SuppoRting STUDENTS ON RESPONSIBLE USE OF THE LEARNING DEVICE

The school has in place some measures to enable a safe and seamless learning environment for students. The role of the parent is also key in partnering the school to support your child.

1. Educating students on Cyber Wellness

2. Device Management Application (DMA)

3. Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

1. Educating students on Cyber Wellness

Cyber Wellness in School

MOE has made significant changes to the Character and Citizenship Education. Cyber Wellness lessons will feature significantly in the CCE2021 lessons.

As part of our school’s Cyber Wellness education, students learn how to take responsibility for their online well-being, and how to be positive role models to others in creating safe and kind online communities. The revised CCE 2021 will also feature cyber wellness education more strongly, with updated authentic scenarios used, to better equip students to navigate online spaces safely and help develop a more supportive cyber environment.

Topics covered in the Cyber Wellness lessons include:

• Cyber Use

• Cyber Identity

• Cyber Relationships

• Cyber Citizenship

• Cyber Ethics

Cyber Wellness at Home

As parents, you can also play a part by

• Model good digital habits for your child.

• Know your child well, and have conversations with your child about safe and responsible use of technology.

• Set ground rules for internet use.

• Navigate the internet together to understand their usage.

What is DMA and what does it do?

Device management application (DMA) software will be installed on your child’s device to provide a safe learning experience for your child, and to prevent misuse of the device.

The DMA is a suite of software installed in the device to enable the school and parents to manage and monitor device usage by students.

The DMA has 3 main components:

(a) Classroom Management Service. This enables teachers to actively monitor and control the student’s use of the PLD during lesson time to improve student management and deliver effective teaching.

(b) Mobile Device Management Service. This facilitates the remote deployment of teaching and learning applications and comes with security patches. The school may also leverage on the Mobile Device Management Service to install teaching and learning resources.

(c) Usage Management Service. This allows the school to address cyber wellness concerns, such as excessive and inappropriate use of the PLD and manage prolonged use of the PLD to reduce stress on the eyes. It can also set limits on student's screen time after school hours. DMA can restrict the type of applications and websites accessible by students.

Data collected by DMA

The Device Management Application (DMA) collects data on usage by the student, such as the amount of time spent on each application.

The DMA data will only be used for MOE’s cyber-wellness measures and technical troubleshooting.

The DMA will be funded by MOE and will be uninstalled from the device when the child graduates / leaves the school.

DEFAULT SETTINGS (CURRENT)

All students' chromebooks are currently tagged with default DMA settings. This comprise of two segments during term time: a ) School hours (0630h to 1900h) and b) After-school hours (1900h to 2300h). The weekends, during term time, are currently following normal school day DMA settings. DMA settings during end-of-term holidays will be adjusted to after school hours between 0630h to 2300h for each day. Default DMA settings (under MOE/school's charge) will ensure necessary web content filtering and safe-monitoring for your child's activity are applied at the backend.

AVAILABILITY OF DMA OPTIONS FOR PARENTS - MID OCTOBER 2021

MOE will soon make available the choice of regulating DMA options to parents. Our school strongly advised parents/guardians to continue leaving DMA settings under MOE/School's charge.

Parents/Guardians, who prefer alternative DMA settings for after-school hours, will need to exercise due considerations (see highlights -green) before committing to Option A or Option B .

Selection of either option is through this link (Parents who wish to leave the DMA settings to default need not fill up this link)

The selected option and parent's/guardian's email will be collected for our backend administration.

In the days to come, parents will receive a notification on Parents Gateway to check on their email

Option A - The email will contain information on their accounts provision including password to access the DMA parents portal.

Option B - The email will indicate to them when DMA is switched off during after-school hours. Do take note that parents will not be able to access the Parents DMA portal nor edit any DMA settings due to DMA deactivated after school hours.

Parents may request to change your choice of After-School DMA Options through the same link provided above . However, please note that switches are not immediate and will only take effect only on the 15th or end of the month.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR OPTION A

Parents can modify the DMA settings on their own. Parents must understand the consequence of granting permission to each action in the portal.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR OPTION B

If Option B is selected, parents/guardians or the school WILL NOT be able to monitor or control their child's/ward's use of their device after school hours. There WILL BE NO restrictions to ensure the child's online safety. Web content filtering WILL NOT BE available to protect them against objectionable content.

Parents DMA Portal WILL NOT be available for parents' access as the DMA is deactivated for the personal device after school hours.

The learning device is student-owned and the DMA will be uninstalled from the device once the student graduates from secondary school.

As part of the PDLP, schools will progressively roll out IT applications that will be vital to students’ learning experience and educational journey. In the following months, the school will roll out some or all of the following applications:

(a) Student iCON: Every secondary school student will be given an email account. This is a service provided by Google as part of Google Suite and Student ICON email address will be used for logons to the school network and DMA. Xinmin students will continue to use their xinminss email address for communication for this year. However, there will be an onboarding exercise that will be rolled for all students so that they each will get their student ICON account which is required for authentication for school connectivity and MOE systems.

(b) Microsoft Pro Plus: Every secondary school student will be able to use Microsoft Office tools that include Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

(c) Zoom: Every secondary school student will be given a Zoom free account with 40 mins time limit using the Student iCON for the students’ video conferencing needs.

There will be an Student ICON onboarding exercise in May. Each student requires this ICON account for authentication during logons into their personal devices. This account will also be tagged to the student's identity from secondary school to JC/Millennia Institute.

In time to come, there will be better integration in the use of this ICON account with the rest of the MOE central systems later.

In addition, students require the use of this ICON account to access the apps below.

The following IT applications will be standard rollout on the personal learning devices for the students.

The school will also be whitelisting certain extensions or apps identified by the teachers that will also be rolled in for the students for their day to day learning.