What is BYOD?
BYOD stands for “Bring Your Own Device.” BYOD is an initiative that will allow students who have personal technology devices to bring them to school to use them for educational purposes to meet their learning needs under the direction of a teacher or administrator. For the purposes of BYOD, “Device” means a privately owned wireless and/or portable electronic piece of equipment that includes laptops, netbooks, tablets, phablets, iPod devices, and even smart phones.What are the benefits?
Our students are living in a world where they have immediate access to information anytime and anywhere. Many students have personal devices in their pockets that can be used to allow them to learn in their own style and at their own pace. With digital learning, every student can access high quality and rigorous instruction, thereby maximizing their opportunity for success in school and beyond.Who is responsible if the device is damaged, stolen, or lost?
Students bring electronic communication devices to school at their own risk, just like any other personal items. The school will not be held responsible if an electronic device or other item is lost, stolen or misplaced. Some devices have a device locator; parents and/or students may want to enable this feature if possible. Some free apps are available to lock or locate a stolen or lost device.Can a student use their own device in any class?
Students can use personal technology devices in any class to meet educational goals as long as they have the permission of the teacher.What are examples of uses of student devices in the classroom? This information is helpful in determining the device students may want to bring to school.
Student devices should be capable of those following:- Accessing the Internet
- Collaborating via web Apps for Education (via the web or app) to create word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
- Communicating via email, texting, or other tool for educational purposes.
What device do you recommend for students?
The key element to BYOD is choice. Student choice in selecting size (laptop versus tablet); operating system (Mac, Windows, Android); and production tools (Microsoft Office, iWorks, Google Docs, Open Office). Students may use Windows, Mac OS, iOS, Android, Windows Mobile (WP7) and Chrome operating systems.The choice allows students to access tools, evaluate their usage for the learning need and use the tool successfully. That said – there are key elements students need to be successful: creating documents, spreadsheets and presentations; note taking; document storage; electronic communication.
Will BEIS be offering devices for discounts or sale?
We are currently in discussions with a number of educational vendors about discount or student purchase options. We will be adding links to sample solutions either to a vendor or to a well-reputed and affordable online retailer as opportunities become available. Lazada.com is an online shop which offers merchandise at deep discounts and may be the best short-term solution to find an inexpensive tablet or laptop for student use.Can my student use an older laptop/e-reader/smartphone?
In most cases, the answer is “maybe”Questions to ask:
- Can I type easily and quickly format the information in a way that is acceptable to turn-in (using Google Docs, etc)?
- Do I have issues such as eyestrain, thumb strain, etc. to consider?
We DO NOT recommend that an e-reader be used as the primary device for BYOD. These devices are primarily used for consumption of books, movies, games, etc. They lack some of the advantages of full tablets (cameras, Bluetooth, detachable physical keyboard options) and have limited access to the full range of Apps (software) available on iOS or Android devices.
Netbooks
Netbooks are a general category of small, limited power affordable computers that are portable with decent battery life. One drawback of netbooks is the limited ability they have to multitask. That said, if students are aware of the limitations, the advantages of cost and mobility might be worth it.
What accessories are required or do you recommend?
There are no required accessories planned at this time. Many students, having used devices all year, have made the following suggestions:- Tablets: Cover/Case, Detachable keyboard or Bluetooth Keyboard
- Apple Laptop: the VGA adapter to connect to a projector
- Laptops(and some tablets): USB Storage Key
- All: Headphones; Warranty
What about Viruses?
No computer is immune to viruses or spam. As computers become more popular, they become more of a target for virus and spam creators. We recommend that all students protect themselves through virus protection programs or apps (available even for smartphones). BEIS currently has no protection “at the gates” of the network, only on the computers owned by the school. No single solution is foolproof and devices are certainly vulnerable off of the school network (such as home, coffee shops, or on a cellular network).What should I know about Batteries and Power?
One of the largest concerns with mobile devices is the length of battery life. Students should plan their device usage to enable them to have power to use the device in their last class of the day without plugging the device in during class. There are a number of things that go into planning this.
- Devices have different lengths of batteries. Some tablets have 10-16 hour battery configurations. Most laptops start at 3-4 hours but can be configured up to 8 hours.
- There are a variety of charge extenders, extra batteries, portable chargers, etc. that can be used to extend life.
- Student choice plays a part as well. If a student chooses to spend time playing Angry Birds, this depletes the battery much faster than a period spent typing a paper.