Parents/Carers BYOD Information
Choosing a suitable laptop doesn't have to be difficult.
This guide is to assist parents when choosing a suitable laptop for their child and includes information about policies, cyber safety, setup and support.
Please click HERE if you would like to jump straight to the laptop purchase portal.
Welcome!
Our students are from a highly digital generation and to prepare them for the future and their lifelong learning journey, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program at Tenison Woods College offers the opportunity to transform our learning environment to meet their future needs.
The Tenison Woods College BYOD Approach
Since 2014 we have extended an invitation to families/students in Years 8-12 to bring their own device to school. In recent years the program has been expanded to necessitate students bring a suitable laptop for their learning needs for Years 7 to 12.
Providing a Suitable Laptop for Use At School
Students undertaking Years 7-12 at Tenison Woods College must now provide a suitable laptop to use at school. There will be a small number of devices for day loan in the Library/resource hub to accommodate student ICT needs and issues, although these loan devices will not be available for long-term use.
We urge families for whom this approach will cause significant hardship to contact Mr Neal Turley, Business Manager, to discuss your individual circumstance and how the College can support your family in this approach.
Benefits of the BYOD Program
BYOD encourages students to develop responsibility in the care and use of their own laptop. It is an expectation that when laptops are not being used in class, they will be stored securely by the students in their locker or a locked area. While all care will be taken, the College is not able to take any responsibility for the laptops brought into school. We will ensure that students are offered the safest possible environment for their laptop and welcome feedback in this regard from families.
- BYOD enables us to consider new possibilities for our student’s personal learning journey.
- BYOD promotes individual, self-directed learners who can find solutions to education problems.
- BYOD provides an engaging learning environment for students to discover and explore their own learning journey.
- BYOD supports anytime, anywhere collaborative learning environments.
- BYOD is another way to improve student engagement, to interact with peers, to improve communication and to extend the place and time of learning, not restricting learning to the classroom.
Select the document below to view the full invitation and answers to common questions.
BYOD Information Flyer and Frequently Asked Questions
Laptop Capabilities in the Classroom
Students and Parents should be familiar with the policies relating to BYOD, located on the 'policies page' below.
Be Cybersmart! Information for Parents and Carers
Charger Electrical Testing and Tagging
School BYOD Charging Facilities
The BYOD program at Tenison Woods College requires that devices must meet minimum specifications and the below link provides a list of these requirements. Devices that do not have these capabilities will be unsuitable for use at school.
A checklist for parents to help choose a device is available at the 'Device Checklist' link.
Minimum Requirements and Guidelines
Students can bring their current laptop if it meets the minimum requirements, or parents can choose to purchase a device from any retailer.
In either case, Microsoft Office does not require purchase and is available for free via the Portal@TWC page.
Parents can easily select a suitable laptop from the dedicated purchase portal that contains some recommended laptops, or choose an offering from local businesses such as Green Triangle Electronics, Harvey Norman or Grangeburn IT in Hamilton.
Select the 'BYOD Purchase Portal' link for more information.
Link to BYOD Laptop Purchase Portal
Free Copy of Microsoft Office for Students
Once you have a device, use the links below to follow some steps to setup your device for success at Tenison Woods College!
If you have any further questions about the BYOD program, please email the ICT department at byod@tenison.catholic.edu.au or phone the front office on 08 8725 5455.
Tenison Woods College respectfully acknowledges the Boandik people are the First Nations people of the Mount Gambier South Eastern region of South Australia and pay respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, past, present and emerging.