BYOD (BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE) A PARENT PERSPECTIVE

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1 BYOD (BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE) A PARENT PERSPECTIVE NEWSLETTER 2 by Annemarie Diepenbroek PENNANT HILLS PUBLIC SCHOOL April 86, 2016 DRAFT Hi everyone, my name is Annemarie Diepenbroek and I am supporting the P&C as the parent representative for the BYOD policy. Introduction to BYOD A Bring Your Own Device Program enables students to bring a device such as a laptop or tablet they already have and use and are familiar with, to school. Once the device is registered, the device will connect to the school s wireless network to give students access to the school s secure internet. This newsletter provides a summary of the recent community connect sessions. Our next newsletter will provides an overview of the parent feedback received on the draft policy. Note that many of these subjects summarized in this newsletter, as well as other topics,and others are also addressed in the BYOD FAQ document, which is provided by the school.. Community Connect Coffee and Chat sessions On March 15 and 16 our school hosted 3 sessions to discuss the BYOD policy, processes and practices. For those who were not able to attend, below a summary of what was discussed: 1. Background The BYOD program applies to all Stage 3 students and is not mandatory. For example students who are only at the school for a short period, don t have access to a device, or are temporary without a device, will be supported by the school with stay-at-school devices such as tablets and computers. 2. Work done with the devices The devices will be used throughout the student s day to look up information, synthesize information and produce results of learning. While used throughout the day, the teacher will limit the time that the device is usedensure that the time spent on the device will be limited [ is there any information on what this amounts to over a full day, e.g. 30 mins, 60 mins, 90 mins max?], and he/she may assign device free days such as Fridays and special days, where the Formatted: Space After: 0 pt Formatted: Normal, Indent: Left: 1.27 cm

2 device can be left at home. As parents we have asked for clear communication between the teacher and the parents about the use of the device within their classroom and clear communication about device free days. 3. Device types The program is designed for both Windows and Apple devices because the feedback from the parents highlighted that both are preferred. Parents do not have to purchase a new device if they already own a device that meets the specifications. Note that many vendors will try to sell parents a device at a higher price point. There is no need to purchase an expensive device; the school can share with you a range of suitable devices that meet the criteria and have been proven to be useful. [target range around ~ 600$ typically for a sufficiently powerful device?]. 4. Software The essential software for our children s devices is provided for free by the schooldet. This includes Microsoft Office and Adobe software. There is NO need to purchase these; instead they can be downloaded via the department of education portal, instructions will be provided. For some scenarios the teachers may suggest specific low cost apps to be purchased by the parents/carer that are beneficial for their program. The teachers will provide a similar solution for Windows and Apple users. 5. Device selection Our teachers have been adamant in ensuring that BYOD is not about having access to high-end hardware and software: it is all about what can I do with the tools I have. Several parents have highlighted that they are able to support our parent community with a range of practical questions around device selection, including: - Should I purchase Apple or Windows? - Is my old device suitable? - What is a good Bluetooth keyboard for my tablet? - Should I turn on find my device on Windows 10 and Apple device, and how do I do that? - How do I set up a parent child account on my Apple tablet? - Which Windows device should I purchase, and is there an ability to purchase a number of devices together such that we have a shared experience in management and usage? (yes there might be!) - What is a suitable -virus protection solution, is the free protection offered with Windows 10 and Apple enough? - Etc. Please contact me if you are interested to be added to an group in helpingsupporting answering these such questions or if you have such questions..

3 6. Device Discounts Apple provides all Pennant Hills Primary school parents a 4% discount on their devices. These discounts also extend to cases and keyboards. The Hornsby and Castle Hill Apple shops are aware of the BYOD program at Pennant Hills primarypublic School, but other Apple stores should also be able to provide these discounts.for Windows devices there may be similar discounts available for BYOD for schools: always check with the vendor. 7. Insurance Most home and contents insurance policies support devices outside the home and if your home and contents insurance does not, you may look at switching if you want to add the BYOD device to such a policy. As an example the Westpac home insurance offers up to 1000 dollars for the item if lost or damaged as part of the personal valuable policy for about 12 dollar/month. Insurance may also be bought with the device or can be added via brokers that specialize in BYOD. Always check the terms and conditions for transport and in-school usage, as cover may vary greatly. Insurance is highly encouraged but remains a parent/carer s personal decision. 8. Secure network access The school monitors all internet traffic and the students are trained in digital citizenship. Their device aredevices are study resources, and the use is only per direction from the teacher. Note that Mobile phones and their data networks, as well as tablets with data network access are not part of this program and are already banned from class. Mobile phones are handed in at the office in the morning and picked up there in the afternoon. [hint if it s primarily a study resource, is it tax deductible?] 9. Support during school hours Teachers will provide first line response to students who have an issue with their device during school hours. Other students may also be available to help as part of the focus on collaboration. For bigger issues that cannot be resolved quickly in-class, the school will aim to provide access to a temporary device for the rest of the day. If students store their work in their Google cloud, which is encouraged, (access is provided by the school), they will be able to continue their work. Note that devices are personal units and are not be shared with other students unless it is to support troubleshooting. Following the above Google Cloud comments, I d write a few lines that parentsparents and carers are encouraged to login to the cloud with their children, and explore the work done, same for Showbie and other tools if used.! 10. Responsibilities at home and at school The devices are taken home every day and can be used for homework. The school encourages the use of strict usage rules at home, including time limits. All devices are to be labeled and have a strong case that protects the device. When the device is taken to school in the morning, the device is immediately taken out of the schoolbag and placed in a receptacle. The device

4 storage is open from 8:45 onwards and supervised by a teacher on duty. The device only comes out of storage during class time. When not in class, for example during recess and lunch, all devices are locked away (the teacher will lock the entire classroom). The devices are taken home every day and can be used for homework. 11. Before and after school activities on site Before and after school activities require a policy for the secure storage of the devices. For dance and choir sessions the devices will be kept inside the schoolbags and the schoolbags placed inside the hall. For band sessions not all bags can be placed inside the band room and the devices are planned to be stored in a receptacle inside the band room. At Before and After school Care, devices are either stored inside the schoolbags in a secure location or taken out: the exact policy will be designed with parent/carer feedback. 12. Should I invest in a case? Does the tablet require a Bluetooth keyboard? The investment in a strong protective case is the best insurance against damage. The case will need to protect the device inside the school bag and inside the receptacle. Tablets should have a case that specifically protects the screen edges. Regarding integrated keyboards: the BYOD program at Pennant Hills Public School is designed to work with what the student prefers and this may include a Bluetooth keyboard integrated with a case for tablets. Formatted: Left Formatted: List Paragraph, Left, Indent: Left: 0 cm 13. Why not a bulk buy? The school looked extensively at bulk buying devices in order to obtain discounts. However these discounts were provided towards the financing aspect of the device purchase, not as a device discount. The school has decided that such financing deals, if required, could be best made by the parent/carer directly as our situations may be different and BYOD offers more flexibility in selecting the price point and finance that best meet the our household s needs. Recent newspaper articles about the use of technology at schools The recent newspaper articles said it all it seemed: Investments in devices are not providing a good return on investment. As a parent representative I wanted to get to the bottom of these articles as our school is just about to make the change to one-on-one device access via BYOD. I was a stunned to learn that these articles quoted only half the story. Here is what I learned from the OECD report quoted [great thanks for putting the link in here], the first global report of its kind that evaluates the impact of technology on student performance: Formatted: Space After: 0 pt - the impact of technology on education delivery remains sub-optimal - the real contributions ICT can make to teaching and learning have yet to be fully realized and exploited But then the report stresses: - Technology is the only way to dramatically expand access to knowledge.

5 - Technology benefits include aspects such as having up-to-date information instead of old text books, increased collaboration in knowledge creation, support for learners as active instead of passive participants So is it as bad as the newspapers try to picture it? Yes and no if you read the report: technology is the way forward for teaching but the countries with a high use of technology (Australia, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands for example) do not have better outcomes than countries with little use of ICT ( China, Korea, Hong-Kong for example ) No wonder that even in our parent s body we have groups that are: - Positive - don t wait this is great I want my child to feel proud of their device and grow in their learning - Negative - please wait till we know of the benefits and negative effects better, and - In-between - I go with the flow Do you have questions about this report and the recent media articles? Please talk with your teachers. It is essential that as parents we know what are children will and won t do with technology and what actions the school will take to avoid the common issues associated with technology. [Feedback from a Sydney Grammar School parent SGS parents and community very much support the view of their headmaster, that in the first instance the basic skills as reading, handwriting, numeracy, etc. need to be done, and devices not allowed until at least year 10. The incoming new headmaster will certainly need to continue to support this view]. Technical corner How do I know if my device supports 5GHZ Wi-Fi? The BYOD program at Pennant Hills Public School is designed to support older devices already available in the home, as long as they meet the device specifications. A critical aspect of the device specification is the ability for the device to connect to a 5GHZ Wireless network at school. Most devices will support such a 5GHZ network, and especially those purchased after 2013, but it is important to validate this requirement on your device if you are not 100% sure. Some rules that may help: 1. Most "802.11n" devices support 5GHZ but not all ( low cost n devices may not support 5Ghz) 2. All "802.11a" and "802.11ac" devices support 5GHZ. (a is an older standard that used the 5GHZ band) 3. 5GHZ support may be listed as Dual band wifi meaning that the device supports both traditional 2.4GHz wifi networks as well as the newer 5GHZ networks.

6 4. If your device does not support 5GHZ you may consider purchasing a small USB dual band Wi-Fi adapter (cost approximately 40 AUD), typically only sticking out a few mm from the device when plugged in How to validate on the device: Example 1 - Apple Device - Ipad mini bought several years ago - look up model number in Settings--> General-->About-->Model - Look up you model s specifications on the official Apple website - Apple will list whether 5Ghz is supported (all generations of ipad mini's support 5 Ghz) Example 2 - Windows device: - Asus T100 bought several years ago - Click Start > Control Panel. - Click System and Security. - Under System, click Device Manager. - Click the pointer symbol in front of Network Adapters to expand the section. - Right-click the network adapter. - Click Properties. - You will see the network card details listed: for a/b/g/n, this means the device supports 5GHZ (because a supports 5GHz) Monitoring your network usage at home A variety of routers support 1 day to 1 week storage of network activities for selected devices that connect to your home network such as your children s devices. There is also free software that you can install on your router that does this for you that is currently being tested by a parent and so far works really well (Gargoyle Router Management Utility). Essential reading The school BYOD website offers the following documents: - The BYOD Whitepaper - BYOD Frequently Asked Questions - BYOD Minimum Specs - [this website needs an urgent update with more info where available] In addition the Draft Policy and Parent Agreement will soon be finalized and shared.the Policy and parent/student agreement forms are currently being updated based on the parent feedback received. Thank you to all parents who have worked with us to improve this policy. Formatted: Font: Not Bold Formatted: Font: Not Bold Formatted: Font: Bold Questions:Next steps

7 DDevice selection and device purchase can be daunting so a group of parents have offered their support to other parents should they wish to purchase a similar Windows device as some others are purchasing. Feedback shows that many different types of devices will be brought in, it really is a personal choice! Not sure yet, or do you have specific questions around cyber security, device selection, price points etc?. Please contact me if you are interested to be on those mailing lists. My and I will share your question around with experts if I can t support you directly. annemarie.diepenbroek@gmail.com Formatted: Left The first devices will be accepted in week 2 of our next Term, and we will use a scheduled approach that week to add each device to the network one by one. Please be reminded that your participation is optional! Formatted: Left Kindest regards, Annemarie

The essential guide to creating a School Bring Your Own Device Policy. (BYOD)

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