Year 9 and 10 BYOD in 2022
In the past two years, COVID has impacted on the way in which students access their learning. One impact is our use of technology, especially the use of devices to support the learning in classrooms.
In 2021, Reservoir High introduced a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) program to all students in Years 10, 11 and 12. Throughout 2020 and 2021, our students and staff have been required to undertake remote learning, with teaching and learning conducted through personal devices using tools such as Compass, Microsoft Teams and a wide range of digital tools to support learning. As we move back to face to face teaching, striking the balance between device use (and screen time) and handwriting using pen and paper is vitally important as well as undertaking practical subjects such as Technology, PE/Sport, STEAM and the Arts.
As a school, and as a system, we have learned a great deal about technology can be used to support effective teaching and learning. We know that technology can both engage students, and also support students in their learning in many different ways. Feedback from the students is that the use of personal devices has allowed for greater collaboration, increased personalisation of learning tasks and multiple ways to present their learning.
In 2022, we will be extending our BYOD program to students in Year 9. This means that students can bring their device from home, connect it to the school network at no cost and use their device in order to access learning programs to support their continued achievement.
All families of students moving into Year 9 in 2022, are asked as part of your equipment for learning to bring your own device (BYOD) to school from the start of Term 2. For Year 1 students in 2022, BYOD begins from the first day of school- Monday January 31. The BYOD program for Year 9 students will begin on April 26, 2022- the first day of Term 2.
The school has partnered with Edunet to provide a parent portal with a range of devices available for purchase. All purchases through the portal can also include extended warranties, insurance and accessories. While we support families using the portal to purchase devices, as a family, you can choose to source the device from any provider you wish. You may also use your current device. If you are purchasing a device from another provider, or bringing a current device, our minimum specifications are-
- Windows 10 or Mac OS 10.4 minimum
- It must hold charge for 8 hours
- 10 inch screen (this does include 9.7 inch iPads. IPads must have an attached keyboard)
- 4 Gb Ram
- 128Gb SSD
We strongly recommend the use of a touch screen device for all students. Devices that operate with a touch screen, stylus and can be folded into tablet mode allow for greater flexibility in learning. The school recommends the use of the Lenovo ThinkPad 11e Yoga 6th Gen as it is both a touch screen and has the specifications that will support longevity of use. The Yoga 6th Gen is available on both our school portal and all stores that sell computers. Please note, a touch screen device is not required, only recommended.
The portal can be accessed from-
https://reservoirhs.technologyportal.com.au/
The password to access the portal is-
RHS2022
Please note that the Department of Education is unable to offer insurance or cover the cost of damage to personal devices. Please consider insurance when you purchase your device.
In 2022, Reservoir High School will continue to utilise Microsoft Teams and Office365 as the basis for all classroom digital environments in conjunction with Compass. Office 365 is provided free for all students at Reservoir High. There is no need to purchase or activate copies of Office 365 if you buy a new device. The use of a personal device to support the learning of students is fundamental in a 21st century classroom. For families experiencing financial hardship, please contact Amy Angelovski at the school with supports.
We understand the addition cost that the provision of a BYOD is for a family. As a school, we have worked hard to off-set this cost by reducing the number of textbooks required for purchase. This includes increasing the number of text books to be retained from Year 8 and providing options around the use of Digital editions of the textbook for installing on a student’s device. If families prefer to purchase digital textbooks, early connection to the BYOD program will be available for Year 9 students in 2022.