It really just depends on what the goals of the program are. I'm assuming that the primary purpose of the program is to implement technology into the curriculum. If so, the computers have to work when the teachers are teaching. Otherwise they will simply remove the technological components from their lesson plans.
Give your teachers an easy way to re-image the laptop. Boot able USB Memory sticks work great for this. Keeping student files on a SD Card will make re-imaging trivial. This allows students to explore and learn without fear of 'breaking' the computer. It also alleviates the IT headache of keeping everything running.
As for Browsing etc. Most filtering software/solutions have remote capabilities. I would filter there internet with exactly the same profile that you use at school on district desktop computers. The one change I would make however would be to block all Internet traffic after a certain time, say 10:30 pm. Look into products like 8e6 remote, or Google's Web Security.
A solid student/parent signed contract is a good way to let your expectations be known. Computer Care (hardware and software), Usage limits, bringing the computer to school with a full battery etc. Consequences should be spelled out in the contract.
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It really just depends on what the goals of the program are. I'm assuming that the primary purpose of the program is to implement technology into the curriculum. If so, the computers have to work when the teachers are teaching. Otherwise they will simply remove the technological components from their lesson plans.
Give your teachers an easy way to re-image the laptop. Boot able USB Memory sticks work great for this. Keeping student files on a SD Card will make re-imaging trivial. This allows students to explore and learn without fear of 'breaking' the computer. It also alleviates the IT headache of keeping everything running.
As for Browsing etc. Most filtering software/solutions have remote capabilities. I would filter there internet with exactly the same profile that you use at school on district desktop computers. The one change I would make however would be to block all Internet traffic after a certain time, say 10:30 pm. Look into products like 8e6 remote, or Google's Web Security.
A solid student/parent signed contract is a good way to let your expectations be known. Computer Care (hardware and software), Usage limits, bringing the computer to school with a full battery etc. Consequences should be spelled out in the contract.