Nip Ed students first to learn on MacBooks

Nipissing University
News Release

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Nipissing University is pleased to announce that it will be the first Faculty of
Education in Canada to employ both major computer Operating Systems, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows, on the same laptop within a teacher education program.

When the school year begins next fall, Nipissing Bachelor of Education students will be using Apple MacBook computers in the Faculty's groundbreaking iTeach Laptop Learning Program.

The University has secured institution specific education pricing from Apple Canada which is exclusive to the Nipissing community. Prior to the start of the school year, students will have the opportunity to choose from eight laptop models that best meet their needs and budget. Students will lease an external hard drive from Nipissing University which will contain important Ministry of Education provincially licensed software for their use as teacher candidates.

Apple Canada will provide training and certification opportunities to Nipissing staff. The existing University Technology Service Help Desk will become an authorized Apple service centre, providing technical service for Nipissing
students and faculty. The staff within the iTeach Centre will have access to Apple Educator Certified Training to enable them to offer more effective support on the academic applications side.

"Nipissing is a leader in education and in the use of educational technology in the classroom," said Dr. Ron Wideman, Dean of Education. "With the introduction of MacBooks, our students have a tremendous opportunity to gain expertise on the two dominate operating systems and related educational software, giving them a significant advantage in the employment market."

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