Digital Learning (Internet, Social Media And Digital Devices)

Purpose

To ensure that all students and members of our school community understand:

our commitment to providing students with the opportunity to benefit from digital technologies to support and enhance learning and development at school [including our BYOD device program
expected student behaviour when using digital technologies including the internet, social media, and digital devices (including computers, laptops, tablets)
the school’s commitment to promoting safe, responsible and discerning use of digital technologies, and educating students on appropriate responses to any dangers or threats to wellbeing that they may encounter when using the internet and digital technologies
our school’s policies and procedures for responding to inappropriate student behaviour on digital technologies and the internet
the various Department policies on digital learning, including social media, that our school follows and implements

Scope

This policy applies to all students and staff at Leongatha Secondary College.

Staff use of technology is also governed by the following Department policies:

Staff also follow our school’s Acceptable Use Policy.

Staff, volunteers and school councillors also need to adhere to codes of conduct relevant to their respective roles. These codes include:

Leongatha Secondary College Child safety Code of Conduct
The Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct (teaching staff)
Code of Conduct for Victorian Sector Employees (staff)

Code of Conduct for Directors of Victorian Public Entities (school councillors)

Definitions

For the purpose of this policy, “digital technologies” are defined as digital devices, tools, applications and systems that students and teachers use for learning and teaching; this includes Department-provided software and locally sourced devices, tools and systems.

Policy

Vision for digital learning at our school

The use of digital technologies is a mandated component of the Victorian Curriculum F-10.

Safe and appropriate use of digital technologies, including the internet, apps, computers and tablets, can provide students with rich opportunities to support learning and development in a range of ways.

Through increased access to digital technologies, students can benefit from learning that is interactive, collaborative, personalised, engaging and transformative. Digital technologies enable our students to interact with and create high quality content, resources and tools. It also enables personalised learning tailored to students’ particular needs and interests and transforms assessment, reporting and feedback, driving new forms of collaboration and communication.

Leongatha Secondary College believes that the use of digital technologies at school allows the development of valuable skills and knowledge and prepares students to thrive in our globalised and interconnected world. Our school’s vision is to empower students to use digital technologies safely and appropriately to reach their personal best and fully equip them to contribute positively to society as happy, healthy young adults.

Personal Devices at Leongatha Secondary College

Our school operates a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program which means students are invited to bring their own purchased or leased device with them to school each day.

Classes at Leongatha Secondary College are supported with the use of iPads/tablets/notebook computers.

Please note that our school does not have insurance to cover accidental damage to students’ devices, parents/carers are encouraged to consider obtaining their own insurance for their child’s device.

Leongatha Secondary College has in place arrangements to support families who may be experiencing long or short-term hardship to access devices for schoolwork If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact the Principal on 03 5667 2200.

Year 7 & 8 BYO Device Information (Recommendation)

Each year we have made incremental improvements to our BYOD program. Over the years we have grown and evolved, continually improving our teaching practices and discovering new and exciting ways to use iPads in the classroom to enhance and extend teaching and learning across the curriculum. The iPad has become an important tool for year 7 and 8 students that is used each day for class work, communication and organisation. The importance of students having access to a reliable device is undeniable in today’s world.

We continue to monitor and incrementally update our core infrastructure and internet bandwidth to ensure all users experience a fast and reliable experience when using their iPad at Leongatha Secondary College.

We have made every effort to continue to keep device costs to a minimum by working with our supplier, Education Advantage, to offer education pricing for families to ensure this lessens the financial burden. Families have the option of purchasing a device through the Education Advantage portal, bringing an existing device or purchasing from a retailer of your choice.

The iPad has proven to be a terrific device for our students in years 7 and 8.

Full details can be found here: https://leongatha.sc/byod7-8

Year 9-12 BYO Device Information (Recommendation)

Leongatha Secondary College operates a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program. The College has invested in infrastructure to enable students to quickly and easily access resources at Leongatha Secondary College using their own device. This program allows students to bring along a device they already own (Apple/macOS or Windows), or one they purchase themselves (Apple/macOS or Windows).

Does my child need a NoteBook computer?
Having a sturdy, reliable NoteBook computer is recommended for all students in years 9 – 12.

The College recommends that all students in years 9 – 12 be equipped with a suitable NoteBook computer running a modern desktop operating system.

When Should I purchase the device?
You have the ability to purchase the device at any time. It’s recommended that you obtain your device and have this setup and ready to go prior to commencing year 9.

Purchasing a Device
We have made every effort to continue to keep device costs to a minimum by working with our supplier, Education Advantage, to offer education pricing for families to ensure this lessens the financial burden. Families have the option of purchasing a device through the Education Advantage portal, bringing an existing device or purchasing from a retailer of your choice.

If you would like to purchase a MacBook Air the College has a partnership with Education Advantage to offer a portal to enable parents to purchase a custom NoteBook bundle perfect for students who attend Leongatha Secondary College. http://leongatha.sc/byodportal

Full details regarding our 9-12 BYOD program can be found here: https://leongatha.sc/byod9-12

Students, parents and carers who would like more information or assistance regarding our BYOD program are encouraged to contact the ICT team via LiveChat (https://leongatha.sc/livechat) or call the College on 03 5667 2200.

Leongatha Secondary College has a dedicated purchasing portal that offers discounted prices for the purchase of devices for the College community.

The pricing and device specifications on the purchasing portal are subject to change. Unfortunately this is beyond our control. Apple refreshes their offerings regularly. Changes will be reflected on the purchasing portal to ensure families are purchasing the most current model at education pricing. Full details of our current device recommendation (including technical specifications) can be found using the following links: https://leongatha.sc/byod7-8 or https://leongatha.sc/byod9-12

Please note that our school does not have insurance to cover accidental damage to students’ devices, and parents/carers are encouraged to consider obtaining their own insurance for their child’s device.

Leongatha Secondary College has in place arrangements to support families who may be experiencing long or short-term hardship to access devices for schoolwork.

Students, parents and carers who would like more information or assistance regarding our BYOD program are encouraged to contact ICT support via LiveChat (https://leongatha.sc/livechat) or on 5667 2200.

Safe and appropriate use of digital technologies

Digital technologies, if not used appropriately, may present risks to users’ safety or wellbeing. At Leongatha Secondary College, we are committed to educating all students to use digital technologies safely, equipping students with the skills and knowledge to navigate the digital world.

At Leongatha Secondary College , we:

use online sites and digital tools that support students’ learning, and focus our use of digital technologies on being learning-centred
use digital technologies in the classroom for specific purpose with targeted educational or developmental aims
supervise and support students using digital technologies for their schoolwork
effectively and responsively address any issues or incidents that have the potential to impact on the wellbeing of our students
educate our students about digital issues such as privacy, intellectual property and copyright, and the importance of maintaining their own privacy and security online
actively educate and remind students of our Student Engagement policy that outlines our School’s values and expected student behaviour, including online behaviours
have an Acceptable Use Agreement outlining the expectations of students when using digital technologies for their schoolwork – https://leongatha.sc/aua
use clear protocols and procedures to protect students working in online spaces, which includes reviewing the safety and appropriateness of online tools and communities and removing offensive content at the earliest opportunity
educate our students on appropriate responses to any dangers or threats to wellbeing that they may encounter when using the internet and other digital technologies
provide a filtered internet service at school to block access to inappropriate content
refer suspected illegal online acts to the relevant law enforcement authority for investigation

Distribution of school owned devices to students and personal student use of digital technologies at school will only be permitted where students and their parents/carers have completed a signed Acceptable Use Agreement.

It is the responsibility of all students to protect their own password and not divulge it to another person. If a student or staff member knows or suspects an account has been used by another person, the account holder must notify the Year Level Coordinator and ICT support immediately.

All messages created, sent or retrieved on the school’s network are the property of the school. The school reserves the right to access and monitor all messages and files on the computer system, as necessary and appropriate. Communications including text and images may be required to be disclosed to law enforcement and other third parties without the consent of the sender.

Social media use

Our school follows the Department’s policy on Social Media Use to Support Learning to ensure social media is used safely and appropriately in student learning and to ensure appropriate parent notification occurs or, where required, consent is sought. Where the student activity is visible to the public, it requires consent.

Student behavioural expectations

When using digital technologies, students are expected to behave in a way that is consistent with Leongatha Secondary College’s Student Wellbeing and Engagement policy, and Bullying Prevention policy.

When a student acts in breach of the behaviour standards of our school community (including cyberbullying, using digital technologies to harass, threaten or intimidate, or viewing/posting/sharing of inappropriate or unlawful content), Leongatha Secondary College will institute a staged response, consistent with our student engagement and behaviour policies.

Breaches of this policy by students can result in a number of consequences which will depend on the severity of the breach and the context of the situation. This includes:

removal of network access privileges
removal of email privileges
removal of internet access privileges
removal of printing privileges

other consequences as outlined in the school’s Student Wellbeing and Engagement and Bullying Prevention policies.

Communication

This policy will be communicated to our school community in the following ways:

Available publicly on our school’s website
Included in staff induction and child safety training processes
Discussed at staff briefings/meetings as required
Made available in hard copy from school administration upon request