BYOC - Bring your own Chromebook

Bring your own chromebook (BYOC) operates in Team Karearea and Team Toroa. Students bring their own device to school to use as a tool in their learning.  Parents are guided in their purchase and we recommend Chromebooks because of their affordability and capabilities.  Awapuni School works hard at offering equity of access to devices so that all students are able to work digitally in Team Karearea and Team Toroa. 

By using Google Suite students have single-user sign on to a suite of tools that they use in many ways. Awapuni School is building digital fluency in many ways - not just by being able to type a story. Students learn that with the power of the device and the internet comes responsibility. Digital Citizenship is taught explicitly across the team. 

When creating a digital object students aim to achieve "sisomo" to capture their audience's attention and to share their learning with this audience.  Teachers plan and use the pedagogy of "learn, create, share, assess" so that students use devices creatively. 

Teachers are able to use digital platforms such as Google Sites and Google Classroom to share their planning and learning tasks with students. This makes learning visible and students can personalise their learning and can work at their own pace. 

Social media and Google Suite offer many opportunities for learners to share their digital objects with family/whānau as it is created and seek feedback and feedforward from them.  

Awapuni School has ultra-fast broadband and wifi throughout the school which mean access is of a high quality. Our technician runs monitoring software which means students are protected at a high level while they are on the internet.

Recommended Models

We require the following specifications for a Chromebook:


Battery life: should last 5-8 hours to be able to get through the school day without recharging

Dual Band Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n (5.0 Ghz) – this allows a more stable connection to our network

RAM/Memory: 4GB or more, so that programmes can run quickly

Screen size: 11.6 inch

Insurance: the school cannot be responsible for damage or loss of electronic devices, so please make sure this is covered on your own policy. 

A suitable hard carry case for transporting between home and school.

Auto Update policy - Chrome devices receive automatic updates until they reach their Update Expiration date.


Chromebooks are the Recommended device that are able to be used at school. 

 

FAQ

Will my child be required to share his / her Chromebook with other students?

In a word - no. As they are valuable items they will have sole use of them.



Who is responsible for the security, maintenance, and charging of the BYOC equipment?

You as a parent/caregiver have overall responsibility for your child’s equipment. We also discuss with students how to care for their device. A storage area in the class will be available for students to use at interval and lunch. The school accepts no responsibility for any damage or theft of a device. This needs to covered under your own insurance.


Will my child be able to use their Chromebook during break times?

No. They will be left in the classroom at these times and for assemblies etc. We believe that it is important for students to have a break from their in-class learning, socialise with others and be active.


What about the use of pens and exercise books? Will this continue?

We will continue to offer a balanced programme, which includes things like writing. This could be alternated between using the Chromebook and drafting a piece of writing in a book. It is likely that most maths work will be done in an exercise book. By having a Chromebook, children will be able to choose the best ‘tool’ for the job. We look closely at stationery requirements and endeavour to minimise these.


How will my child charge their Chromebook? 

We expect students to take responsibility for the charging of devices overnight at home, and this is a good habit for them to get into. If a device is fully charged overnight at home, then it would be unlikely to need charging throughout the day. This will be part of developing your child’s responsibility skills that will be taught alongside BYOC. 


How many times a week will you be using BYOD?


BYOC will be used on a daily basis to support the learning across Reading, Writing and Numeracy as well as any topic or Inquiry aspects. There is no set time frame for this it will be purely a case by case situation where students will be provided with tasks that encourage the use of balanced programme (including using their device).


Is it compulsory for my child to have a Chromebook?

No it’s not, It is important for our whanau to know that there is no mandatory requirement for your child to own a personal Chromebook. The school owns some Chromebooks, to ensure we can endeavour to foster equity within our school


Why is BYOD just for Team Karearea and Team Toroa?

We believe that this is an appropriate age for children to be learning and understanding about doing their work safely in an online environment.


When is the best time to buy a Chromebook for my child who will be in Year 4 next year.

They can be purchased anytime. Our IT support provider, The device then will be added to the Schools Wifi


How can I set my child's Chromebook up?

You can supply the Chromebook with your child and we will onboard it to the schools Wifi. Note if you install Parental controls you will need to add the students School Google Logon and Password at home as this requires a Pin number that has been setup by the parent and changes every 30 minutes. Students will be issued with a school Google username and password.

How is access to the wireless system controlled?

The network is controlled by Network for Learning with Firewalls in place to monitor and restrict access to certain websites that are categorized non educational purpose. 

Who will be responsible for troubleshooting and fixing student devices?

 We have a IT provider who is responsible for IT in our school but they will not be required to provide technical assistance other than helping students connect to the wireless at school. Overall responsibility to repair devices will be a parental responsibility. 

Will I need to have internet access at home? 

Chromebooks will need internet at home if in order to sync online. This will enable your child to make full use of school resources from home via our school Google accounts. If a student needs to make use of free Wi-Fi in the community, please be aware that these connecons may not provide the necessary filters we have on our school network.