FAQs

In addition to the FAQs below more information can be accessed from the school website http://www.wccs.nsw.edu.au/school-life/byod-stem/ by downloading a copy of the BYOD for Learning booklet.

Is my child required to bring a portable ICT device to school?

In 2019, students in Years 5, 6, 7, 8, 11 and 12 are required to bring a device that meets the minimum specifications. Students in Prep to Year 2 should not bring a device to school as we provide these whenever they are needed. Students in all other years are allowed and encouraged to bring a device as a voluntary BYOD user. In 2020, all students in Years 5 to 12 will be required to bring a device to school.

Where do I buy a device?

To provide families with the opportunity to purchase a device that suits their child’s needs and at a competitive price, families can select from a wide range of retailers. We recommend that a purchase is made later in the year when retailers start setting competitive prices in the lead up to Christmas (note: some schools have used purchase portals to streamline purchasing but we have found that they do not always provide the best value and can limit the choices available).

Can the school help financially?

For the phase in period from 2018 to 2020 the school will be providing a one off BYOD rebate to the year groups required to bring a device to school. In 2018 a BYOD rebate was credited to school fees upon the successful registration of students’ approved electronic devices onto the WCCS network (Year 5 - $150, Year 7 - $225, Year 11 - $450).

What about smart phones?

Smart phones do not meet the minimum specifications for the BYOD program. The smart phone screen size is below 9.7 inches and lacks a physical keyboard. Students who bring smartphones to school will still be required to meet the acceptable use policy (in school planners) for mobile phones.

What about protecting the device?

The WCCS school bag has been designed with a padded protective pocket. This provides basic physical protection. There are many protective cases that will provide additional protection. Use of a lightweight protective case is recommended.

As with other equipment, individual students are responsible for their own property at school. The school's insurance will not cover student devices. Parents are advised to make their own insurance arrangements to cover the possibility of theft, loss or accidental damage to the device. Parents are also advised to ensure the device has regularly updated protection against viruses and malware.

To reduce the risk of loss or theft, devices should be marked or labeled in an indelible manner. Engraving the device is a good strategy but you will need to ensure this does not void warranty. iPads have a built in - ‘Find My iPad’ app, Android devices have a similar option in the 'Find Device' app. Laptops can use tracking software such as https://lojack.absolute.com/en-au and https://www.preyproject.com/. These apps and software must be activated prior to the device being lost.

Won’t a device just make my child’s school bag heavier?

The school is particularly mindful of the weight of bags, particularly for our younger students. We will lighten bags by moving to electronic textbooks where possible. It is recommended that device weight be considered when making a purchase as this does vary significantly between devices.

Will the use of the Internet be monitored by the school?

Yes. Currently all devices that access our school’s wifi network have their internet connection filtered and their activity is logged. Parents should be aware that if students access the internet using their own 3G/4G cellular capable devices, their activity is not filtered or logged by the school.

Will students be able to recharge their device during the day?

It is the responsibility of students to ensure their device is fully charged before the start of each school day. A very limited number of charging stations at school will be available to students. However, these will not be able to meet the demands of students relying on charging devices at school.

Won’t BYOD lead to more distractions and inappropriate behavior?

An increase in the use of digital technology may cause distractions and lead to inappropriate behaviour. Our school wants parents to know that we take both of these matters seriously. Our current school policy requiring students to turn off and put away devices during lesson breaks will continue. Students are required to be supervised by teachers at all times when using ICT at school. Our school also asks that parents partner with us to provide students with ongoing support and training for wise and healthy use of digital technology. One strategy we will be adopting is the eSMART Schools Framework. eSMART provides a prevention and risk management framework to schools, helping them better integrate cyber safety practices and promote the safe use of online technology in their community.

Will my child be looking at screens all day?

No. ICT is a tool for learning but it cannot replace face to face teaching and the collaborative interaction between groups of students and between students and their teachers. Lessons will involve a mixture of activities that will require students to use their devices as well as engage in activities that don’t involve digital technology.

How will my child maintain organised class notes?

Students will be assisted through training to develop good processes for maintaining notes. Online organisation can be administered by the classroom teachers. Many digital learning activities will make use of Google Classroom, one component of the Google for Education Suite. Google Classroom is used by the classroom teachers to help students remain organised.

Doesn’t the government supply funding for laptops? Can’t the school supply a device?

The Australian Laptop Funding Scheme ended in June 2013. As a result, this funding is no longer available for any school students. Schools that provide ICT devices to their students accomplish this by adding the cost of the devices to the school fees.

What technical support will the school provide?

The school’s ICT department will provide assistance with connecting the device to the school’s wifi and services. For any issues that arise due to faults with the device’s hardware and software, it is the family’s responsibility to resolve these in a timely manner to reduce any interruption to student learning. Many retailers offer extended support and/or warranty. This is an option you may wish to consider when making a purchase. The school is currently developing procedures to support students waiting on the return of a device being repaired. If a device is in for repair, the school will support students over this time. Procedures are being developed for this scenario.

What about storage of my child’s work?

It is important that students back-up their work on a regular basis. The school’s assessment guidelines state that computer failure is not an acceptable excuse for non/ late submission of an assessment task. ICT devices do occasionally fail so students need to ensure they regularly back-up any work saved on their device, on an external hard drive or to the cloud.

I have more questions, who do I ask?

If you have further questions, we are keen to hear from you. We cannot guarantee that we have answers to all your questions. However, if you would like to contact the school regarding BYOD for Learning send an email to byod@wccs.nsw.edu.au.