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GUIDELINES

BYOTPORTABLECOMPUTINGDEVICEUSEFORSTUDENTS

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Preface

ThisbookletisprovidedtostudentsandparentsofPLCArmidale,togiveanoverviewoftheBYOT(BringYourOwnTechnology)portablecomputingdeviceprogram.Itcontainsinformationonsensibletechnologyuse,guidelinesforusingdevices,andsometechnicalknow-howforeffectiveownership.

SpecialisttechnicalinformationandsupportisavailablethroughtheICTdepartment.

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TableofContents

INTRODUCTIONTOOURPROGRAM 4

BLENDEDLEARNING 4LEARNINGATTITUDESANDBEHAVIOURS 4LEARNINGENVIRONMENT 4LEARNINGCHOICES 4LEARNINGAPPROACH 4LEARNINGNETWORK 4COMPUTINGENVIRONMENT 5

USING,STORINGANDTAKINGCAREOFTHEPORTABLECOMPUTINGDEVICE 6

MAINTAININGTHEBATTERY6BACKINGUPIMPORTANTDATA 7TAKINGCAREOFTHEDEVICE 7

HEALTHANDSAFETYWHENUSINGCOMPUTINGDEVICES 9

CORRECTPOSTURE 9CARRYINGYOURDEVICE 10STUDENTSWITHSPECIFICERGONOMICREQUIREMENTSSHOULDSEETHEIRPASTORALCARETEACHERWHOWILL

REFERTHEISSUETOTHEOH&SCOMMITTEE.INTERNETRELATEDISSUES 10HOMESUPERVISION(PARENTRESPONSIBILITY) 11TIMEONSCREEN 11ITISRECOMMENDEDTHATLEISURECOMPUTERSCREENTIMEISVIEWEDINASIMILARWAYTOTV;THATITBEBALANCEDWITHOTHERPHYSICALACTIVITIES,WITHPERSONALRELATIONSHIPS,ANDOTHERACTIONSTHATARENORMALPARTSOF

FAMILYLIFE.WELLORGANISEDSTUDENTSCANARRANGETOHAVECOMPUTERCOLLABORATIVEACCESSINTHEEARLY

PARTOFTHEEVENING,ANDNOTRELYONLATENIGHTACTIVITIES.SOCIALMEDIA 11CYBER-BULLYING 11MAINTAININGARESPECTABLEDIGITALFOOTPRINT 13DIGITALCITIZENSHIP 14

FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS 15

APPENDIX1 19GENERAL(WHOLESCHOOL)ACCEPTABLEUSEOFTECHNOLOGYPOLICY 19WHENUSINGPLCARMIDALEEQUIPMENT(HARDWARE) 19WHENUSINGPLCARMIDALEINTERNETANDEMAILFACILITIES 20AGREEMENTS: 21

APPENDIX2: 24

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Introductiontoourprogram

Blendedlearning

Inthiseducationallyexcitingandchallengingtime,ICTtoolsgiveourstudentsimmediateaccesstoincrediblyrichandpowerfulresources.Thisaccesshasthepotentialtoredefinelearningoutcomes,broadenstudents’intellectualhorizons,caterfordifferentiatedstudentneedsandenrichteachingandlearningstrategieswithcreativeandinnovativeapproaches.

Whiletechnologyisanindispensablepartoflearningandvitalforsuccessfulcoverageofthecurrentcurriculum,weacknowledgethatthestrengthofstudentteacherlearningrelationshipsisanequallyvitalcomponentineffectivesuccessfulstudy.HencetheapproachatPLCArmidaleistoleveragethecapabilitiesofinstantandbroadreachingonlineresearchandlimitlessorganisationfacilitiesoftechnologycoupledwiththestrengthandvalueofteacherguidedlearningintoablendedlearningenvironment.Technology’svalueisincorporatedintothelearningprocessratherthanbeingleftasanoverlayoroutsidetool.

Learningattitudesandbehaviours

ThebenefitsthatflowfromintegratingICTintoeducationarenotautomatic;technologybroadensandsupportslearningonlyasaresultofcareful,purposefulandstrategicallydesignedlearningexperiences.AspartofourprofessionalpracticeatPLCArmidaleweareconstantlyreviewingandevaluatingbestpracticeandincorporatingitintoourrepertoireofeffectiveteachingapproaches.Ourenvironmentwillbebasedonstudentsbeinginquisitive,self-directed,open-mindedlearnerswhoareeducatedusersoftechnologyandcanemployitinasensibleandbalancedway.

LearningEnvironment

ConnectiontotheInternetandIntranetfromanywhereoncampusisavitalcomponenttoaself-directedstudyenvironment,openingupaworldofinformationandpertinentresearchmaterial.

Learningchoices

Allouron-lineactivitieswillbeconductedwithintegrity,aviewtobeingself-preserving,mindfulandresponsibledigitalcitizens.Wewillactivelypromoteapositiveonlinepresence.

Learningapproach

Alllearningexperienceswillbeauthenticandconsiderateofdifferentlearningstylesandcapabilities.Allstudentswillbeencouragedtobeindependentlearners,mindfuloftheopportunitiespresentedatschoolandalsooutsideofschool.

Learningnetwork

Allstakeholderswillbegivengreateraccesstobepositiveinfluencesinthelearningjourneyofallourstudents.StudentswillbuildandmaintainanappropriatePersonalLearningNetworkofpeoplewhowillenhancetheirlearningandstudy.

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Computingenvironment

Computershavelongbeenanestablishedtoolforlearning,andatPLCArmidalecomplementcoreteachingstrategieswithinthedevelopingblendedlearningenvironment.

The term "learning environment" suggests a physical place and space – a school, a classroom, orlibrary. However, in today's interconnected world, a learning environment is increasingly virtual,onlineorremote.Ablendedlearningenvironmentisonethataimstoenhancelearningbyintegratingthebestofphysicalandvirtualresources.

Thecombinationofourphysicalenvironment,ourincreasinglymoresophisticatedonlinepresence,andtheteacher/studentrelationshipallpermitstudentsto:

● Collaborateincreatingavarietyofdocumenttypes,shareandmanagestudynotesfromteachers,peers,andoftheirownproduction.

● Createandmaintainareflectiveandshowcaseportfolioofwork● Createawebpresenceviaapersonalwebsiteorblogoracombinationofboth.● EstablishanddevelopaPersonalLearningNetwork.● Makepresentationsinaricher,moremultimediaorientedandcreativeway.

Participationincollaborativework,presentinginawidevarietyofformats,allcontributetothedevelopmentofapositiveonlineordigitalfootprint.ThisispartoftheDigitalCitizenshipbeingfosteredanddevelopedaspartofthecomputingprogram.

Cloudbasedstorage

PLCArmidalehasmovedtoadifferentfilestoragemethodology.Fileswillnolongerbestoredexclusivelyonanin-housefileserver,butstoredviaa‘cloud’option.

Thereareadvantagestothissystem:

• FilesstoredinthecloudwillbeaccessiblefromanywherethatanInternetconnectionisavailable.

• Filescanstillbestoredintheoldertraditional“folder”basedformats,butwillnowbenefitfromtheconceptoftaggedmetadata.Thismeansthatasinglefilecopywillbevirtuallyplacedinsidemultiplefoldersandconsequentlybethemostrecentcopybasedonthemasterentry.

• Sharedfileswillreduceoverallstorageneeds.Nolongerwillitbenecessarytosendmultiplecopiesofafiletocollaborators,almostguaranteeingthatthefinishedproductmissessomeimportantcomponent.Thenewconceptistohaveasinglecentralcopythatparticipantscanviewandedit,ensuringasingledefinitivecopy.

• Collaborationcanbeinrealtimewithgeographicallydisparateparticipantscontributing.

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Using,storingandtakingcareoftheportablecomputingdevice

Sensibletechnologyownershipisalearnedskill.Maintainingtechnologicalequipmentinworkingorderandcustomisedtopersonalpreferencesisimportantforgettingthebestvalueandeffectivenessasalearningtool.

Topromotepositiveandresponsibledigitalcitizenshipandeffectiveuseoftechnology,studentsareexpectedandrequiredtofollowalltherulesandguidelinessetoutinthishandbook.Wherenoexplicitexpectationisstated,thenthereisanassumedlevelofsensibilitythatisexpectedofeachofourstudents;weexpectthemtomakewisedecisions.Studentsandparentsarerequiredtosigntheiragreementtosuchresponsibleandsensibleuseandbehaviour.

TechnologyuseatPLCArmidaleisfocussedoneducationandself-study.Sinceeducationcantakeplaceoutsideofschoolhoursandinwidelydifferingsituations,itisacknowledgedthatthistechnologymayalsobeusedforpersonalandrecreationalpurposes.Itisimportantthatallstudentsacknowledgethatallequipmentmustbemaintainedinastateofpreparednessforclassroomuse.Thismeansthatdeviceswillbe:

● Inoperatingcondition● Clean(nodetritusonthekeyboardortouchscreen)● Readywithplentyofstoragespaceinternallyandonthecloudstorage● Sportingafullychargedbatteryatthestartofeachday● Uptodateagainstvirusandmalwareattack● Backedupovernightwithnochanceoflostfiles● Synchedagainstanycloudstoragewhereapplicable

MaintainingtheBattery

● Itiseachstudent’sresponsibilitytomaintainthebatteryofhisorherdevicesothatitisreadyforusewheneveritisrequired.

● Chargingfacilitieswillonlybeavailableatschoolinexceptionalcircumstances● Batterytechnologyhasn’tkeptpacewithothertechnologicaldevelopmentsandnobattery

lastsaslongasalaptop.Overtime,theywillbegintocarrylessandlesscharge.Therighttimetohavethemreplacedwillbedeterminedbytheindividualuse.

LostData

Thisisjustlikelosingyourbagandallofyourschoolbooks–unreasonablycareless.Itisalsounacceptable.

Theadvantageofadeviceisthatallofthedataonitcanbebackedup.PLCArmidalestudentswillbetaughtgoodfilemanagementandthentheexpectationwillbeonindividualuserstomaintaintheirownfiles.PLCArmidalewillleavethemethodofbackuptotheindividualstudent,butwillexpectanappropriatesystemtobeinitiated.Thismaybethroughmanualchoosingandmaintenanceoranautomatedbackupprogramthatrunsataspecifictimeeachday.Aseach

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studenthasaccesstounlimitedcloudstorageatGoogle,useoftheGoogle‘BackupandSync’toolthatisprovidedfreeforlaptopsfromGoogleisencouraged.

BackingupImportantData

Studentsareexpectedtoprotecttheirdatabyusingoneormoreofthefollowingsystems.Thiswillensurethatintheunfortunateeventofequipmentfailure,importantlearningmaterialisnotlost.

● ExternalHardDrive● HomebasedNetworkAccessibleStorage(NAS)● DVDs(leastdynamicallyaccessibleoption)● Cloudbasedsystems

Maintenanceandcareoffilesisalwaystheresponsibilityofthestudentandwhileallcareandconsiderationwillbegiven,lostfileswillbetreatedinthesamemannerasanylostschoolwork.

Studentsshouldconsiderthefollowing:

● multidrivesystems(calledRAID)arestillvulnerable–apowersurgecouldwipeoutalldrivesatonce

● nottorelytotallyonon-linemedia–youmayatsomestagehavenointernetconnection● aback-upofyourmostvitalfilesshouldbekeptoff-site● testthebackupitselftoseeitisavalidcopy● makeanumberofbackupsofthosereallyimportantfiles● backupbeforeanyreallysignificantchange.

Itistheresponsibilityofthestudenttoensureimportantfilesarebackedup.

StoringtheDeviceinalocker(SeniorSchool)AllPLCArmidaleseniorstudentshavealocker.Itisrecommendedthatstudentsfitasuitablelocktothelockertoensurethesafeguardingofthedevicewhenitisnotinuse.Locksareavailablefromtheclothingshop.

Studentsarerequiredtomaintainthesecurityoftheirdeviceby:

● alwayssecuringitintheirlockerwhenitisnotinuseduringtheday● notsharingtheirlockerkeys,passnumbersorotherwisegrantingaccess● keepingtheirlockertidyandclean(awayfromliquids)

Years5and6willstoretheirdevicesintheirclassrooms.

Takingcareofthedevice

Studentsareexpectedtomaintainthesecurity,safetyandefficientrunningoftheirdevicesby:

● maintainingnametagsandlabelsonthedevice.● notusingitwhilewalking● notusingitincrowded,unpredictable,orunsafeconditions● securingitintheirschoolbackpackwhileintransittoandfromschool

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Allthesefeaturesamounttohavingafunctional,physicallywell-maintained,charged,tidydeviceatalltimes.Therearenoexceptionstothisandeverystudentisresponsibleformaintainingtheirowndevice.

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Healthandsafetywhenusingcomputingdevices

Aspartoftheownershipinstructions,everyoneisencouragedtopracticegoodergonomics.DigitalCitizenshiplessonswillcovergoodposture,thepositionofthechairandlaptop.

Formoredetailsseehttp://www.swinburne.edu.au/corporate/hr/ohs/ohs_ergonomics.htm

Correctposture

TheWorkstation-TheChairanddeskSeat:Height:Raise/lowertheseattoenablethedeskheighttobeatyourelbowheight.Ifyouarea‘touchtypist’,youmaysitslightlyhigher.Adjustchairheightsothefeetarecomfortablyflatonthefloor,thethighsareapproximatelyhorizontalandthelowerlegsapproximatelyvertical.Tilt(ifavailable)Settohorizontalinitially,althoughyoumaywishtoadjustthetiltslightlyforwardtosuityourcomfort.

BackRest:Height:Movethebackresttolocatethelumbarsupporttothecurveofyourlowerback.Lockthebackrestintoplace.Angle:Useyourbodyweighttoleanbackagainstthebackrest.Depressthecontrollevertoenablethebackresttochangetheangle.Frequentposturechangesencouragesbloodflowtodifferentmusclegroupswhichhelpsminimizebackfatiguewhensittingforprolongedperiods.

ArmRests:

Armrestsareusuallynotrecommendedunlesstheyarewelloutofthewayofthedesk.

However,ifyourchairhasarmrestsmakesurethattheydonotpreventyoufromgettingasclosetothedeskasyourequireorthattheyimpingeonyourelbowswhileyouareworking

FootRests:

Useafootrestifyoufeelpressureunderyourthighsfromthefrontedgeofyourseat.Afootrestisalsousefultoaddresslowerbackfatiguewhensittingforlongperiods.Pushingyourfeetintothefootresthelpstopushyourbackintotheangledbackrestofthechair.

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Carryingyourdevice

Keepingschoolbagstotheminimumvolumeandweightisasensiblegeneralpracticeandshouldbecontinuedwhenusingportablecomputingdevices.Whenpackingthebagforschool,itishighlyrecommendedthatthebarestminimumtextbookallocationrequirediscarriedonanygivenday.Whilesometextbooksmaybeavailableinsoftcopy,manyarestillintheprocessofbeingconverted,andeachteacherwillknowwhenanyhardcopytextbookisactuallyrequired.

Itisafairassumptionthatthesecurityrisksassociatedwithcarryingaportablecomputingdevicearenogreaterthantherisksassociatedwithcarryingamobilephoneorportableaudio-visualdevices.Whenintransit,devicesshouldbepackedintheregularschoolbag.Theexternalappearanceisthennodifferentfromanyotherschoolbag.

● Whencarryingalaptop,holdonlythebaseofthedevice–donotcarryitbythescreen.● Thescreenonyourdeviceneedstobeprotectedfromdamageinyourbag.● Iftransportinginacar,keepitonthefloor–orfirmlysecured.● Backpacksarethepreferredbagforcarryingyourschoolbooksanddevice.Carryyour

backpackwithbothshoulderstraps–awaiststrapisalsogoodforweightdistribution.● Placeheaviestobjectsinthebackpackneareryourback.● Liftyourbackpackbybendingatyourknees,placingnostrainonyourlowerback.● Onlycarrywhatisabsolutelynecessary.

StudentswithspecificergonomicrequirementsshouldseetheirPastoralCareTeacherwhowillrefertheissuetotheOH&SCommittee. Internetrelatedissues

Studentsaretaughttousetheinternetsafely:

ThefollowingcontentistheminimumfilteredoutofPLCArmidale’sInternetconnection

Anonymisers Gambling Pornography

CriminalSkills HateSpeech Spyware

Drugs Nudity Violence

Extreme Phishing Adult

InadditiontothisfilteringtheCollegedoesmonitorallactivityoneachmobiledeviceintheCollege.Thisisroutinelymonitoredandmanagedappropriately.Theinternalfilteringsystemscanalsoproviderecordsandlogsofplacesvisited,attemptstoaccessblockedsitesandgeneralwebsurfinghabits.BoardingstudentsaccessingmaterialatunreasonablehourswillbereportedtoboardingstaffandmustcomplywithBoardingHouserulesspecifictotheiryeargroup.DaygirlsaccessingsitesinjudiciouslywillbereportedtotheSeniorSchoolCoordinator.

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Homesupervision(parentresponsibility)

Atschool,classroomsupervisionandcontrollednetworksystemsensureasafeandsupportedenvironment;mosthomenetworkaccessisunfilteredandopen.Whilesensibleandappropriatedigitalliteracyistaughtatschool,goodcareandsupervisionfromparentsisstronglyencouraged.SupportiveadviceisavailablefromtheFederalGovernmentwebsitehttp://www.NetAlert.gov.au

Parentsareencouragedtotakeaninterestintheirdaughter’scomputingactivity,inordertohaveanunderstandingoflifeintheworldofa21stcenturyscreenagerandalsothenbeabletomakeparentaldecisionsonwhatconstitutesasensibleamountoftimeandappropriatenessofplaceforallcomputingactivitiesathome.

Timeonscreen

ItisrecommendedthatleisurecomputerscreentimeisviewedinasimilarwaytoTV;thatitbebalancedwithotherphysicalactivities,withpersonalrelationships,andotheractionsthatarenormalpartsoffamilylife.Wellorganisedstudentscanarrangetohavecomputercollaborativeaccessintheearlypartoftheevening,andnotrelyonlatenightactivities. SocialMedia

Growthinsocialmediaactivitiesisaninevitabletrend,andlikeallnewdevelopmentsshouldberegardedasanopportunityforpersonaladvancementandnotdetriment.Developingself-protectingandselfpromotinghabitsarepartoftheDigitalLiteracytaughtatPLCArmidale,butmustalsobepartofhomelifeandactivities.Informationsharedonlinemustbemonitored,sensibleself-protectinguseofthesocialsystemmustbealwaysconsidered,andcompetitivenessattheexpensiveofmaintainingapositivedigitalfootprintmustbeavoided.

Itmustbenotedthatduetopaststudentbehaviour,manysocialmediasitesareblockedduringschoolhoursforstudents.

Cyber-bullying

Itisessentialthatallmembersofthecommunity,students,parentsandstaffareawareofthepotentialforcyber-bullyingandareawareofPLCArmidale’sapproachtodealingwiththisissue.Likemobilephones,emailandmessagingsystems,computingdeviceswithInternetconnectionscanbeusedtobullyothers.AtPLCArmidale,NOformofbullyingwillbetolerated.TheChristianworldviewfosteredbytheCollegevaluesthedignityanddiversityofallindividuals.TheCollegeiscommittedtoprovidingasafe,supportiveandpositiveenvironmentforstudents,staffandallothermembersoftheschoolcommunity.AsoutlinedinRightsandResponsibilitiesofStudentstheCollegeaffirms:Therightofallstudents“tobefreefromharassmentandbullying”.Itisresponsibilityofallstudents“torefrainfromharassing,intimidatingorbullyingothers”.TheCollegeviewsasserious,andrespondsto,allreportsofbullying.Themanagementofbullyingissues,shouldtheyarise,willbedealtwithwithintheframeworkoftheStudentDisciplinePolicy,usingavarietyofstrategies.

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Don’tforgettotellateacherstraightawayifyoususpectyouhavereceivedacomputervirusoramessagethatisinappropriate,abusiveorharassing,ormakesyoufeeluncomfortable.–DoNOTreplytoit.

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Maintainingarespectabledigitalfootprint

Inanincreasinglydigitalworld,informationaboutindividualsisreadilyavailable.Studentsmustbeawarethatdisparatepersonalinformationsnippetscanbeassembledintorichdataonindividuals.SimplybyinteractingwithWeb-basedtechnologiesyouleaveatrail.Studentsmustlearntomanagetheir“digitalfootprint”,toensurethattheyaresafeguardingtheirpersonalprofile.

Westronglyadvisethefollowing:

• haveadeliberatestrategytobuildapositiveonlinepersonaandthinktwicebeforepostinganythingonline:

• postonlythatwhichcouldbesaidtosomeonefacetoface• keepprivateimagesprivate• keeppersonaldetailsprivate• useanappropriatenicknameinsteadofarealname;neverpostverypersonalinformation

onanysystem• postonlytherelevantanduseful;don’tbepartofthe“whatIhadforbreakfast”crowd• conductregularself-auditsofyourpersona• avoidjoininggroupsthatcouldembarrassorrestrictfutureopportunities• berespectfulofthecontentofothersandobservecopyrightatalltimes• donotsharepasswordswithanyone• avoidsharingadomainname

PrivacyandConfidentialityNeverpublishorsharetheemailaddressofateacheroranotherstudentwithouttheirpermission.Neverrevealon-lineanypersonalinformationincludingfullnameoraddressorschoolorcreditcarddetailsortelephonenumberandcertainlyneverdothisaboutsomeoneelse.Don’tforwardemailstoanyoneunlesstheoriginalsendertellsyouthatyoucan,especiallyiftheyhaveanyinformationthatisconfidential.

TechnicalsupportofthedevicesPLCArmidaleprovidesin-housetechnicalsupportthroughtheICTdepartment.Whileweareunabletoresolvehardwareissues,wearemorethanhappytoassistwherepossible.Thereareanumberoflevelsofsupportavailable.TheseincludetheICTmonitors,teachingstaff,andtheICTstaff.

DigitalTip

Aspartofdevelopingyouronlinepersona,itisworthconsideringownershipofyourowndomainname.CostsforhavingyourownnameasaURLaremodest.Ownershipreducesanyopportunityformisrepresentationsandmistakenidentity.

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DigitalCitizenship

Citizens=membersofasocialstructurewithbothrightsandduties.

GoodDigitalCitizenshipreinforcesthepositiveaspectsoftechnologysothateveryonecanworkandplaysuccessfullyinadigitalworld.

AtPLCArmidaletherewillbeemphasisonparticularelementsofthisinducing(butnotlimitedto)

● Technologyuserskills● Organisationalskills(managementofmaterial,studynotes,notetaking,etc)● Advanced(effective)researchingandnotegathering● Sourcevalidationandbuyerbeware● Digitalliteracy(effectivecommunications-bothways)● Digitalwellness,andselfprotectionandpromotion● Digitalrightsandresponsibility● Expressivenessandcreativity(leisureaswellasthebusinessofbeingastudent)● Digitaletiquette

ExpectationsofaDigitalCitizenatPLCArmidaleRespectYourself.Iwillshowrespectformyselfthroughmyactions.Iwillselectonlinenamesthatareappropriate,IwillconsidertheinformationandimagesthatIpostonline.Iwillconsiderwhatpersonalinformationaboutmylife,experiences,experimentationorrelationshipsIpost.Iwillnotbeobscene.ProtectYourself.Iwillensurethattheinformation,imagesandmaterialsIpostonlinewillnotputmeatrisk.Iwillnotpublishmypersonaldetails,contactdetailsorascheduleofmyactivities.Iwillreportanyattacksorinappropriatebehaviourdirectedatme.Iwillprotectpasswords,accountsandresources.RespectOthers.Iwillprotectothersbyreportingabuse,notforwardinginappropriatematerialsorcommunications;andnotvisitingsitesthataredegrading,pornographic,racistorinappropriate.RespectIntellectualProperty.Iwillrequestpermissiontouseresources.Iwillsuitablyciteanyandalluseofwebsites,books,mediaetc.Iwillvalidateinformation.Iwilluseandabidebythefairuserules.ProtectIntellectualProperty.Iwillrequesttousethesoftwareandmediaothersproduce.Iwillusefreeandopensourcealternativesratherthanpiratingsoftware.Iwillpurchase,licenseandregisterallsoftware.Iwillpurchasemymusicandmedia,andrefrainfromdistributingtheseinamannerthatviolatestheirlicenses.Iwillactwithintegrity.FromAndrewChurches,EducationalOrigami

http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Digital+Citizen+AUA

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FrequentlyaskedQuestions

Whydostudentsneedtohaveadevice?PLCArmidalebelievesinprovidingthebesteducationalopportunitiesforthestudentsunderourcare.Researchhasshownthataccesstoaninternetconnecteddeviceenablesstudentstohavecontrolovertheirownstudyprogramme,developmoreadvancedresearchskillsandaidsindevelopingproblemsolvingskills,collaborationandcommunication,presentationandpublicationandoveralldeeperlearningandunderstanding.TheCollegealsosupportsthedevelopmentofdigitalliteracyskillsthatwillbeimportantbothintertiaryeducationandtheworkplace.Thisappliesparticularlysointhesocialworld,whereadvanceddigitalcitizenshipisgrowingincreasinglyimportant.

Someeducationalexamplesofdeviceuse:

● English-essaydrafting,mindmapping,desktoppublishing,bloggingandwritingforanauthenticaudience

● Science-datacollectionandanalysis,digitalmicroscopes,sciencetextbooks,dataexchange,andpresentationofresearch

● Music-musiccomposition,re-mixingandmash-ups● Religion-researchandreferencefrommaterialextractedfromCD'sandtheInternet● Maths-onlinetesting,animatedconcepts,spreadsheetconstructions● Art-digitalartwork,photography,videography,andenhancement● History-digitalpresentationsofprojects,onlineresearch● Geography-weatherresearch,GIS,onlineatlas● General-Internetaccess,intranetaccess,E-mail,videoconferencing,programming,

broadcasting,animating,producing,creating…

Willthedevicesbeusedinallsubjectareas?Yes,buteachtoadifferentdegree–infactindifferentwayswithinasubject.Justasitisnow,thateachclasshassomeuniquecomponentsbasedontheapproachoftheindividualteacher.Eachteacherwillchoosehowtheycanbestsupportlearningintheirclassbasedontheirexperienceandunderstandingoftheoptimumapproachforeachtopicandeachgroupofstudents.

Willmydaughterneedaprinterandinternetaccessathome?Whilstthereareprintingfacilitiesatschool,itisverydesirablethateachstudenthasaccesstoaprinterandinternetaccessathome.Noaccesstoeitherathomewillonlymeanshemustadoptadifferentapproachtomanagingthesefacilitieswhileatschool.Howwillstudentsdistinguishtheirdevice?Everystudentneedstobeabletoeasilyandquicklyidentifytheirdevices.Itisrecommendedthatsomeformofidentificationlabelisfixedtothedevicetoassistinthis.Eachdevicewillhaveaserialnumberwrittenon,normallyontheunderside.Studentsarerequiredtokeeparecordofallserialnumbers.

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WherewillstudentsputtheirdevicesduringPEclasses?Lunch?Afterschoolactivities?Allseniorstudentsareprovidedwithalocker.Studentsareencouragedtolocktheircomputersintheirlockerswhenevertheydonotrequirethemsuchasatlunchtimesandsportspractice.Studentsareexpectedtoexercise‘duecare’atalltimes.Willmydaughterneedthedeviceeveryday?Thatwilldependonhowshechoosestouseherdevice.Eachteacherwillspecifywhendevicesarerequiredfortheirlesson.Atothertimesitwillbeatyourdaughter’sdiscretion.Won’titbetooheavyforhertocarryinherbackpack?TheaverageMacBookisarelessthan2Kg.Studentswillbeprovidedwithsoftcopiesoftextbookswhereavailable.Thelistofavailabletextbookswillhopefullygrowintime.Thereductionintextbooksandthereducedneedtocarrycopiousnoteswillmeanthatinfactherbagshouldbelighter.PLCArmidalewillencourageandeducatestudentsonhowtomanagetheirloadandbesensibleinthepackingoftheirbags.Doesthismeanalltextbooksaretobereplaced?Unfortunately,no;atleastintheshortterm.Overtime,thenumberofhardcopybookswillreduceaseachstudentlearnstoutilisethecapacityofthelaptop–informationsourceswillexpandandgrowinvariety.However,sometextbookswillcontinuetobeavailableonlyinhardcopy.Howmuchtimewillshespendonthecomputer?Everydaywillbeadifferentanswer.Therewilllikelybedayswhereitgoesun-required.Therewillbedayswhereshewillchoosetoincreaseherstudyandpersonalresearch,sotherewillbeanincreaseinon-linetime.Werecommendthatwhenthelaptopisbeingusedforrecreationalpurposes,thatparentstreatscreentimeinexactlythesameasTVtimeorothernon-physicalrecreationalactivities.WhatabouttheInternet/Intranet?PLCArmidalemaintainsahighcapacityhighspeedfilteredconnectiontotheInternet.ThePLCArmidaleintranetwillprovideaccesstoagrowingbodyoflearningmaterialandprovidesaplacefororganisationandmanagementofpersonallearningandstudymaterial.

ItisexpectedthatwhileonCollegegrounds,studentsconnectONLYtothePLCArmidaleprovidedinternetaccess.WhatifIdon'thaveaccesstotheinternetathome?Havingaccesstotheinternetwillcertainlyenhancelearningopportunitiesandalloweachstudenttocommunicate,collaborateandaccessarangeofresources.However,anumberoffamilieswillnothaveaccesstotheinternetathome.Insuchcases,studentsshouldutilisethewirelessnetworkwithintheCollegetodownloadandsaveresources,forexample,PDFs,Worddocuments,webarchives,graphics,soundfiles,etc.,sothattheycancontinuetoworkonthemathome.Thisrequiresalittlemoreforwardplanning,butisagoodskilltolearn.

CanmydaughteruseaprivateportablemodemsuchasaUSB3Gcardtoaccesstheinternet?No.StudentsshouldonlyusethePLCArmidaleprovidedconnectionwithitshighspeedcapacityandfilteredcontentwhileinschoolgrounds.OutsideofPLCArmidale,parentalresponsibilitytakesover.

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Whathappensshouldmydaughteraccessinappropriatesites?Accessinginappropriatematerialoutsideoftheexistingfiltersisbestdealtwithinanenvironmentwherecounsellingandeducationispossible.PLCArmidalebelievesthateducationandnotprohibitionismostconducivetolearninganddeveloping.Wewillmaintainaliberalintellectualapproachtolearningtosuccessfullymanageoneselfinadigitalworld.However;repeateddeliberateflauntingofacceptableonlinebehaviourwillbemanagedinthesamemannerasalldisciplinaryactions.Mydaughtercan’ttype.Isthisaproblem?Theskillsneededtosuccessfullyownalaptopincludegoodtypingability.Thebetterthestudent’scapacitytotype,thegreaterthevalue.Practiceisencouragedandtypingskillwillbeaninvaluableassettoyourdaughter.Candevicesbetrackedorscreenedforinappropriateuse?Yes,asfarasInternetaccessisconcerned–thesystemcanbemonitoredatanytime,summaryreportsaremonitoredbytheICTdepartmentandanomaliesareinvestigated.DoesPLCArmidaleteachstudentsaboutInternetsafety?Verystrongly.Theissuesinclude:Thecapacitytobeselfprotectingwhileon-line–theawarenessofmaintaininganonlinepersona–beingawareofidentitytheft–recognisingphishingandotherscams-andtheselfmanagementskillstosuccessfullydeteronlinecyberbullyingareintegraltoresponsibleownershipofacomputingdeviceinPLCArmidale.Won’tusingaportablecomputingdeviceaffectmydaughter’swritingability?Writinginthisinstancehastwomeanings.Oneisthecapacitytocreateintelligible,sensiblyconstructedpersuasivematerialandtheotherispenmanship(asaphysicalskill).Researchshowsclearlythatusingacomputertoproducewrittenmaterialbothimprovesandenhancesastudent’sabilitytocreatetext.Writingbecomesmoredeveloped,betterstructuredandofgreaterqualityandquantity.Penmanshipontheotherhandwillnotbeneglectedandisaconsiderablefocusinthejunioryearsandwillcontinuetobepractisedintheregularcourseoflessons.Examsarehandwritten,willthisprogrammeaffecttheexamresultsofmychild?No,studentswillstillhavetowriteduringtheirclassesanditwillcontinuetobeakeyskill.OvertimetheBoardofStudieswillbegintointroducemoreandmorecomputerbasedassessmentschemes.Whathappensifthedeviceisoutofaction?Thecollegedoesnotmaintainafleetofloanunits.StudentscanaccesstheiMacsinthecomputerlabsshouldtheneedarise.Ensuringthatthedeviceiscoveredbyawarrantyagreementand/orinsurancewillassistinspeedingtherepairofthedevice.

Studentsmustnotifytheirteachers(particularlyifit’stobeanextendedperiod),andmakesuitablearrangements(thismaymeancompletingsetworkinthetraditionalway,completingitathome,completingitintheschoolcomputerlaborworkingwithaclassmate.)

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HowdoIprotectmychild'slaptopathomefromviruses?Itisrequiredthatcommercialgradeantivirusandspywareprotection,andbrowserprotectionthatworksatschoolandathomeispurchasedandloadedontothedevice.Withlaptops,afirewallisalsorecommended.Undernormalcircumstances,thesoftwarereceivesupdatesautomatically.Ifastudentnoticesthatthesoftwareisoutofdate,sheshouldbringherlaptoptotheICTdepartmentandtheywillassisttoupdateitwherepossible.Asaparent,canIaccessyouremailsystemandmydaughters’emailaccount?PLCArmidalewillbeprovidingaCollegebrandedGmailaccountasthestudentemail.EverystudentinPLCArmidalewillhaveanaccount.Ifyouwantorneedtoaccessyourdaughter'saccount,youmayaskherforherpassword.Forprivacyand“netiquette”consideration,PLCArmidaledoesNOTmaintainlistsofstudentpasswords.Inanyeventwhere‘dutyofcare’becomesanissuetheCollegePrincipalhasthecapacitytogainaccesstostudentmailfiles.Whatsoftwarewillbeexpectedtobeavailableonthedevices?Thebasicsoftwareexpectedisawordprocessor(MicrosoftWord,Pages,etc),aspreadsheetprogram(MicrosoftExcel,Numbers,etc),apresentationpackage(MicrosoftPowerpoint,Keynote,etc),commercialgradeAntiVirus(Norton,Sophos,Symantec,etc)andanuptodatewebbrowser(Safari,Firefox,IE,Sleipnir,etc).Regularpatchupdatedareprovidedbythevendorsfortheseproductsandshouldbeinstalledastheybecomeavailable.Someelectivesubjectwillrequirespecificsoftwareandthiswillbeadvisedasrequired.Ourfamilyisn’tverycomputerliterate–howcanwesupporther?Oneoftheadvantagesofa1:1programmeistheopportunitytodeveloptheskillsneededtobesuccessfulinanincreasinglydigitalworld.PLCArmidaleisundertakingtosupportyourdaughterbotheducationallyandtechnically.Shemaysharethisknowledgewithyouandthewholefamilycouldseesomebenefit.Whatifastudentturnsuptoclasswithadeadbattery?Chargingthebatteryovernightisanewresponsibilityforeverystudent.Bringinganunchargeddevicetoaclassrequiringitwillbeconsideredthesameasneglectingtobringatextbook.

Ifabatterydoesdischarge,thestudentscangototheICThelpdeskandleaveittogetashortchargingboost.StudentsarenotpermittedtobringtheACadaptortoschool.WillthishaveanimpactonthepaperusedintheCollege?Overtime,assignments,essaysandsomeprojectswillbeabletobedelivereddigitally.Thiswillhavesomeimpactonthevolumeofpaperused.Intheshorttermasbothstaffandstudentscometogripswiththeprovisionofnewoptions,theimpactwillbelow.IfIhavemorequestionswheredoIdirectthem?Weareheretohelpandassistyouandyourchildineverywaypossible,soifyouexperienceaproblemweencourageyoutocontacttheappropriatepersoninPLCArmidalewhowillendeavourtoassist.IfatanystageyouwanttodiscussatechnicalorimplementationmatterpleasecontacttheICTManager,viatheCollegeswitchorviaitadmin@plcarmidale.nsw.edu.au.

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Appendix1

General(wholeschool)AcceptableUseofTechnologyPolicy

TheseguidelinesareintendedtohelpstudentsmakethebesteducationaluseofthetechnologyavailableatPLCArmidale.

Studentsshouldunderstandthefollowing.

● theCollegeprovidesaccesstonetworkconnectivityfortheirdevicetoassistthemtodoresearchandtosupporttheiracademicstudies.

● theservicessuchasInternetaccessareshared;thereforethereputationandopportunitiesofthewholeCollegecommunityaredependentontheresponsibleandconsiderateuseoftechnologybyeachstudent.

WhenusingPLCArmidaleequipment(hardware)

Studentsshould:

● observetheoperating,careandgeneralmaintenanceinstructionsrelevanttotheparticularequipment

● observetherecommendedpostureandexerciseroutinesassociatedwithregularcomputeruse

● reportanyoperatingproblemstoastaffmember● guardagainstvirusdamagetodatabyensuringthatcurrentantivirusprogramsareinstalled

onthecomputerbeingused● complywiththelicensetermsofallsoftwareonthecomputer

Studentsshouldnot

• moveorinterferewithcomputerequipmentthatdoesnotbelongtothem.Studentsshould:

● observetheconventionsofrespectforothersandcourtesyatalltimesStudentsshouldnot

● havemobilephonesturnedonduringanylessons,functionsorexaminationsunlessrequiredbytheteacherforclassactivities.Eachstudentisresponsibleformaintainingsecurityofherownvaluablesandthisincludesmobilephones.

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WhenusingPLCArmidaleInternetandemailfacilities

Studentsshouldbeawarethat:

● allactivityontheInternetismonitoredandlogged● allmaterialviewedisscannedforviruses● allthecontentviewedisscannedforoffensivematerial

AnybreachoftheguidelinesbelowmayresultinexclusionfromuseofCollegefacilities,andactivityfoundtobeillegalwillbereportedtotheappropriateauthority.

Studentsshould:

● usetheInternetonlyforeducationalpurposes● befamiliarwiththeCollegeprotocolsonAppropriateAcademicConductandtheBoardof

StudiescourseAllmyownWorkinordertoobservethelegalprotectionsofcopyright● takegreatcaretoensuretheirsafetyandthesafetyofothersbynotreleasinganypersonal

information(suchasnames,addresses,telephonenumbers,photographs)andnotagreeingtomeetanyonecontactedontheInternet,exceptwheresuchactivitiesoccurwithinasecureareasetupbytheCollege

● berespectfulofothersatalltimesbyusingappropriatelanguageincommunicatingwithteachers,fellowstudentsandothers.

Studentsshouldnot:

● attempttofindortransmitanyobscene,pornographic,racist,violent,illegalorotherunacceptableoroffensivematerialorcomments.Theyshouldreporttheaccidentalaccessofanysuchmaterialtoastaffmember.

● sendanonymousemailsorattempttotakeontheidentityofanyoneelsewhenusingemailsortheinternet

● disclosetheirsecuritydetails(password)orusethedetailsofanyfellowstudents● attempttobreachthesecuritysystemsoftheCollege

submitanymaterialcopiedfromtheInternetastheirownwork(plagiarism),withoutusingappropriatereferencingprotocols

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Agreements:

Inacceptingmydevice,Iamawareofmyliabilitiesandagreetocomplywiththefollowing:

Usingtheportablecomputingdevice

● IacknowledgeImustchargemydeviceathomeandhaveitinschoolreadytobeusedatalltimes.

● Iacknowledgethatregularbackupsarethebestinsuranceagainstlosingworkifthedevicedevelopsafault.Iwillbackupmyfilesonaregularbasis.Iftheharddiskisdamagedorunusable,theCollegewillre-issuethedeviceinoriginalconditionwithoutanyofmyworkfiles.Iwillthenrestoremyschoolworkfilesfrommybackup.

● Iwillkeeptheanti-virusandanti-spywaresoftwareuptodateandreportallproblemswithprogramoperationorthedevicetotheICTdepartment.

● IwillmakesensibleuseoftheCollegee-mailandcommunicationssystems.IwillreadandfollowtheguidelinesassetoutinallCollegedocumentation.

Takingcareofthedevice

IunderstandthatIamrequiredtotakeALLreasonableprecautionsagainstloss,theftanddamageandaccepttheTermsoutlinedintheUsing,storingandtakingcareofthedevicesectionofthisHandbook

Iagreetosafeguardthedeviceby:

● takingreasonableprecautionsagainsttheftwhilemydeviceisoncampusandwhiletravellingtoandfromschool.

● Iwillkeepthedeviceawayfromfoodanddrinkatalltimes,andstoreitinacleanlocation.● Iwillnotleavethedevicewhereitmightbeaccidentallydamaged,suchasonthefloor.Iwill

makesurethedeviceissecurelyinitsprotectivecasewhentravellingbetweenlocations.

SoftwareIssues

Iunderstandthatunauthorisedcopiesofsoftwareorpiratedmediaareabreachofcopyright.IalsounderstandthattheuseofunauthorisedsoftwaremaydamagethePLCArmidalenetworkwithacomputervirus.Therefore:

● IwillabidebythelicenseprovisionsofsoftwaresuppliedbytheCollege.● Iwillkeeptheantivirussoftwareuptodate.● IwillnotifytheICTdepartmentimmediatelyifavirusormalwarewarningappearsonmy

laptop.● IwillseekhelpifIamuncertain.

Healthandsafety

IamawarethatPLCArmidaleisahealth-promotingschool.WhileusingcomputingequipmentIagreeto

● seekandfollowergonomicadviceregardingtheuseofcomputers● takebreaksandvaryworktoavoiddiscomfortwhenusingcomputersforextendedperiods● avoidtiredeyes,byfocusingonsomethingdistanteveryfewminutes

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SecurityIamawarethatallstudentsareresponsibleformaintainingsecurityoftheschoolnetworkandtheirownfilesandarethereforeIagreeto:

● acceptresponsibilityformypasswordsandkeepthemsecret.IamawarethattherearecircumstancesunderwhichtheCollegecanbelegallyrequiredtoidentifytheauthorofanymessagesentbystudentsusingCollegesystems

● useletters,numbersandpunctuation(nospaces)inconstructingpasswords● trytousedifferentpasswordsontheInternetfordifferentpurposes

Purpose

IacknowledgethatthisdeviceispermittedforuseattheCollegebymetousetoenhancemystudyandlearning.Icanusemydeviceinanywayforprivatestudy,howeveritmustnotinterferewithmyCollegework.Iwillnotallowanyoneelsetousemydevice.Iwillalsoensurethatmydeviceisavailabletomeatschoolonschooldays,andIwilltakethedevicehomeduringschoolholidaysandovernight.

Iagreetotryimprovemydigitalskillssuchas:

● researchingontheinternet-beyondsimpleGoogle● becomingfastandaccurateonthekeyboard● validatingsources–learninghowtobeselectiveandcriticalofinformation,withabilityto

referenceandcitesources● collaborativecloudcomputingapplications(includingweb2.0)● blogs,Wikis,Podcasts;theireducationalandsocialvalue● socialbookmarking● digitalsecurity;digitaletiquette● thecareandmaintenanceoftechnology● interfacingwithotherdevicessuchasdigitalcameras,etc

Iwilldomybesttolearnhowtousetechnologytomakemeasmarterlearner,toorganisealltheschoolworkIhavetodo,produceworkinmultimediaformats,andalsostudyinamannerthatsuitsmebest.

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SUMMARYOFPLCARMIDALEPORTABLECOMPUTINGCONDITIONS

StudentsusingportablecomputingdevicesatPLCArmidaleandaccessingtheschool’snetwork

StudentsbringingportablecomputingdevicestoPLCArmidaleforuseintheirstudiesarerequiredtouseadevicethatcomplieswiththeminimumstandardsassetoutinAppendixAofthisdocument.Astudentwhowishestoconnectherportablecomputingdevicetotheschoolnetworkwillneedtohavetheportablecomputingdeviceconfiguredandsoftwareinstalledpriortobringingtheportablecomputingdevicetoschool.AllportablecomputingdevicesmusthaveanEnglishlanguageOperatingSysteminstalled.Therewillbeanannualfeeof$150.00tocoverthecostofsettinguptheportablecomputingdevicefornetworkandtocontributetothenetworkupkeep.Thisfeewillbereviewedannually.

Itisalsoextremelyimportantthatcurrentandup-to-datecommercialgradeviruscheckingsoftwarebeinstalledonanycomputerswhichmaybeusedtoprepareworkforemailtoschoolorbroughttoschoolonCD-ROMormemorystick.

Nostudentwillbegivenaccesstotheschool’snetworkwithouttheparent/guardianandstudentsigningthePLCArmidaleInformationTechnologyNetworkAcceptableUseAgreementandWirelessNetworkUsersAgreements.

Portablecomputingdevicesaretheresponsibilityofthestudentswhobringthemtoschool.Studentportablecomputingdevicesshouldalwaysbeinoneoftwoplaces:withthestudent,orstoredinthestudent’slockerandfastenedwithalock.Leavingportablecomputingdevicesinunsupervisedareasiscompletelyunacceptable.Itisalsoadvisablethatportablecomputingdevicesbroughttoschoolbeengravedwiththenameofthestudentapprovedtousethem.Portablecomputingdevicesbroughttoschoolareforthesoleuseofthestudentsforwhomtheyhavebeenapproved.

Theschoolwillprovidebestefforttechnicalservicesforanyportablecomputingdeviceissuesnotdirectlyrelatedtonetworkconfiguration.Theschoolwillnotacceptresponsibilityforlossordamageofportablecomputingdevicesbroughttoschool.Parentsarestronglyadvisedtoorganisecomprehensiveinsurancecoveronportablecomputingdevicesbroughttoschool.

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Appendix2:

Minimumspecificationforportablecomputingdevices:

• Thedeviceisrequiredforyears5and6isanAppleiPadwithatleast32GBofstorage.• Thedeviceisrecommendedtobealaptopstyleunitforyears7through12.Thepreferred

deviceisanAppleMacBookAir.• ThedevicemusthaveWiFinetworkconnectivity.• Thedevicemusthave

o 32GBormorememoryforatableto 8GBormorememorywitha256GBdiskforlaptops

• Thedevicecanrunanyofthefollowingoperatingsystemso AppleiOS9andlatero WindowsSurfaceProo AppleOS-Xfromversion10.10(ElCapitan)orlater(AppleLaptop)o Windows8.1orlater(WindowsLaptop)

• Thedevicemustnotrunthefollowingoperatingsystemso WindowsSurfaceRT–issueswithprintingandinstallationofsomeapplicationso Androidofanyvariant–issueswithprinting,installationofsomeapplications,and

settingofrequirednetworkproxyonsomevariantso AppleiOS8andearliero AppleOS-X10.9andearliero Windows8.0orearlier

• Studentsmusthavetheabilitytoinstallsoftwareasrequiredforcollegeuse.• Thedevicemusthavecommercialgradeanti-virussoftwareloaded.Thecollegeissupplying

allstudentswithfreeaccesstoTrendMicroforlaptops.• Duetothepowerrequirements,chargingisnotavailablefortheunitsduringtheday.A

minimumofthree(3)hourschargeatnewisrequiredforthedevices.

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PortableComputingDeviceAgreement

PleaseprintandcompletetheagreementandreturntothePLCArmidalereceptionoffice.IacknowledgethatIhavereadtheattacheddocument,andIamconversantwiththecontentofthehandbook,andagreetocomplywithitsTermsandIntentions.Name(Student)_____________________________________Signed(Student)____________________________________Date_________________IhavereadtheattacheddocumentandamawarethatmydaughterhasagreedtoitsTerms

Signed(Parent/Guardian)____________________________Date_________________