BYOD - Bring Your Own Device

BYOD

Bring Your Own Device

Student, Parent and Staff Guide

Denton ISD

Office of Instructional Technology

Table of Contents

Purpose 1

Filtering 1

Frequently Asked Questions 2

Students 2

Staff 4

Parents 5

1

Denton ISD is committed to moving students and staff forward in a 21st century learning

environment. As part of this plan, Denton ISD will allow students, parents and staff to access

our DISD-Student network using their own technology tools (laptops, Smart Phones, iPads etc.)

during the learning day. With campus administration and classroom teacher approval,

students may use their own devices in the classroom to access and save information from the

Internet, communicate with other learners (via student provided email) and use the

productivity tools that may be currently loaded on their device (Microsoft Word, Power Point

etc.).

Once on the DISD-Student network, all users will have filtered Internet access just as they

would on a district owned device. All users will be filtered at the student level when using

personal technology devices. Network drives and printers will not be available on the DISD-

PUB network.

Purpose

Filtering

2

I have my laptop with me in class. How do I get on the Internet now?

Answer: Most laptops or other personal devices (smart phones), will detect a wireless

connection when you are near one. Most of the time your technology tool will ask you if

you would like to join the network. When prompted, choose DISD-Student from the list.

My laptop is not prompting me to choose a wireless network. Is there another way to

connect?

Answer: In the settings menu of your device, there is usually an icon for a network, go

to this icon and choose the DISD-Student from the list or prompt your computer to look

for wireless networks in range. Always consult your owner’s manual for exact directions

on accessing a wireless network.

I just can’t get my laptop to connect to the network. Can I get some help from someone?

Answer: Unfortunately, no. Due to liability concerns, Denton ISD staff are not

authorized to troubleshoot individual devices. Check your owner’s manual for issues

concerning connectivity.

I brought my iPad to school to use in the classroom, but my teacher said I couldn’t use it

in her classroom. Can I still use it?

Answer: The teacher in the classroom has the final say on procedures in the classroom.

If he or she asks you not to use your technology tool, then you should follow those

directions. Access is only available, not guaranteed for each classroom situation.

I need to save my work in my Denton ISD shared folder. Why can’t I access this resource?

Answer: You are on the DISD-Student Network. It is not the same as the network you

would normally access from a campus computer. You will not see your student network

folder, so you will need to save your work in another place. Some options include a flash

drive, your own hard drive or cloud storage.

I need to print the spreadsheet I just created, why is there no printer listed when I try

this?

Answer: Like network folders, printers are networked differently on the campus and will

Frequently Asked Questions: Students

3

not be available when you login to the DISD-Student network. Some printing solutions

include, emailing the document to your teacher to print, print it at home, or save it to a

flash drive and print it on campus computer. Keep in mind that using campus printers in

the classroom or other learning spaces is at the discretion of the teacher or other

campus administrator.

My laptop was stolen when I brought it to school. Who should I contact about this?

Answer: Bringing your own technology tools to school can be useful, however some

risks are involved. It is always a good idea to record the device’s serial number to have

in case of theft. Denton ISD is not responsible for the theft of a device nor are we

responsible for any damage done to the device while at school. Any time a theft occurs,

you should contact a school administrator to make him/her aware of the offense.

Why am I filtered on my own computer? Shouldn’t I be able to see what I want to on my

own device?

Answer: Student filtering is a requirement of all public schools. The Children’s Internet

Protection Act (CIPA) requires all network access to be filtered, regardless of the device

you use to access it while in a public school. Your laptop or phone is the device, the

network you are using while at school belongs to Denton ISD and will be filtered.

Am I still held accountable for the Acceptable Use Policy I signed at the beginning of the

school year even though this is my own personal computer?

Answer: Yes. The Acceptable Use Policy for Denton ISD remains in effect even when you

are using your own laptop, smart phone, iPad etc. while on campus. Violating the terms

of the AUP would be a Student Code of conduct violation and will be dealt with on the

campus with a campus administrator. You can review this policy here:

http://dentonisd.org/aup

Why can’t my little brother bring his laptop to school?

Answer: Bringing your own device to school is at the discretion of campus

administration and teachers.

4

My classroom is not conducive to student owned technology, am I required in allowing

my students to access their technology tools in the classroom?

Answer: No. Although we encourage teachers to leverage the student owned

technology devices in their classroom for learning, there is no requirement for teachers

to allow this. You are in charge of the way your class functions and the rules that apply.

Some of my students cannot access the network on their laptops or phones. I don’t have

time in a class period to help them with this. Should I put in a HEAT ticket or call the help

desk?

Answer: No. Students who cannot access the DISD-Student network or who may have

technical issues with their technology device will need to take care of this issue by

reading their user’s manual that came with the device. These are not Denton ISD

devices and the district is not allocating resources at this time to troubleshoot issues.

Due to liability concerns, Denton ISD staff are not authorized to troubleshoot individual

devices.

I have students on my campus who are accessing the Internet using their provider’s data

plan (AT&T, Sprint, Verizon etc.) on their smart phones or laptops, hence bypassing the

filter. Is this a violation of the student AUP?

ANSWER: This is not an AUP violation because the student is not bypassing the filter on

the Denton ISD network, but instead using a provider’s data plan. However, accessing

inappropriate material or using the device in a manner not conducive to the classroom

would be a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and should be referred to the

campus administrator.

I have my own laptop and a smart phone. I would like to utilize these tools at work. Does

this new plan include campus staff?

Answer: Yes. Campus staff can also access the guest network. Keep in mind that the

DISD-Student network is going to be filtered at the student level for everyone accessing

it. Campus printers and network folders will not be accessible with your own devices as

well.

Frequently Asked Questions: Staff

5

One of my students was using his laptop to bully another student on campus. Should I

call the central technology office concerning this problem?

Answer: No. Any disciplinary infractions that occur from using technology devices

should be referred to a campus administrator. This would be a Student Code of Conduct

issue.

Will students have access to any common software packages via the guest network

access?

Answer: Not at this time.

Should I call central office if one of my student’s laptops is damaged or stolen?

Answer: No. Any theft issues should be handled as you normally would on your campus.

Denton ISD is not responsible for any damage or theft of student owned technology

devices. It would be good to remind students to keep a record of the device’s serial

number just in case a theft occurs.

My son is bringing his iPad to school for instructional purposes. Will he have access to

things he normally does with district equipment?

Answer: Your son will have access to web based software such as databases, library

search tools and web 2.0 tools. Software may run differently on different devices for

varying reasons. You should consult your owner’s manual for software limitations. (Ex.

iPads cannot run software requiring Flash Player)

As a parent, am I required to add additional software (virus protection, filter, tracking

device etc.) to my child’s technology tool?

Answer: No. Currently we are not requiring any additional software for school use. Virus

protection is always advised, but not required to participate in BYOD. There are many

products such as Absolute Software (http://www.absolute.com) that can be installed on

the device to track the location in case of theft. While on the DISD-PUB network,

students will be monitored through the district’s filter, so there is no need for additional

filtering software.

Frequently Asked Questions: Parents

6

If my daughter’s laptop is stolen or damaged, what recourse can I take?

Answer: The district is not responsible for any damage or theft of student owned

equipment. Installing tracking software like Absolute Software can help locate the

equipment if it is stolen, and keeping track of the device’s serial number, model and

type will be helpful as well. Theft or vandalism of any kind should be reported

immediately to a campus administrator, so he/she can take the appropriate steps.

What are the campus/classroom rules for using student owned devices including

phones?

Answer: Campus administrators and teachers make the final decision for any tools used

in the classroom; student owned equipment would be no different. It will be up to the

individual teachers to communicate their expectations to parents and students. Contact

your child’s teachers or campus administration for his/her expectations.

Will my child have access to communication tools like email while on the DISD-Student

network?

Answer: Yes. All students have school issued monitored email account through

Microsoft Office 365.

Where can I see the Acceptable Use Policy for Technology?

Answer: Board policy and the AUP are available online at the following link:

Board Policy:

http://pol.tasb.org/Home/Index/383?51234713164314Nav=|&NodeID=2565

Student AUP:

http://www.dentonisd.org/aup