www.readingtn.k12.nj.us September 15, 2015 Dear Readingtn Middle Schl Families, We are excited t annunce that we are cntinuing with Bring Yur Own Device fr all middle schl students! We recgnize that many f ur students already pssess cmputing devices (Laptps, ipads, Kindles, etc.) that culd greatly enhance their learning experience in the classrm. Additinally, as ur students transitin t high schl, they will be permitted t bring their wn devices t class. Allwing ur middle schl students t have this same pprtunity assists with the transitin t high schl and teaches them the apprpriate use f and etiquette fr technlgy in a classrm setting. Teachers will allw students, at their discretin, t use cmputing devices in their classrm fr certain instructinal lessns. The use f such devices will be held t the same standard as existing schl issued devices. Yu and yur child have read and signed ff n the schl district Acceptable Use Plicy (AUP) in the beginning f the schl year. There is als language in ur Parent/Student Handbk abut the use f electrnic devices that will nw be bslete due t permissin being granted t bring these devices t schl. Please review that plicy carefully as we mve frward with expanding technlgy use t supprt the instructinal envirnment. Als, be aware that the schl is nt respnsible fr lss, theft r damage f persnal equipment. We implre yu t cautin yur child abut safe keeping f his/her device in a lcked lcker r area during the times it is nt in his/her pssessin - as well as safe keeping during bus transprtatin t and frm schl. Please nte that we are nt requiring students t bring in their wn device. We currently have equipment fr teacher and student use that we will still prvide. We are pening up this pprtunity t students and teachers wh have their wn devices that they feel cmfrtable with and will enhance their teaching/learning experience! Fr students t participate in BYOD please fllw these tw steps 1) Parents grant permissin and agree t terms f use Access the authrizatin frm lcated n the Parent Prtal: https://parents.genesisedu.cm/readingtn Click Frms > Open the fllwing tw frms and review: a. Netwrk Agreement and Permissin RMS Frm and b. BYOD Authrizatin Frm At bttm f each frm check I agree and Update Answers By checking the answer bx yu and yur child agree t the terms utlined in each dcument.
2) Students request BYOD access a. Students will bring their persnal device int schl. During an acceptable perid, students will cnnect their device t the schls RPS-Student-BYOD wireless netwrk. b. Once they cnnect they will pen any web brwser n their persnal device and the Welcme t RPS- Students-BYOD registratin page will be displayed. Students will click Create an Accunt c. Students will fill ut the frm using their current schl email address and passwrd and click Create new Accunt. d. The Technlgy team will than review the accunt creatin requests and send an email back t the student nce access has been enabled t the RPS-Students-BYOD netwrk. e. Students will then be able t access the RPS-Students-BYOD netwrk n any persnal device they bring in by entering their email and passwrd and n the sign in page.
Belw are sme frequently asked questins abut BYOD. Please take sme time t review them. Shuld yu have a questin cncerning BYOD that is nt addressed, please email BYOD@readingtn.k12.nj.us Why Bring Yur Own Device (BYOD) in the Readingtn Twnship Schl District? The Readingtn Twnship Schl District believes that 21st Century instructin is necessary fr 21st Century learning. Prviding students with an envirnment that fsters and encurages this belief is part f ur cre values. All members f ur learning cmmunity hld the respnsibility t value technlgy and achieve technlgical prficiency t prepare ur students fr future jbs, which currently may nt exist. Schls must challenge students with rigrus, persnalized academic experiences, fster innvatin and creativity, and embrace emerging technlgies. In a 21st Century learning envirnment, students actively engage in a chesively integrated curriculum, access infrmatin and apply it in slving authentic prblems. Our students are living in a wrld where they have immediate access t infrmatin anytime and anywhere. Many students have persnally wned devices in their pckets that can be used t allw them t learn in their wn style and at their wn pace. With digital learning, every student can access high quality and rigrus instructin in every subject, thereby, maximizing their pprtunity fr success in schl and beynd. A decade ag this was just a dream. Tday, it can be a reality. What is the D in BYOD? Fr the purpses f BYOD, Device means a privately wned wireless and/r prtable electrnic piece f equipment that includes laptps, netbks, tablets/slates, ipd Tuches, cell and smart phnes. What Schl Bard Plicies shuld I be aware f? There are several Readingtn Bard f Educatin plicies that are relevant t students use f technlgy. All plicies are available fr review thrugh ur district website. These plicies listed belw will be f special cnsideratin t families: Plicy 2360 Use f Technlgy Plicy 2361 Acceptable Use f Cmputer Netwrk/Cmputers and Resurces Plicy 2363 Pupil Use f Privately-Owned Technlgy Plicy 5500 Expectatins fr Pupil Cnduct Plicy 5512 Harassment, Intimidatin, and Bullying Plicy 5516 Use f Electrnic Cmmunicatin and Recrding Devices What if my device is stlen r damaged? What recurse can I take? Students bring electrnic cmmunicatin devices t schl at their wn risk, just like any ther persnal items. The district will nt be held respnsible if an electrnic device r ther item is lst, stlen r misplaced. Sme devices have a device lcatr; it is recmmended that yu enable this feature if pssible. Bringing yur wn devices t schl can be useful, hwever sme risks are invlved as well. It is always a gd idea t recrd the device s serial number t have in case f theft. It is als strngly recmmended that students label all devices, pwer crds, etc. with their full name fr easy recgnitin. The Readingtn Twnship Schl District is nt
respnsible fr the theft f a device, nr are they respnsible fr any damage dne t the device while at schl. Any time a theft ccurs, yu shuld cntact a schl administratr t make him/her aware f the ffense. Must students use the Schl wireless? Can they use their wn 3G r 4G service? Students with a persnally wned device need t use the RPS-Student-BYOD netwrk. Using persnal data service is nt permitted. I am bringing a device t schl fr instructinal purpses. Will I have access t things I nrmally d with district equipment? Yu will have access t any f the web-based sftware the district currently uses (databases, library search tls etc.) Sftware may run differently n different devices fr varying reasns. Am I required t add additinal sftware (virus prtectin, tracking device, etc.) t my child s device? The guest netwrk at RPS-Student-BYOD is an pen netwrk. Yu shuld take measures t prtect yur devices, including updated Anti-Virus and Malware prtectin. Windws Cmputers During the initial BYOD cnnectin prcess, ur Technlgy supprt team will mnitr that yur antivirus sftware is installed and updated n any Windws devices. Micrsft ffers a free antivirus prgram fr Windws 7 cmputers Micrsft Security Essentials which can be dwnlad here: http://windws.micrsft.cm/en-us/windws/security-essentials-dwnlad Windws 8 cmputers have antivirus and malware prtectin already built in. Apple MacBk Cmputers Sphs Anti-Virus Free is a free antivirus prgram fr Mac s which can be dwnlad here: http://www.sphs.cm/en-us/prducts/free-tls/sphs-antivirus-fr-mac-hme-editin.aspx Apple and Andrid mbile devices: Lkut is a free mbile security device applicatin and lcatr which can be dwnlad here: https://www.lkut.cm/ Please ensure sure yur devices is nt sharing any persnal files, flders r applicatins ver the netwrk. I dn t have my wn electrnic cmmunicatin device t bring t schl. Will I be penalized r miss ut n instructin? N, it is nt mandatry fr students t bring a device, even if they d wn ne. When electrnic devices are used t enhance learning in the classrm, students withut a persnal device will be prvided access t an apprpriate district wned digital device. Keep in mind that learning can be enhanced greatly fr the entire class even if nly a handful f students have a device.
I have my device with me in class. Hw d I get n the Internet nw? Mst devices will detect a wireless cnnectin when yu are near ne. Mst f the time devices will ask yu if yu wuld like t jin the netwrk when prmpted, chse frm the list. My device is nt prmpting me t chse a wireless netwrk. Is there anther way t cnnect? In the settings menu f yur device, there is usually an icn fr a netwrk, g t this icn and chse RPS_BYOD frm the list r prmpt yur cmputer t lk fr wireless netwrks in range. I can t get my device t cnnect t the netwrk. Can I get sme help frm smene? Due t legal cncerns, under n circumstances are schl staff permitted t wrk n persnal devices. It is nt the respnsibility f yur teacher r ther staff t trublesht individual devices. If access t a cmputer is needed fr a class assignment students may cntinue t use any f the district laptps r desktps lcated in the schl I need t save my wrk in my netwrk flder. Why can t I access this resurce? Yu are n the guest netwrk. It is nt the same as the netwrk yu wuld nrmally access frm a schl cmputer. Yu will nt see yur netwrk flder, s yu will need t save yur wrk in anther place. Sme ptins include a flash drive, yur wn hard drive, r Ggle Dcs. I need t print the assignment I just cmpleted, why is there n printer when I try this? Like the netwrk flders, printers are netwrked differently in the schl and will nt be available when yu lg in t the guest netwrk. Sme netwrk slutins include saving it t a flash drive r printing it frm hme r anther schl cmputer. Yur teacher may als have a special clud inbx thrugh which student wrk may be submitted. Why am I filtered n my wn cmputer? Shuldn t I be able t see what I want t n my wn device? Internet filtering is a requirement f all public schls. The Children s Internet Prtectin Act (CIPA) requires all netwrk access t be filtered regardless f the device yu use t access it while in a public schl. Yu wn yur device, but the netwrk yu re using belngs t the schl and Internet access will be filtered. Will I be able t recharge my device during the day? We will have pwer strips available in several classrms fr students t make use f in an emergency. Students shuld charge their devices at hme as it may nt always be cnvenient t charge devices at schl. Am I still held accuntable fr the Acceptable Use Plicy (AUP) I signed at the beginning f the schl year even thugh this is my persnal device? Yes, students using a persnally wned device must have an Acceptable Use Plicy signed.