What is BYOD?
BYOD stands for “Bring Your Own Device.” BYOD is an initiative that will allow students who have personal technology devices to bring them to school to use them for educational purposes to meet their learning needs under the direction of a teacher or administrator. For the purposes of BYOD, “Device” means a privately owned wireless and/or portable electronic piece of equipment that includes laptops, tablets, smart phones, etc.

What are the benefits?
Our students are living in a world where they have immediate access to information anytime and anywhere. Many students have personally-owned devices in their pockets that can be used to allow them to learn in their own style and at their own pace. With digital learning, every student can access high quality and rigorous instruction, thereby maximizing their opportunity for success in school and beyond.

How do students access the school network? Is it required that students use the school wireless network, or can they use their own Cellular Service?
Students will be provided with wireless access on the BYOD network after they register their devices. Most devices will detect a wireless connection when you are near one. Most of the time devices will ask to join an available network when prompted; students can simply choose “Wildcat BYOD” from the list. If the device does not display a prompt to choose a wireless network, students can manually go to the settings menu of the device to choose Guest from the list displayed there. Students with a personally owned device are encouraged to use the BYOD wireless network. Students that use non-district networks must comply with AUP and Electronic Device policy and must recognize that they receive content unfiltered and do so at their own risk.

What rules apply to the use of these devices on the student network?
As with all technology use, personal or school-owned, students should use technology for educational purposes with the permission of the teacher or an administrator. Students using a personally-owned device must abide by the District Acceptable Use and Electronic Devices Board Policies. The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires all network access to be filtered regardless of the device that is used to access it while in a public school. While students own the device, the network they are using belongs to the school, so Internet access will be filtered.

Who is responsible if the device is damaged, stolen, or lost?

What if a student doesn’t have his or her own personal technology device?

Can a student use their own device in any class?
Students can use personal technology devices in any class to meet educational goals as long as they have the permission of the teacher.
What are examples of uses of student devices in the classroom? This information is helpful in determining the device students may want to bring to school.

Student devices should be capable of those following:

• Accessing the Internet
• Collaborating via Google Classroom, Skyward and a variety of online tools we use to engage our learners
• Communicating via email, texting, or other tool for educational purposes.

What device do you recommend for students?
The key element to BYOD is choice. Student choice in selecting size (laptop versus tablet); operating system (Mac, Android, Windows); and production tools (Microsoft Office, Google Docs). WMCTC supports Mac OS, Windows, iOS, Android, and Chrome OS devices.

• What operating system is student and family most comfortable with/currently using?
• Can the device access the web, create school type work and communicate outside itself?
• Is the device one that is comfortable to type or navigate with during a 7 hour school day?

Can my student use a(n) [older laptop/e-reader/smartphone]
In most cases, the answer is “maybe”
Questions to ask:

Do I have issues such as eyestrain, thumb strain, etc. to consider?
E-Readers (Nook, Nook Color, Kindle, Kindle Fire):We DO NOT recommend that an e-reader be used as the primary device for BYOD. These devices are primarily used for consumption of books, movies, games, etc. They lack some of the advantages of full tablets (cameras, Bluetooth, detachable physical keyboard options) and have limited access to the full range of Apps (software) available on iOS or Android devices.
Netbooks: Netbooks are a general category of small, limited power affordable computers that are portable with decent battery life. One drawback of netbooks is the limited ability they have to multitask. That said, if students are aware of the limitations, the advantages of cost and mobility might be worth it.

What accessories are required or do you recommend?
There are no required accessories planned at this time. Many students, having used devices all year, have made the following suggestions:
Tablets: Cover/Case, Detachable keyboard or Bluetooth Keyboard. All: Headphones; Warranty

What about Viruses and Malware?
No computer is immune to viruses, malware or spam. As computers become more popular, they become more of a target for virus and spam creators. WMCTC recommends that all students protect themselves through virus protection programs or apps (available even for smartphones). WMCTC assists all users by providing additional protection “at the gates” of the network, but no single solution is foolproof and devices are certainly vulnerable off of the school network (such as home, coffee shops, or on a cellular network).
Do I need a Warranty?
WMCTC strongly recommends devices have some form of warranty. While research shows that students statistically take much better care of a device which belongs to him or her than a school provided device, accidents happen. WMCTC will have a limited number of devices available for students when they have short or long term repair issues but cannot give a total replacement solution for students whose device is destroyed.

What about theft?
Part of the daily use of technology is the daily care of that technology. Students must take care in securing their devices appropriately. If a student finds that their locker is not functioning properly, the school will make it a priority to correct the issue. It is the student's responsibility to keep their technology protected and safe. Use and store technology responsibly. 

What strategies are used in the classroom in a 1:1 BYOD Environment? Are students always on a device?
Learning takes place when you can be present in the moment. Some moments require a device (researching online databases) and some require complete attention to the teachers voice. The focus of BYOD is not so much Teacher or Classroom specific as it is STUDENT specific. Even in a classroom which is being taught without the use of technology by the teacher is a classroom where students may choose to use their personal technology to take notes, complete assignments, or extend learning if approved by the teacher.

Is classroom management an issue? What strategies are used?
We will use the phrase "Devices Down" to signal when the teacher wants the students to put the devices down and listen for instructions. Actually, the teachers who already complete projects with their students and have a great sense of community in their classrooms often have a seemless transition into BYOD because the strategies are the same, and the devices just give them more tools to complete the work of the community.