student success at Nobles. Our middle schoolers are asked to adhere to strict rules when using technology. Members of the Nobles community are asked to use technology effectively, responsibly and ethically.

Hardware Recommendation

Nobles middle school students must have access to a device that can travel between home and school on a daily basis.

• An Apple device has proven an ideal laptop for our middle school students.
• We do not recommend tablets (including the iPad Pro), Chromebooks or Windows-based devices in order to maintain a level of uniformity, compatibility and support that enhances the student learning experience

If you are considering buying a computer for your child, we strongly suggest that you rent/purchase an Apple laptop (see the chart with specifications at right). Our experience has been that battery life, reliability, user-friendliness, and longevity have been great on Apple laptops. As a result, we see fewer tech support requests on these computers. If you have concerns about the financial impact to your family of such a purchase, please see “Financial Assistance / Loaner Program” below.

Financial Assistance/Loaner Program

If the costs associated with our academic technology requirements (either the need to secure an Apple laptop or the need for a home internet connection) prove challenging, we encourage parents and guardians to reach out to the School.

The financial aid process considers the financial situation of each family on an annual basis, including needs that extend beyond tuition and fees. For families with demonstrated financial need, students can borrow laptops for the academic year via an application process that should be completed before the start of the school year.

If you have questions or would like to inquire about getting a loaner computer from the school, please contact Director of Financial Aid Stephanie Boulay (Stephanie_Boulay@nobles.edu).

Warranties

Apple Care: Every new Mac comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary technical support. AppleCare+ for Mac extends your coverage to three years from your AppleCare+ purchase date and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $99 for screen damage or external enclosure damage, or $299 for other damage, plus applicable tax. In addition, you’ll get 24/7 priority access to Apple experts by chat or phone. In our experience, Apple Care has been worth the investment covering accidental damage.

Third-Party Warranties: When buying refurbished machines, consider purchasing a third-party warranty. Many students have had success using Square Trade for warranties.

Why is Nobles suggesting an Apple device?

Over the years, the Nobles technical support team has observed far fewer problems with Mac laptops in our environment. Our data also shows that many more students already own Mac laptops, and this is the same set of machines that are provided to our faculty.

Middle school students benefit from consistency and organization; having a single shared computing platform is developmentally appropriate for this age. There are several middle school projects that revolve around the use of multimedia software and benefit from having a consistent platform.

While perhaps more expensive at the point of purchase, according to Consumer Reports brand reliability, Apple laptops had the fewest repairs and serious problems. Finally, Apple tops Consumer Reports’ technology support ratings. Apple Stores have free workshops, and you can get free tech support from their Genius bars, too.