The Awty International School Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Committee Report 1/10
Report Contents Introduction What is BYOD? Page 3 Why BYOD was implemented at Awty Page 3 Information Technology and Educational Technology Department Readiness Page 3 Acceptable Computer Devices and Software Requirements Recommended, Acceptable, and Unacceptable Computer Devices and Software Requirements Pages 4 5 Policy and Procedures Student Network Accounts Page 6 The Internet Page 6 Printing Page 6 On/Off line Storage Page 7 In and Out of the classroom Page 7 Security of Devices Page 7 Implementation procedures Implementation Topics Page 8 Middle School Page 8 Upper School Page 8 Student Technical Resources Pages 8 9 FAQ: FAQ Page 9 10 2/10
Introduction What is Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)? Beginning in 2012 2013, all students enrolled in both the Secondary French and Secondary International sections will be required to bring a personal computing device to school as part of their normal set of supplies. Students are expected to have devices in class per the teachers instructions. They will receive a network account to access the school s wireless network from any location on the campus. The account will allow students to use school printers, share network resources, utilize on line storage, and communicate with others. Why BYOD was implemented at Awty Over the last five years, the Awty Technology Department has supported classroom instruction with a 1:1 laptop checkout program. As the 1:1 program progressed, it quickly became evident that students greatly benefited by having access to a personal learning device during their learning day. We see a marked increase in the demand for laptop checkouts as well as for computer lab time as teachers have infused their lessons with technology. The teachers require the use of computers for writing assignments, research, creating spreadsheets, presentations, and creative design. Our objective in making this decision is to promote greater independence, increased academic engagement, and a higher level of skill development for all students. Our goal is to prepare your child to compete, connect, and collaborate as an ethical citizen in a global society. Information Technology and Educational Technology Readiness The Awty Information Technology Department has made a significant investment in upgrading the network infrastructure to support the BYOD initiative. The network is filtered for inappropriate content and students will be able to print from their devices to school printers. The Educational Technology Department will review any freeware or Cloud applications for educational effectiveness and for possible technical problems before allowing teachers to ask students to access or download and install an application on their devices. Additionally, the faculty will receive detailed instructions and training from the Educational Technology Department to prepare them to work effectively with BYOD. 3/10
Acceptable Computer Devices/Software Requirements Essentially any device that will connect to the Internet and access the school s network system for use of shared services, such as printers and common drives will be suitable for BYOD. Recommended Devices: Any major type of laptop, netbook, or subnotebook is recommended as the #1 choice for meeting the demands of the classroom. The device may be new or one that the family already owns. Acceptable Choices, with Reservations: Mobile computer tablets (Apple ipad, Android Tablet, Samsung Galaxy, etc.) can be of some limited use, but may fall short of being a full featured production tool. Acceptable Supplemental Devices (e readers): e Readers (Barnes & Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle, Sony Daily Edition, etc.) are not a fullfeatured production tool, but students are allowed to have these devices. A separate e reader is not a requirement or a recommendation. Unacceptable Choices for BYOD: Smart phones Although smart phones have the ability to connect to the Internet, they are not practical for the normal course of work students will encounter. Furthermore, the school policy is for students to leave their phones in their lockers during the school day. Gaming devices Devices primarily used for gaming are prohibited. Software: The students/families are responsible for obtaining and installing all necessary applications on their personal device. Any of the major operating systems such as Windows, Apple OS, Google Chrome OS, Linux, are acceptable as long as the device can connect wirelessly to our network. 4/10
The students will use applications of their choice to complete assignments/projects rather than using school mandated software. Required software capabilities are word processing, video editing, graphics editing, spreadsheet software, and presentation software. There are free software suites available for all of the required software. More detail about software requirements and where families can find free software is in the FAQ section of this document. The teachers will inform the students of the types of software necessary for each particular subject and will indicate the file type that students are to use for submitting work. Students will not be obligated to purchase any software, but may need to install freeware or create free online accounts at the teacher s request. Examples of such products suitable for the classroom are Google Docs (online only), OpenOffice, LibreOffice, and Microsoft Movie Maker. The Educational Technology department will review any such request from teachers to ensure that the products are educationally sound and technically free from problems. The student should follow the classroom teacher s instruction on saving their work in a suitable, compatible format before submission. 5/10
Policy and Procedures Student Network Accounts: Each student will be assigned an account, user name, and password. Once a student receives a username, he or she will be able to log onto the computer system at Awty until departure from the school. A student account allows the student to access the shared network systems, Internet access, storage, and printers, from any campus location. Students are expected to take responsibility for their own or their class account, and to take all reasonable precautions to prevent other students from accessing their accounts. Personal passwords should not be shared. The Internet: The school will provide Internet and Awty network access for classroom related assignments and to further the goals of the school as laid out in this and other school policies. This includes educational research, required classroom work, and other teacher defined activities. While on campus, the students are required to rely exclusively on the school s network to access the Internet and to not circumvent the school s network filtering service. Printing: The school is managing printing in order to support its efforts toward environmental sustainability, in addition to reducing print costs. When instructed, students must provide a hard copy of their assignment. They will have access to the school s printers, but will limited in the number of copies they may print from school printers. Details about the printing quota are still under consideration and will be announced as soon as possible before the start of school. Color printing at the school will not be available. The faculty has been urged to limit printing requirements and to find alternative formats for students to submit their work. 6/10
On/Off line storage: When working on assignments, the students will generally save their work on their own personal device. To ensure data retention, they will be encouraged to periodically back up their work. Students will receive instruction on best practices and storage options for document retention. Students will use the Drop Box feature of the Awty website teacher pages and Turnitin.com for assignment submission. Other solutions may be included, such as sharing documents in Google Docs, as the BYOD program grows. In and out of the classroom: In the classroom, the student will be required to follow the rules and procedures set by their teachers for the use of their devices. When not in a classroom or in a supervised location, the students will be permitted to use their personal devices only in designated Device Use areas. Computer devices are not allowed in the dining areas during lunch period. Security of devices while at school: The school is not liable for theft or damages to student devices. Students are required to store devices securely in lockers when not in use. 7/10
Implementation Procedures Implementation Topics: During the first few days of school, the students will receive a BYOD fact sheet covering the following topics: Distribution of network user names, default passwords, password security precautions, and procedures for logging on the wireless network. Resources available to students on the Awty web site. Procedures for logging onto the student portal of the Awty website to access teacher subject material, calendar of activities and assignments, and the teacher webpage Drop Box for assignment submission. Best practices and storage options for document retention. Procedures for printing hard copies and a review of printing policy limitations. Rules and procedures governing the use of their personal device in and out of the classroom. While the students will generally be responsible for care and proper functioning of their personal device, the school recognizes that during the initial implementation phase, the students may have many questions requiring technical support. The fact sheet will provide a list of faculty and staff members who are ready and able to assist students. Middle School: The first day that a middle school student will need to bring in the computer device will be on Monday, August, 20. They will need to logon to their personal device at school and therefore, parents must ensure that the student has the necessary information to access their own device if the student is not the administrator of the device. They will receive detailed instructions in their computer classes, lasting about four lessons, on the above rules and procedures of the BYOD program. Upper School: During their first day of school in their advisory period, the students will receive a fact sheet covering the above topics. 8/10
FAQ Will students continue to have access to school computers? Yes. School owned computers will continue to be available for the science department, computer science labs, digital design classes, music, visual art, and in the library for the near future. What is the expectation for charging equipment? Students will be expected to begin a routine of charging devices at home on a nightly basis and bringing devices ready to work each morning. The school realizes that devices may need to be charged during the day and students are welcome to charge up on campus assuming they bring the AC adapter cables for their devices with them. Where can families get technical support if the device is not working properly? It will be the responsibility of each family to find repair shops from an outside company not the school. If a student s device should be in a shop for repairs, the school will check out a school netbook to the student for a period of two weeks so the student can continue working uninterrupted. What should parents look for in a device and what functionality should it have? Weight and size should be scaled to the age and height of your child. What is too heavy or which screen or keyboard is too small for one student might be just right for another. When selecting a new device, consider that it should last about three to four years before needing replacement. Wi Fi capable students need to be able to connect to the Awty network. Portable drive USB sticks or memory cards continue to serve well for file storage. For financial aid students who cannot afford personally owned device, Awty will continue to make classroom computers, netbooks, and laptop carts available. 9/10
Can the student use their 4g/3G plus data service at the school? The students will be required to use the school s network at all times and to not circumvent the school s Internet filter. Miscellaneous Carry case yes! Students should keep their devices in sturdy cases. Virus protection yes! There are free virus protection suites that receive good reviews. Look on the Internet. Microsoft Security Essentials is one such product for Windows machines. http://windows.microsoft.com/en US/windows/products/security essentials Warranty and insurance on device if purchasing a new device, look for warranty and repair agreements. Contact your insurance agent if you have question about your policy coverage. Discounts always ask about discounts when buying for students. File backup students are responsible for file backup and there are quite a few reliable solutions, which are free. Students will receive more information about this topic when they return to school through their computer science class or the BYOD fact sheet. Office Software if devices already have MS Office, MS Office for Mac, or iwork fantastic! However, if not, the school recommends that families download and install the OpenOffice Suite for PC or Mac or LibreOffice. Both suites are free and reliable products, which will get the schoolwork done with or without Internet access. OpenOffice includes graphics and a formula editor. It is also compatible with all major office suites and there are many language options. http://www.openoffice.org/. LibreOffice is another highly recommended free, office suite with graphics and equation editor features and multi language support. http://www.libreoffice.org/ 10/10