Spotswood College uses a blended approach to teaching and learning, (both traditional teaching methods and modern e-learning techniques combine to support all our students with their learning programs).

Parents and students will have questions about the BYOD program and how it is being implemented here at Spotswood College.

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We hope that the following questions and answers are helpful to clear up some of your queries.

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What does the research say about the impact of BYOD and e-learning on learning?

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Noeline Wright’s literature review "Looking at e-Learning and implications for New Zealand schools" - (University of Waikato) highlights the following benefits of e-learning:

• Improved student motivation and engagement;

• Greater independence and personalised learning;

• Improved critical thinking and development of multi-literacies;

• Greater access to information, resources and experts;

• Greater opportunities for collaboration in wide contexts, including international ones.

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What does the New Zealand Curriculum Document say about ICT?

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Information and communication technology (ICT) has a major impact on the world in which young people live. Similarly, e-learning (that is, learning supported by or facilitated by ICT) has considerable potential to:

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• Assist the making of connections by enabling students to enter and explore new learning environments, overcoming barriers of distance and time;

• Facilitate shared learning by enabling students to join or create communities of learners that extend well beyond the classroom;

• Assist in the creation of supportive learning environments by offering resources that take account of individual, cultural, or developmental differences;

• Enhance opportunities to learn by offering students virtual experiences and tools that save them time, allowing them to take their learning further.
   

Schools should explore not only how ICT can supplement traditional ways of teaching but also how it can open new and different ways of learning. (NZC, 2007) In addition, the Ministry of Education has added ICT as a compulsory component of our NZ curriculum.

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Do we need to purchase a new device?

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No, not if you have already have a device that meets our minimum specifications, your tauira may use it as their BYOD device – see the minimum specifications below.

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How do we choose an appropriate device, if we choose to purchase?

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Minimum specification for devices:

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• 10” screen

• 4GB RAM and a dual core processor

• At least 5 hours of battery power from a full charge,

• Internet capable (Wifi connectivity – 801.11N/ac preferred)

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Strongly recommended features:

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• Keyboard

• Mouse

• Durable waterproof bag/cover for protection and marked as to be identifiable

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For help setting up new devices, please find guides below to remotely join your BYOD:

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Is the device suitable for school use?

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The device should be robust and durable enough to handle school life, but light enough to be carried around easily by a teenager. The type of device you purchase should also depend on the courses your child is taking. Any courses such as Digital Technology (including Robotics, Coding and Digital Media), Photography , Animation and some Art courses may require the student to have a different type of computer. If you are unsure please check with the school or teacher.

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• Many Windows laptops, MacBook’s and Chromebooks may be used. https://www.androidcentral.com/best-chromebook-students

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• It is a very good idea to have the device insured for loss or damage whilst being used at school

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What about the security of the device at school?

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Personal lockers are currently not available.

Students are responsible for the safety of their devices at all times.

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Why can’t my tauira use a smartphone?

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While smartphones are wonderful for personal entertainment, social communication and many short internet searches, the size of the screen makes them unsuitable as a serious tool for learning, the ability to work on and complete lengthy documents is very limited.

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What about families who can’t afford a device?

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Families who are on a benefit may be able to gain assistance from WINZ to purchase a device.

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What is my tauira responsible for at school?

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• Using ICT according to the 'responsible user agreement'.

• Actively displaying digital citizenship.

• Following the teachers’ instructions around the use of devices.

• Charging the device at home and bringing it to school fully charged.

• Safe storage of work and backing it up to the Cloud.

• Safe-keeping of the device at all times.

• Carrying the device in his/her school bag from class to class.

• Ensuring that the device is divided into “school space” and “personal space”.

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What about on-line safety and cyberbullying?

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Our Cybersafety User Agreement signed by every student and a parent upon enrolment, sets out our expectations.

Students are required to:

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1. be a safe user whenever and wherever they use information and communication technology (ICT)

2. be responsible whenever and wherever they use technology

3. support others by being respectful in how they talk to and work with them and never write or participate in online bullying, (this includes forwarding messages and supporting others in harmful, inappropriate or hurtful online behaviour).

4. report to an adult if they feel unsafe or uncomfortable online or see a friend being unsafe or being made to feel uncomfortable by others.

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More information can be found here: http://www.netsafe.org.nz

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It is important that parents take an active part in discussions about Cybersafety and ethical use of ICT with their tauira. It is important that students tell a teacher and/or parent/caregiver when they are feeling uncomfortable or threatened online. If parents or students have any concerns about internet safety first contact your Year Dean or visit http://www.netsafe.org.nz

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Netsafe is an independent non-profit organisation that promotes confident, safe, and responsible use of Cyberspace.

Many parents choose to install a parental control app to remain fully aware of their child’s on- line activities - https://thebetterparent.com/2019/11/5-chromebook-parental-control-apps-to-monitor-your-childs-activity/

In addition, we strongly recommend that parents know their tauira password and have access to the device.

 

Managed Network connection

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N4L provide all schools with access to safe & secure internet with built-in DDoS protection (which helps to prevent DDoS attacks impacting your school). And because they don’t believe bandwidth should be a barrier to learning, they make we have access to all the bandwidth we need. We also don’t need to worry about how much data our students are using as they provide them with unlimited data.

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Safe and Secure Internet - Web Filtering

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N4L web filtering protects staff and students from inappropriate content and provides every school with filtering on specific default categories. This filtering strengthens our school’s protection against online threats and helps restrict access to inappropriate content.

Filtering rules can be further customised based on the content we do or don’t want to allow based on categories or individual websites.

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We currently block sites like Facebook as we feel they can be easily misused and detract from the educational purpose set for our use of ICT at school. Sites for student collaboration at school are facilitated through Google Apps.

How will ICT misuse be handled? We are a restorative school and have a well-developed Pastoral Care System that clearly shows how misdemeanors will be dealt with and by whom. In the first instance the ICT misuse will be dealt with as per other school incidents and be recorded into our KAMAR system.

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Categories of misuse are based on levels of seriousness, and misuse is generally dealt with by the classroom teacher, unless it is serious enough to be referred to the Dean or Senior Leadership Team. Classroom management involving ICT devices will not differ from more traditional approaches – just as a teacher might require students to put down their pens and listen fully to instructions, the instruction might be “devices down, and listen to instructions.”

Ongoing misuse of a device will fall into the category of “continual deliberate disobedience” and would result in the same consequences as other examples of serious disobedience.

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Instances of serious misuse of devices, such as accessing inappropriate websites or cyberbullying will be taken very seriously and dealt with accordingly. (NB: Netsafe report that most children accessing porn websites do so from home between 3.30pm and 6.30pm weekdays). This may involve loss of internet access, internal removal, stand down or suspension. Referral to Netsafe and on to police. Students using their devices to access the internet through the school wi-fi will be tracked and monitored and inappropriate websites including those identified as being associated with cyberbullying are blocked. While most of the cyberbullying occurs out of school time, it is important to notify Netsafe and the school as we will certainly do whatever we can to support the victim. It must be noted however that students who use their own data on devices such as smart phones still have full access to the internet.

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If you have BYOD queries, please contact Miss Robertson jrb@spotswoodcollege.school.nz

If you have a device you can connect it to access the spotswoodCollege network and online resourses using the user 

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Further information available on the website below:

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https://www.noelleeming.co.nz/byod-toolkit

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/education/byod

https://www.warehousestationery.co.nz/byod

https://www.harveynormancommercial.co.nz/what-device-by-student-level