Beginning Term 1 of 2024, Year 8 - 12 students have a new BYOD requirement. All Year 8 - 12 students must bring an appropriate computer device for them to use for their learning start of Semester 1, 2024.
International School Suva has taken significant steps toward a digital environment for students. This includes upgrades to the school network and wireless infrastructure, increased internet bandwidth, implementation of the student management system enabling parent and student portals, reporting, and communication within our school community.
“Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) refers to students being required to bring a personally owned device to school for the purpose of learning. In 2024 we take a further step towards integrating digital technologies into the curriculum by asking year 8 - 12 students to bring their own device to school on a daily basis. The changes we are making to the digital learning environment are important if we are to provide the appropriate learning framework for students in our school. The BYOD approach will ensure your child is equipped for the present and skilled appropriately for the future.
Other students in Years 6-7 may bring and register a device on the network but are not required to do so.
BYOD - Specifications & FAQ
Specifications:
The minimum requirements for your child's device needed to meet the ISS Minimum specifications:
Processor: Intel i3 or equivalent
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive: 128GB
Screen Size: 14"
Battery life: 4 hours
Operating system: Windows or Mac
However, ISS recommends that a device that meets the following specifications, will allow your child a less interrupted learning experience.
Processor: Intel i5 or equivalent
RAM: 8GB
Hard Drive: 128GB (SSD)
Screen Size: 14"
Battery life: 8 hours or more
Operating system: Windows or Mac.
FAQ:
Here are some key questions and answers which may help. As further questions are asked, we will build on our FAQs list, so that it is available for parents to access prior to emailing questions to the school regarding the BYOD programme.
Q: Is it compulsory for my child to bring their own device?
A: Yes, your child will need to bring their own device to school. In previous years, ISS had provided Chromebooks for students up to Y8. However this will be lowered each year to allow for the school to improve other areas of IT to further enhance your child’s learning experience and improve student outcomes.
Q: Can my child use an iPad as their device?
A: Your child may use an iPad as their device provided it is connected to an external keyboard. The keyboard may be a part of the iPad case for example. The iPad will also need to meet the minimum requirements of the device as shared by ISS.
Q: If my child has an iPad, but can’t access a programme that is being used?
A: If a programme is being used in a class and is not available on an iPad, the teacher will inform the student of an equivalent programme for the iPad. If there is a cost associated with this, that will be at the cost of the student/parent.
Q: I would like to have control over what my child accesses on the device, will this impact their learning?
A: School provides content filtering for students on the school network. Parental control is useful outside school hours and parents can set effective hours accordingly. Even if parental control is effective during school hours the filtering would be very similar to how we filter content at school e.g. violence, adult/mature content, hacking firewalls etc. Most content filtering applications have common filtering categories and work in a similar fashion. Once we know which exact app is being used we can then investigate and advise.
Q: I am worried that my child will receive too much screen time now that they are a part of the BYOD programme. Will this be the case?
A: No, you do not need to be worried. Teachers are regularly incorporating different activities into their classes that do not rely solely on the device. The device is seen as a way to enhance student learning, not to become the only form of student learning.
Q: What type of device does my child need to meet the requirements set out by ISS?
A: The minimum requirements for your child's device need to meet the ISS Minimum specifications:
Processor: Intel i3 or equivalent
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive: 128GB
Screen Size: 14"
Battery life: 4 hours
Operating system: Windows or Mac
However, ISS recommends that a device that meets the following specifications, will allow your child a less interrupted learning experience.
Processor: Intel i5 or equivalent
RAM: 8GB
Hard Drive: 128GB (SSD)
Screen Size: 14"
Battery life: 8 hours or more
Operating system: Windows or Mac.