West Ada School District Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Program BYOD Guide August 2014 PURPOSE West Ada School district is committed to preparing all students and teachers to maximize learning by fully integrating relevant technology into the academic content so students will be able to: Acquire, share, evaluate and create digital information Achieve media and technology literacy Maintain a safe and ethical online environment As part of this commitment, the District has wireless capabilities in all school buildings that will allow student owned devices to be used in a classroom setting to support instruction. With classroom teacher approval, students may use their own devices in the classroom to access, interact and save information from the Internet, communicate with other learners and use web productivity tools to create assignments/projects and/or take classroom assessments. State/District mandated tests must be taken on district devices. ACCESS Access to the Internet is provided via a guest network called GUEST which is part of the West Ada wireless local area network. When students use this network they will be expected to uphold all district network policies (Policy No. 1001.30 and the Parent-Student Handbook). Additionally, in compliance with the Children s Internet Protection Act (CIPS). West Ada School District will filter all content for users connected to the GUEST network. THEFT, LOSS OR DAMAGE West Ada School District or any employee of the district is not liable or responsible for any theft, damage or loss of any non-district device or the information on any such device. It is the responsibility of the owner of the device to ensure that the device is safe and secure. ELECTRONIC DEVICES POLICY Students will use electronic communication or data devices only in a manner consistent with instructional and testing activities in the classroom. These devices include, but are not limited to, handheld calculators, PDA's, pagers, cell phones, music playing devices, one-to-one computing devices, cameras, and laptop computers. Use of these devices must not violate any district policy or cause classroom disruption nor may they be used in the access, creation, or possession of inappropriate materials (i.e. pornography). Use of electronic devices in the classroom is at the discretion of the teacher and/or building administrator. Use of electronic devices outside of the classroom is at the discretion of the building principal. Parents or students who bring any electronic device to school or to a school September 8, 2014 1
activity do so at their own risk West Ada School District and its schools assume no liability for damage, theft, etc. Videotaping or taking pictures is prohibited on district property (including buses) unless approved by building administration. If the policies are violated, administrators will determine consequences based on the severity of the incident. Additionally, on the first offense the device may be confiscated until a parent/guardian retrieves it from the front office/administration. TEXTING- PERSONAL INTERNET USAGE FEES West Ada School District is not responsible for any fees associated with using any personal technology devices. All fees and charges related to texting or Internet use on any student- owned device is the sole responsibility of the owner. Frequently Asked Questions Do I need to have anti-virus software on my personal device? Yes. Students should update their anti-virus software before bringing their device(s) onto school property Do I have to register my laptop, smart phone, or other devices with school administrators or teachers? No. You are responsible for your own technology. However, remember that it is completely up to the School Building Administrator or classroom teacher as to whether you can use your technology. Classroom technology usage may change on a daily basis. How do I connect/login to the internet? On your device: Select School Name-Guest network Open a web browser, i.e. Chrome, Internet Explorer and try to load any webpage You will be directed to a login screen Enter Guest Enter Daily password If I cannot get connected to the Guest network, who do I call? Support for student-owned devices is the responsibility of the owner. West Ada Staff is not responsible for technical issues. Also, there may be someone in your class who can help. In the settings menu of your device, there is usually an icon for a network. Go to this icon and select Guest from the list of networks to join. Always consult your device s owner s manual or help menu for exact directions on how to access a wireless network. Can I access Facebook, Twitter or You Tube on my device? September 8, 2014 2
Connectivity to the wireless network is just like connecting to the District network when it comes to sites you may access. It is important to remember that even though you are using your personal technology, you must comply with all district policies and procedures. Can I use my device in all of my classes? That is solely up to the teacher in each of your classes. How do I save my work? You can use a flash drive, cloud based storage or send a document to yourself via email. The district is not responsible for backing up files. Can I print from my own device? No. There is no printing allowed from student-owned devices. If you need to print, it is recommended that you email the document to yourself or save it on a flash drive, then login on a District owned device to retrieve and print. What do I do if my device is stolen or damaged? It is the responsibility of the owner to keep his/her personal technology safe and secure. Anytime there is a theft or damage, you should notify your teacher and/or school building administration and your local law enforcement. The district, or any of its employees, are not responsible for the theft, loss or damage to your personal device. It is recommended that you have the serial number and MAC address of the device stored at home in a safe place in the event you may have to report loss or theft. Will I be able to charge my battery at school? There are a limited number of outlets dedicated to charging personal devices. Students should charge their device prior to coming to school each day. At no time should a student leave devices unattended while being charged. Am I still held accountable for Parent-Student handbook policies that my parents and I sign at the beginning of the school year even though this is my own personal device? Yes. Your signed agreement remains in effect even when you are using your own laptop, cell phone, ipad, ipod touch, etc. Each time you attempt to access the network at school you are expected to abide by West Ada School District policies. Violating the Terms and Conditions of the policies would be a behavior violation and would be dealt with by a school building administrator. If a student uses their own technology at school, will they be able to access things they normally do not when using District technology? Anyone connected to the District wireless network will be filtered in the same way as using Districtowned technology September 8, 2014 3
Since the District is promoting BYOD, does that mean I have to purchase a laptop or smartphone or another technology device? No. The District is simply allowing those students who have the technology the option to bring it to school with permission of the teacher (s) to be used for instructional purposes. This will allow more technology in the school and classroom than currently exists. All students will continue to be able to utilize our school equipment. No student will be left out of the instructional process. What are the building/classroom rules for using student-owned devices including phones? Teachers make the final decisions for any technology used in their classrooms, student-owned devices would be no different. It will be up to the individual classroom teachers to communicate the ir expectations to the students and parents. Feel free to contact your child s teacher(s) or school building administrator for his/her expectations. Does the District have policies for technology use? Yes. The policy for technology use can be found in the Student Handbook. This policy is called the Computer/Network Use and Conduct Policy. Are there specific device specifications I should consider when purchasing a new device? Wireless N Wireless (preferred) or AC Keyboard suggested Java/Flash capable 6 hour battery life or better Are there things to consider when purchasing a device? Many websites require Flash and/ or Java- a device that allows Flash and Java would be preferred- some educational websites require flash and Java to run. A device that has a larger screen and a keyboard will help students be more productive. With new Common Core Standards students have to write much more and need to have a keyboard and a large enough screen to produce and create items like papers and presentations for their classes. What is recommended if a students does not have a personal device to use in the classroom? Any student who does not own a device may use district owned technology at school. (i.e. library technology, labs, etc.). If students have trouble connecting to the BYOD network or using their own technology, is it up to the teacher to help? No. Students that experience trouble with their personal devices should try to troubleshoot using their user s manuals or Help menus on their own. District staff members are not responsible or expected to September 8, 2014 4
provide support for student owned devices. It is the student s responsibility to ensure that their technology device is functioning properly. If students use their own technology, will they be able to get to sites that are not allowed in school? No. Anyone connecting to the GUEST network will be filtered as they would using District-owned devices. Strategies to suggest to users to unable to access the GUEST network Verify that you have selected the GUEST network Verify CAPS lock is not on when entering password Try another browser like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc. Once in a browser, attempt to enter a web address and press Enter Reboot your computer and/or device and try again. If you are not getting on the network, try another device, see if anyone else is havi ng issues before reporting to a staff member. September 8, 2014 5