BYOD - Wirreanda Secondary School Wirreanda Secondary School
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BYOD

All students are expected to have a device to learn with in every lesson. Learning with technology is an essential component of education at Wirreanda Secondary School. 2020 is the fourth year of the compulsory Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) at Wirreanda Secondary School.

BYOD

  • A revised Acceptable Use of ICT Policy is in place.
  • The Acceptable Use Policy needs to be agreed to and signed by both parents and students using this Agreement form
  • Long Term Loans will be available at a cost of $100 (nonrefundable). Forms to apply for these are only available from the Finance window. In order to obtain a Long Term Loan, the Agreement for Acceptable Use of ICT must be signed by parent/caregiver and the student, plus the Wirreanda School Laptop Loan Commitment to Pay form must be signed by the parent/caregiver.
  • Daily Loans will be limited to 10 school days for each student. These will be monitored and recorded by the loans system. After 10 days, any student who does not have a device will be expected to work on paper.

Why BYOD?

Having a BYOD programme at Wirreanda Secondary School is vital to the development of young people and the school. The full reasoning behind the move to this in 2017 can be explored in this document: Why BYOD?

FAQs

Many of the Frequently asked questions are answered in this comprehensive document: BYOD FAQs

Need to buy a device?

In 2017, we worked closely with Harvey Norman Business and Education to provide opportunities to purchase a device for BYOD online. However, in 2018, after feedback from parents and students, it was decided to switch from online purchasing through Harvey Norman Business & Education to working with the Harvey Norman Noarlunga store.

During the 2018 academic year we strengthened our relationship with the Harvey Norman Noarlunga store who know what the requirements are for our students and have a range of devices at various price points on offer.

Laptops continue to be affordable in the budget range sometimes around the $300 mark. No software is needed such as Anti-virus (Windows Defender can be used for free) and Office software as we work on Google Suite (Formerly ‘Google Apps for Education). Experience tells us that it is best to protect the laptop screen, purchasing a hard shell case does this best.

Please note that we do not have a deal with Harvey Norman or endorse their products. 

However, we also know that to many people choosing a device can be confusing so here is some advice:

Feature Type Advice/Information
Operating System Windows S You cannot install any other software other than those from the Windows Store (therefore software such as most games cannot be installed but this does not affect what the device is used largely for in school i.e. searching the internet and Google Docs/Classroom access)
Windows Home Full access to install any software
Storage Minimum 64gb Will be fine for all work. We do expect with high end graphics, 3D design and movie software will require more (however this is all available on PCs at school). This Will be big enough to store some basic files and music.
128gb Will allow for movies and games to be stored and for specialist software to be installed (although processor and RAM are also important for use of specialist software)
RAM Minimum 4GB Basically the device will be too slow with anything else
Screen size Minimum 11inch Anything smaller is going to be hard to work from and just be aware that bigger screen = bigger device which usually means heavier device for student to carry
Chassis Titanium The best balance of strength and lightweight but usually expensive
Aluminium The next best and not always expensive
Plastic Most common. (Also look at strength of hinges between body and screen, how strong overall you think the device is)
Battery 8 hours minimum (All day Battery) Although no student is usually at school for 7 hours, the battery will deteriorate over time like in phones so realistically the more in the beginning means the more likely the device is to last the day in a year or so.
Laptop carry case Recommended Choose a hard shell case that the laptop can be transported and used in at all times.
Warranty On site This means that an engineer will come to the place you buy it from to fix issues with the device. This is often quicker turnaround. They may also offer swap out devices while it is being fixed.
Back to base This means that the device has to go back to the manufacturer should issues occur. Quite often, the manufacturers are not in Adelaide therefore can mean lengthy waits. Note the swap out advice above.

Product Care

Laptops often come with only a 12 month warranty. We recommend at least an extra 2 years of Product Care is purchased. That will mean 3 years of cover for the device should issues arise. Another question to ask is how issues are dealt with. Sometimes devices are sent off to another city (taking a long time) for technical issues to be looked at. Harvey Norman Noarlunga, for example, deal with most issues directly in store within approximately 5 business days.

Finance Options

Some companies offer different Interest Free Finance and flexible rent options.

Already have a device?

If you have already have a device that you intend to bring to school then come and try it out on our network.

Need help/advice?

We recognise that this can be a confusing issue to deal with for some parents and caregivers. Hence, we urge you to contact us if you are unsure of anything in relation to BYOD. We also realise that some families may struggle financially to equip their son/daughter with a device. Again, early communication with the school is key to solving this issue.

Further information is available on the school website on the BYOD link. All communication regarding BYOD should be directed to Nick Jackson, Senior Leader, by email or by phoning the school.

Please note that WSS makes no requirement that to purchase a BYOD device from Harvey Norman or to purchase the device detailed above. The WSS BYOD scheme stipulates only that students have a device that meets the minimum specification requirements:Windows Laptops: Operating System  – Windows 7 or above; Screen size – at least 11”; Battery life – at least 8 hours; RAM – 4GB minimum; HDD  – 128GB or larger; CPU – i3 or above; Network – 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO wireless network cards; Anti Virus – Windows Defender or equivalent. Macbooks or MacBook Airs: Operating system – OS X Sierra 10.12 or newer.

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