BYOD FAQs

BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device.
As London Christian High has implemented a BYOD program in which each student is expected to bring in their own device to school each day. These devices will be used in place of the traditional computer labs and will give teachers and students more flexibility in how and when devices are used for class work and activities. Students will be able to work consistently on their own device, at school, at home, on the bus, etc.. With a significant amount of work being completed electronically, particularly online, this provides a seamless approach to using devices in the classroom.

Each day, students will need to bring in a device that meets the following specifications:

• The screen size must be at least 10″, preferably 12″ – 15″.
• It must have a physical keyboard.
• Of course, it must be able to connect to WiFi and run a full web browser.
• It should have at least 32GB of storage, preferably 64GB or more.
• It should have a battery that runs for a minimum of 4 hours with light use.
• Preferably, it is a laptop (Windows or Mac), or a Chromebook. A full-sized tablet that has a keyboard would work as well. A phone does not qualify.
• Students might benefit from having a mouse for certain tasks (the school will have extra mice that students can borrow when needed).

These specs are very open ended and does allow students and families to select a wide variety of devices (at a wide variety of price points and capabilities). Any school work and activities that a student will be expected to do will be possible on a device that meets these requirements. The device does not need to have a touch screen. No special software will need to be installed on the device. In cases where specific licensed software is needed, students will work in the reduced lab spaces that the school continues to maintain.

Of course, there are many options where devices can be purchased at a reasonable cost. The following list is far from exhaustive, but might help in getting started:

New or Refurbished: There is usually a decent warranty and often an option to extend the warranty.

• Best Buy Outlet: focus on “Open Box” or “Refurbished (excellent)” options and be sure to check the warranty.
• Amazon: there are lots of options, of course, and usually lots of reviews (which are sometimes helpful).
• OE Canada (contact: Ryan Bilyea – email, phone: 519-649-5066 x139): they are a local business that can sell or lease-to-own a device. Ryan is happy to help in the decision process.
• Costco: if you have a membership of course (and they offer 2-year manufacturers defect warranty).
• Of course there are other retail options, particularly local ones, that you may be familiar with and want to look into.

Used: There are lots of great deals on used devices, but it is riskier to purchase a used device with an unknown history and no warranty. Still worth considering (but do your homework). Keep in mind that many slightly older devices are more than sufficient, but may have poor battery life.

• Kijiji
• Facebook Marketplace
• A family member: a little less risky … maybe 🙂

This is a very personal decision. Students should will need to take care of their devices when using, storing, and transporting them. Some devices (regardless of price) will have a defect in their manufacturing, and accidents do happen. Warranties come in many shapes and sizes (and prices).

If you are looking at extended warranties, be sure to consider the types of things it covers. Basic warranties (including extended) only cover manufacturer defects, and do NOT cover breakage from use (ex. it is dropped, something is spilled on it, etc.). There are warranties that do cover accidental breakage. Of course, these are more costly. Just be sure to know what you are getting first.

• Consider a good way to transport the device, for example a good backpack designed to carry a laptop, and/or a protective sleeve.
• Many students do not use locks on their lockers. Devices will be likely be kept in lockers at lunch time, assemblies, etc. Students may want to use a lock.
• Fully charge the device before coming to school.
• Bring a charging cord each day, especially if the device has a poorer battery life. Consider getting a second charging cord (keep one at home and one at school). It is usually easy to find cheap options online.
• The school does have a firewall and content filtering service for the Internet we provide. This only applies when connecting to the school WiFi. We don’t control connections over data or outside the school.
• The school is not responsible for broken or stolen devices. The school will be involved if students are not respecting other students’ property (according to our discipline policy). The school will have a limited number of spare devices (to be used at school only) in case a student device is getting repaired or replaced.
• If a student is misusing their device in class, the privilege to use it will be taken away and communication will be made with parents.

We will be developing this site further to answer more questions and to clarify expectations and policies as they continue to develop and inevitably change.

If you do have questions, concerns, or suggestions, please reach out to Mark Sumner (msumner@lchonline.ca).