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Epping Public SchoolBYOD – Bring Your Own DeviceFrequently Asked QuestionsParents and Community1st Edition, October 2017What is BYOD?BYOD is a technology model where students bring a personally owned device to school for the purpose of learning. The student is responsible for bringing the device to school and the school is responsible for supplying a filtered internet service.What will be provided by the school?The school will provide access to a filtered Wi-Fi service. All students have access to a suite of Windows, Microsoft and Adobe software through the DoE portal. This software is free to all DoE students. No other software or service will be provided by the school.What device do we need?A note will be sent home with the required device specifications. As of August 2017, these specifications are in line with Cheltenham Girls High School, Epping Boys High School and Carlingford High School. They have been determined by the school Executive Team and Technology Co-ordinators. Are there any other requirements?All applicable devices that connect to the Internet will need to have antivirus software installed. The device must have Google Chrome browser, as it is the preferred browser when using Google Apps and one other browser (e.g. Internet Explorer). All DoE students are eligible to download and license the Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe software for free. Students will also need to access Google Apps from their student portal. Students will be required to install any updates or software before using their device at school. ?Why are current school devices not sufficient?To ensure that all students are able to make use of ‘anywhere, anytime’ learning and to allow students to conduct investigations and access information readily through the day it is not possible schedule for the use of technology in sessions throughout the day. The school has trialled a version of this program using a bank of iPads and laptops provided by the Department of Education. Both teachers and students have reported dissatisfaction with the current program as it does not allow for students to conduct in depth investigations due to time and access constraints.Will the Computer Usage Agreement be updated to reflect BYOD?The current Computer Usage Agreement will be updated for Stage 3 students to reflect their participation in the BYOD program. The BYOD Student Agreement meets Department of Education policy guidelines, which can be found here: per Department of Education policy, all students and their parents/caregivers must return a signed BYOD Student Agreement prior to connecting their device to the school Wi-Fi. By accepting the terms of the BYOD Student Agreement, the student and parents/caregivers acknowledge that the student agrees to comply with the conditions of the school’s BYOD policy; and understands that not meeting the standards set out by the agreement may result in disciplinary action.What will happen if my child cannot bring their own device to school? What about equity? Epping Public School’s bank of laptops will be used to support students who cannot bring their own device to school. ?It is not mandatory for students to bring a device to school, however students may find it easier to more fully engage in lessons with their own device.Families who choose not to purchase a device will have the opportunity to lease a device from the school.Epping Public School will work with families to ensure that all students have access to computing resources inside and outside of class time that are required for school work. How will these devices be used in the classroom?Technology is a regularly used tool in our students’ education, rather than something that is used for a special event or research project. While different teachers and students will use their devices in different ways, it is important to understand that students will not be learning in a paperless or wholly online environment. Technology will be used in class to supplement and support the best possible approaches to rigorous teaching and learning. The use of technology in classrooms will supplement teaching which encompasses the ‘4Cs of 21st Century Learning’:communication (sharing thoughts, questions, ideas, and solutions)collaboration (working together to reach a goal — putting talent, expertise, and smarts to work) critical thinking (looking at problems in a new way, linking learning across subjects & disciplines)creativity (trying new approaches to get things done equals innovation & invention)What about literacy, numeracy and handwriting?Students will still be taught literacy, numeracy, handwriting and other subjects. The basic curriculum does not change. The aim of our BYOD program is to complement the learning in these areas by providing a more individualised approach than is currently physically possible in a class of 20 - 30 students. The use of one to one digital technologies helps to individualise student learning as it allows teachers to more directly target individual students and engage them in inquiry-based learning, creative, collaborative and individualised learning experiences which work to extend their learning experiences.Students will still participate in handwriting lessons and have the opportunity to use these skills when completing bookwork. ?Have teachers been trained to work in a BYOD environment? EPS teachers engage in ongoing professional learning sessions specifically aimed at facilitating student learning by embedding Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and digital technologies in all curriculum areas as mandated in the Australian curriculum. Teachers will continue to access and utilise support resources to assist with the implementation of a BYOD program in their classroom and EPS will continue investing significantly in staff professional learning. What is the role of the teacher if the learning is becoming more student directed? Classrooms are remarkably different from even five years ago. Former NSW Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli has stated, “The days of a teacher standing out in front of a blackboard or a whiteboard have changed.” BYOD can shift the teacher’s role towards guiding and managing by helping students to utilise their own devices to achieve goals set by their teachers and become more independent learners. A crucial aspect of the 21st Century teacher’s role is to teach students to ‘learn how to learn’ within the current education paradigm of the ‘4C’s’ of learning.Will students be using their devices all day?No. The students will be using the devices intermittently throughout the day. Device usage is directed by the intended learning. The amount of time students spend on devices will vary from class to class and day to day. Parents are encouraged to monitor the amount of use within their home also. Each family will have different expectations and guidelines for the use of ICT within the home. Will students have to use their devices at home?BYOD devices will be taken home each day to ensure that they can be fully charged overnight ready for the next day’s learning. However, students will not be required to use their devices at home. If students or parent wish to access work that has been done during the day while at home they can use Cloud storage or personal storage devices (USB storage) to access the work on family computers if desired. Students will not be required to complete unfinished work from during the school day, however, homework will continue to be set which requires the use of a computer. It is up to parent discretion as to what device students use to complete that homework. How will the teacher redirect the focus of children who are off task with their mobile device?Teachers will continually monitoring student learning and behaviour and deal with off-task behaviour as part of regular classroom management practices. Parents will be notified with continued off-task behaviour in relevant situations.What about Cybersafety?Cybersafety is the ability to act in a safe and responsible manner on the internet and in other connected environments. For schools, cybersafety is about maintaining a positive approach to the many benefits brought by technologies and teaching students to identify and manage the risks associated with ICT. To better ensure students’ safe access to the internet, they will be using their DoE username and password to access the NSW Department of Education filtered Internet service (the same way they currently access the Internet at school). The students are taught Cybersafety within the Computer Lab and this is reinforced within the classroom. Students are reminded not to share usernames and password and to inform an adult immediately if they feel bullied, unsafe or uncomfortable.Further resources about Cybersafety for parents can be found at: ergonomics been taken into consideration?We now recognise that people need to move and change positions regularly, especially as they engage with new technologies. The nature of schoolwork has changed, and so have the ways in which students interact with their learning environments. The use of new technologies and the ability for students to shift from one learning area to another, or from one form of technology to another has influenced the environment in which students learn. Students rapidly shift between individual tasks, group focused tasks and creative collaboration and this impacts on the use of physical space. This allows the students to move within their learning environment. As well as being able to move around within their learning environment, students will have frequent opportunities to take short breaks from their devices. Students will also be reminded to look after their backs by creating a surface that allows for the following body positioning while using their device:?Shoulders relaxed, not elevated or forward?Upper arms hanging by sides with a right angle at the elbow?Forearms, wrists and hands in alignment—no bent wrists?Fingers resting lightly on keys?Regularly move to a new position – No longer than 1/2hr in the one position?Stretch in the opposite direction from that which they have been working at.When selecting a device the Department of Education suggests that students should ensure that they are comfortable using their device during the school day particularly in relation to screen size, sturdy keyboard etc.Will students be able to recharge devices during the school day? No. Students should charge their devices each night and have them ready for school the next day. The school will ensure students have access to a device if the student’s device runs out of charge during the school day. How will theft, loss or damage of a personally owned device be handled in the school? Does the school provide insurance for damage, loss or theft? The guidelines for the BYOD program specifically address the risk of students bringing their own devices to school. The school is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged devices. Parents are encouraged to refer to their home and contents policies to ensure that their child’s device is covered while at school. Accidental damage insurance is another option that some vendors are offering when purchasing a device. At all times we recommend a sturdy and strong cover. As with any personal belonging that students bring to school, the safety and security of a personal device is the responsibility of the student. How does a BYOD program fit in with screen time guidelines?The American Academy of Paediatrics is a globally recognised leader of health research and policy for infants, children, adolescents and young adults. In the 1990s, they released a set of screen time guidelines to direct children’s television viewing. While relevant at the time, ‘screen’ usage has changed a lot in the past 20 years, and research demonstrates that an ironclad two hours is no longer workable if you are a student in 2017.An update to the earlier guidelines recommends that parents focus on how online media is used, rather than focusing solely on how much media is used. The American Academy of Paediatrics makes the following recommendations:Develop, follow and routinely revisit a Family Media Plan. Address what type and how much media are used, and what media behaviours are appropriate for each child or teen.Help your child select educational media that encourage creativity and co-view the content or co-play with your child. ?For children ages 6 years and older, set media use limits that factor in other health-promoting activities such as physical activity, sleep, family meals, school and friends. ?Discourage entertainment media while children are doing homework, and make sure children do not sleep with devices in their bedrooms. Implement media-free zones such as the dinner table. Serve as positive role models on healthy media use.What happens if I choose to lease a device?If you choose to lease a device from the school it will be your child’s to use for the term of the leasing agreement. Devices will be taken home by the student each night and kept by the student over the weekend. If there are any hardware or software issues with the device it will be the responsibility of the school to fix. If there is any accidental damage to the device, it is the responsibility of the parents/caregivers to fix. ................
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