The Comprehensive Guide to Bring Your Own Device Student and parent information package Kariong Mountains High School
Background information Special Thanks Gratitude must be given to Merrylands High School for making available the majority of the following information. Thank you for sharing your hard work and expertise from the experience of your BYOD program. What is BYOD? Bring your own device (BYOD) refers to students bringing a personally owned device to school for the purpose of learning. A personally owned device is any technology device brought into the school and is owned by a student or the student s family. There are different models of BYOD. The laptop or tablet must be able to the school Wi-Fi and have specific software or apps installed. Why BYOD? The purpose of BYOD is to continue technology-rich learning for all students at Kariong Mountains High School. There will be more opportunities for students to collaborate with others, connect with a global community, receive feedback from teachers, and create products like videos to show their learning. Educational research shows that BYOD leads to many benefits in learning. Some of these benefits are listed below: Devices such as laptops and tablets are already a very significant part of students lives. Since these devices are integral to their lives, they should be integral to their learning lives. Mobile devices are part of 21 st century living and integral to learning 21 st century skills, which are vital for students to learn and develop. BYOD allows even further personalised learning for students. BYOD allows learning to be even more collaborative. When students are able to use their own devices, it often leads to increased motivation and engagement in learning. 2 P age
Steps to BYOD Start Sign the BYOD agreement form Does your child already have a laptop or tablet at home? YES NO Purchase a suitable device for your child to bring to school OR Inform the school your child will need help in obtaining a device Have your child bring the device to school to check if connects to the school Wi-Fi The device does NOT connect to school Wi-Fi The device connects to school Wi-Fi Your child can bring the device to school. Install specified software and apps onto the device. Label the device. Purchase a suitable device for your child to bring to school OR Inform the school your child will need help in obtaining a device OR If the device is a laptop, obtain a USB Wi-Fi adapter for 5 GHz dual band. This may connect the Your child can bring the device to school. device to the school Wi-Fi. Install specified software and apps onto the device. Label the device. 3 P age
What device should students bring to school? Kariong Mountains High School encourages students to bring devices they already own to school for learning purposes. This is because students will already be familiar with the device and will have minimal financial impact on families. These devices, however, must be able to connect to the school s wireless internet and have certain programs or applications installed. To ensure that students can get the best learning opportunities at school and at home, the devices they bring to school should follow the guidelines below. Note that prices listed are correct at the time of publication. Laptops Windows Mac RAM Minimum 2GB; Preferably 4GB Minimum 2GB; Preferably 4GB Operating Windows 7 or 8 OS X Mavericks system Wireless Look for laptops that support 5GHz dual band wireless or 802.11 a/b/g/n (Make sure it supports both a and n ) Look for laptops that support that support 5GHz dual band wireless or 802.11 a/b/g/n (Make sure it supports both a and n ) Hardware -Webcam and microphone input -Webcam and microphone input Browser Internet Explorer 10 and Chrome Safari and Chrome Screen size 11 inch or above 11 inch or above Battery life Minimum 6 hours Minimum 6 hours Software Suggested devices to purchase if students do not already have an existing device Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote) - from $165. See here for special deals for government school students http://www.sigroup.com.au/shop-schoolstudents.html All laptops must have active antivirus software installed. Download FREE antivirus for Windows at http://bit.ly/winantivirus. Dell laptops Dell has a special website with laptops selected for government high schools. Prices start from $519.85. Visit http://www.dell.com.au/nswdecbyod. All devices on this website will connect to the school s Wi-Fi. Lenovo laptops Lenovo Edge Series or ThinkPad laptops. Prices start from $499 from Lenovo s website http://www.lenovo.com/au/en/. Note: Lenovo laptops bought from the Lenovo website will require an upgrade to a/b/g/n wireless card for approximately $7.70. You choose this upgrade when you customise the laptop at the time of purchase. Microsoft Office for Mac (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) from $169 See here for special deals for government school students http://www.sigroup.com.au/shopschool-students.html All laptops must have active antivirus software installed. See http://bit.ly/macantivirus for more details. MacBook Air from $1099 MacBook Pro from $1349 4 P age
Chromebooks Chromebooks are similar to laptops, but are designed mainly for web browsing. They are a more affordable alternative to regular laptops. Chromebooks are able to connect to the school Wi-Fi, but will have reduced capacity when it is not connected to wireless internet. Students and parents need to keep this in mind if they choose to use a Chromebook. Two options in the chromebook range are Samsung Chromebook (from $349) or the HP Pavillion Chromebook (from $398). There is no need to purchase software or antivirus software for Chromebooks. Tablet PCs RAM Operating system Wireless Hardware Windows Minimum 2GB; Preferably 4GB Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro 802.11 n 5 GHz - Look for tablet PCs that support 802.11 a/b/g/n (Make sure it supports a and n ) Webcam and microphone input Students may also bring a keyboard and stylus Browser Internet Explorer 10 Battery life Minimum 6 hours Software Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) All tablet PCs must have active antivirus software installed. Download FREE antivirus for Windows at http://bit.ly/winantivirus Suggested Microsoft Surface RT/Microsoft Surface Pro from $459 devices to purchase if students do not already have an existing device Dell Latitude 10 tablet from $599 (available from the DELL BYOD website - http://www.dell.com.au/nswdecbyod) 5 P age
Tablets Please note that not many Android tablets will connect to the school s wireless internet. At the publication of this information package, only the Google Nexus 10 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 connect to the school s Wi-Fi. If you are choosing to purchase an Android device, ask the following question to store staff: Do NOT purchase an Android device for BYOD unless the answer is yes. Operating system ios (ipads) ios 6 or higher Android Android 4.0 or higher (Ice Cream Sandwich or Jellybean) Memory size 16 Gb minimum 16 Gb minimum Wireless 802.11 n 5 GHz 802.11 n 5 GHz Hardware Accessories Apps that must be on the device Account to install apps Suggested devices to purchase if students do not already have an existing device There is no need for students to have a tablet with 3G/4G connectivity Students may choose to bring a stylus and a keyboard All tablets must be protected by a case and a screenguard Google Drive (Free) Evernote (Free) Safari (Free) SRN Client (Free) Geogebra (Free) Dictionary (Free) Students need to have access to an itunes account so they access to download and install apps at home. ipad Mini from $346 ipad 2 from $419 There is no need for students to have a tablet with 3G/4G connectivity Students may choose to bring a stylus and a keyboard All tablets must be protected by a case and a screenguard Google Drive (Free) Chrome (Free) Evernote (Free) All Android devices must have active antivirus software installed. See http://bit.ly/androidantivirus for more details. Students need to have access to a Google Play account so they can download and install apps at home. Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 from $498 ipad with retina display (the new ipad) from $529 ipad Air from $597 Note that the ipad 1 will NOT be able to connect to the school Wi-Fi 6 P age
Other considerations when deciding to buy a device to bring to school Does the device look and feel like it is durable? How much does the device weigh? Will it be comfortable for the student to carry it in their bag with other contents that are also usually carried in their bag? If it is a laptop, does it have a good keyboard and touchpad? 7 P age
How to check whether your existing Windows laptop will connect to the school Wi-Fi Students can bring their existing devices to school to check whether it connects to the school Wi-Fi. For Windows 7 machines Click on the Start orb Type Device Manager in the search box and click on Device Manager Double click on Network Adapters. The name of the wireless adaptor will tell you whether it is capable of connecting to school wireless. The name must have indicate it has n wireless, similar to the diagram below. This wireless adaptor says a/b/g/n. The important letters to look for are a and n. 8 P age
For Windows 8 machines Press the Windows key on your keyboard to access the Start screen. Type cmd until the search result appears under the Apps list. Select Command Prompt to open the application. On the Command Prompt window, enter netsh wlan show drivers then press Enter. Look for the Radio types supported section. If it says that the network adapter supports 802.11a AND 802.11n network modes, then the device will connect to the school wireless. What if my Windows laptop does not connect to the school Wi-Fi? If your child s Windows laptop does not connect to the school Wi-Fi, you may choose to obtain a USB Wi-Fi adapter for 5 GHz dual band. Having this adapter plugged into the laptop may allow the laptop to be connected to the school Wi-Fi. These USB Wi-Fi adapters are available from most electronic shops. This can be an option to try before making a decision to purchase a device that does connect to the school Wi-Fi. 9 P age
Practical tips for parents All students who are part of the BYOD trial will undertake specific lessons on how to use their devices and the internet safely. As a parent/guardian, you know your child the best. The following advice looks at ways you as a parent can support your child s use of their device and internet effectively, so they can learn safely and securely. Set boundaries Students don t need to use their device all the time Consider specifying where in the home the device can be used and where it is stored when not in use Monitor Talk about internet activities openly and feely Have your child use the device in a shared family area where you can monitor how long your child is online as well as the websites your child is visiting Share the experience Ask your child to demonstrate the way they use their device for school Ask your child to teach you how to use the device Focus on the positive aspects of the internet when sharing the experience with your child Spend time looking together at sites that are fun, interesting or educational Encourage your child to question things on the internet such as Who is in charge of this site?, Have I found information or is it just opinion, Is this site trying to sell me something? Protect Have a discussion with your child that all information on the internet is good, true or helpful Empower your child to use the internet safely by showing them safe sites and explaining why they are safe. Have a discussion with your child on what kind of personal details they should not give out on the internet. 10 P age
Kariong Mountains High School Bring Your Own Device Student Agreement Students must read this agreement in the company of an adult unless excused by the Principal. This page is to be signed and returned to the school. By signing at the bottom of this page students agree to the following behaviours: I agree that my use of the NSW Department of Education and Communities (NSWDEC) internet will be primarily for learning. I agree to only ever use my own portal/internet log-in details and never share those with others. I agree to not hack or bypass any hardware and software security implemented by NSWDEC or my school. I agree to not use BYOD to knowingly search for, link to, access or send anything that is; offensive pornographic threatening abusive defamatory I agree to report inappropriate behaviour and material to my teacher. I agree to stay safe by not giving out my personal information to strangers. I understand that my activity on the internet is recorded and these records may be used in investigations, court proceedings or for other legal reasons. I acknowledge that the school cannot be held responsible for any damage to or theft of my device. I agree that use of my device during school activities is at the direction of the teacher. Date: / / Student Name Student Signature in the presence of: Parent/Carer Name in the presence of: Parent/Carer Signature 11 P age