Glendowie College is now a fully BYOD school. All students in years 9 - 13 are expected to have their own digital device to support their learning at the college. This page provides parents and whanau with guidelines for the best equipment to buy for their child. Click on the tabs below to learn more.
Click on the link below to reset your GDC password.
https://sso.gdc.school.nz/adfs/portal/updatepassword/
All students at Glendowie College are expected to have their own digital device to access learning resources and to create files required for assigned tasks and, increasingly, some NCEA assessments.
At Glendowie College, students use a variety of learning media. They will also need to use their devices to access applications such as Google Classroom, Education Perfect, Sibelius and more. Some applications incur a cost (e.g. licence or usage fee) while others are free. The course handbook identifies this.
Increasingly the resources and applications used by students are online. This is especially the case in the junior school. However, as students progress into senior subjects, they may want to purchase specialist software that needs to be downloaded and installed on their device. Read the “Buying Devices (Guidelines)" to learn more about this.
We are aware that some families may struggle to afford a device for the college. Please note that a device is NOT compulsory. See “Financial Support” if you would like more information about this.
This must be done from home as you will not have a Wi Fi connection at school until you have completed the steps below.
Certificate (REQUIRED)
A SSL certificate from N4L (our Internet service provider) must be installed on ALL devices in order to use the school's Wi Fi access. If this is not handled, you will not have full Internet/Wi Fi access!
Please use the link provided here to find the instructions and download the certificate. Make sure you select the correct operating system for your device(s)!
LINK: http://cert.n4l.co.nz/
If you have a Windows or Apple or Chromebook device, the instructions at the link below will help you install the certificate correctly (you will have to be logged in with your SCHOOL Google account to view this document):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PqqCnmurs2E642i3R-z1FyoLo-CjDBpWxvBr-HY0lMI/edit?usp=sharing
NEW STUDENTS:
BEFORE setting up Wi Fi access on your device, you must follow the password 're-set' procedure if you are a Year 9 or other new student. Your form teacher will provide you with the instructions and the Portal password you will need to in order to complete this procedure. Below is the link for the password re-set. You will need to access this link from home or on your phone using your personal data.
The password you set must be at least 8 characters and cannot contain any part of your name or student ID number!
Password Re-set Link:
Once you have completed the password re-set procedure, the password you set will be the password for Wi Fi access, Google Drive and Google Mail, Office 365 and network and logging on to school owned devices. The password for accessing the Portal (the original one that your form teacher provided) does NOT change!
When setting up your school Wi Fi connection, you will choose the "GDC BYOD" connection. Your user name is your five digit school ID number. The password is whatever you reset it to using the password reset link.
If students are having difficulty connecting a device to Wi Fi after they have COMPLETED the instructions for the “Reset Password Link” on the school’s website, the instructions via clicking here may be of some assistance. You will have to sign in with your school Google account to access this document.
IMPORTANT: Students with iPads will have to go see the IT Technician IN PERSON after completing the above instructions!
RETURNING STUDENTS:
This password will be the same as your Google password that you set using the “Reset Password Link” on the school website previously.
Returning students who do not know their network password will have to:
As your child progresses through college, they will need their devices for different purposes. Some students find that they bring their device less to school in their senior years, while others need it more as they select specialist subjects such as Technology or Visual Arts.
Our experience is that few devices will last five years, so it may be better to think of two purchases during your child’s education at Glendowie College. The first purchase may last from years 9-11, and then the second is in year 12 and may see them beyond school into university or other tertiary studies.
We do not require specific brands or devices. Rather we recommend three different categories of digital devices, depending on your child's year level and subject choices.
All devices must have:
Ideally students devices should also have:
Additionally, students doing specialist subjects such as Creative Digital Technology, Design and Visual Communication, Media Studies and Visual Art Design & Photography may need a laptop with higher specifications to run specialist software, such as Adobe Creative Cloud.
NOTES:
Basic Devices:
These devices include Chromebooks and basic laptops that can cost as little as $400. Though more expensive, an iPad Pro falls into this category. Many students like these devices as they provide access to the web, are small and the battery life is usually very good.
They will support the vast majority of year 9 -10 courses and many courses in the senior school, especially as more learning applications are web-based. The limitation of some devices (e.g. Chromebook, iPad Pro) is that students can’t download and install software (e.g. Adobe Photoshop) on their devices. NOTE: This may be a good thing if you don’t want your child downloading/installing games on their device.
Midrange Devices:
These devices include more ‘powerful’ laptops with higher specifications. They generally provide the same features as the basic devices, but are better designed (e.g. have nicer screens, a bigger keyboard) and students are able to install software on to them. This would include devices with a minimum of 4GB RAM and dual to quad core processors.
Many students like these because they have better specifications and students are able to personalise them. However, they are not suitable for some specialist courses.
Advanced Devices:
These devices include powerful laptops with higher specifications. These devices need to be capable of software installation and easily running software such as Adobe Creative Suite (which students can access for as little as $10 per annum beginning next year). These devices would need to have the minimum specifications of an i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a dedicated graphics card.
While the school will endeavour to provide a limited number of advanced devices for student use at school, many students prefer these devices as they enable them to store and access files on their own device and access specialist software outside of school.
Specialist subjects include Media Studies, Photography and most Technology courses.
It is not compulsory for students to bring their own device to Glendowie College. Students without a device will be able to access any course at the college.
To support students who may not be able to afford their own device, the college provides the following devices for students
There are laptops available for use in the library.
In the case of financial hardship, the deans may request that a device be provided for a student’s use during the school year. There are a limited number of these devices available. There is a $100 refundable bond payment required prior to the loan of an equity device.
Specialist subjects provide a limited number of advanced devices for students enrolled in these courses to access during class time.
Battery Life
Self management skills are one of the “Key Competencies” in the NZ curriculum. Students need to manage the responsibility of ensuring that their BYO device is fully charged at the start of each school day.
Insurance
House and contents insurance may cover student devices at school. Contact your insurer for details. Please be advised that the Glendowie College is not liable for loss or damage to students’ devices while at school. While we will endeavour to investigate reported incidences, it is important that the students understand that they are responsible for their devices.
Links to Helpful Advice for Managing Students’ Device Usage
Netsafe: Online Safety for New Zealand
10 Tips for Limiting Your Child’s Screen Time
Kids and Tech: Tips for Parents In the Digital Age
Parenting In a Digital Age
Students' devices should have the following software intalled on their devices:
Under the school's licensing agreement with Microsoft, students and staff may download and install the Microsoft Office 365 Pro Plus software suite for PC and/or Mac on up to 15 different personal devices using their school email address. Click here to download your free Microsoft Office software.
All students are provided with a G Suite for Education account. This service includes both a Google Mail account and a Google Drive account. This service is provided free of charge for the duration of each student's enrolment at the college. All school related email communications are sent to this Google Mail account. Google Drive provides students with 25 GB of online file storage, the ability to collaborate with teachers and peers and online access to software applications like word processing, presentations, drawing, etc.
At Glendowie College we emphasise 'respectful relationships' across the school, and this includes online. Student and staff behaviour online is covered by school rules - including behaviour out of school hours if it affects the learning or wellbeing of other students or staff.
All students agree to the college's CyberSafety Student User Agreement when they enrol and complete the enrolment application forms. This is signed by both the student and the parent/caregiver. This agreement encompasses all use of the college's ICT facilities, network and online spaces; and covers student and staff online behaviour both during and out of school hours.
Cybersafety and Digital Citizenship are discussed with students through their studies at the college, especially in Year 9.
Glendowie College is not liable or responsible for the damage, loss or theft of a personal student device. Although the school will investigate incidents related to device damage, loss and theft, the device is the responsibility of the student. It is advised that devices are covered by personal insurance policies for loss and theft, that they are kept in and/or protected by an appropriate case, sleeve or protective cover, and that they are clearly named. Parents should check with their insurance company to determine the level of cover under existing insurance policies.
Glendowie College staff are not responsible for the technical aspects of device use, repair or maintenance. This includes all teaching, ICT and support staff. Any IT support will be limited to verbal and/or written instructions on troubleshooting common problems, such as connecting to the wireless network. Teaching, ICT and support staff will have a strictly ‘hands off’ policy due to liability issues. Any technical problems, repairs and maintenance issues are the responsibility of the student.
The Techs is a community service student team that are available to provide ICT technical assistance to both students and staff. The Techs meet in the Room 29 computer lab every Tuesday during lunch. This team can provide assistance with connecting personal devices to the school's Wi Fi access, tutorials on using Google Mail and Google Drive and other ICT related assistance as needed. Students interested in joining the Techs team should speak to Ms. Mercer or any of the team members.
All Year 9 students attend an ICT and Internet safety presentation early in Term 1. The school’s ICT Manager (Vicki Mercer) and the student ICT team (the Tech Busters) discuss issues concerning safety on the Internet, appropriate use of the school’s computers, network and Internet access, and ICT related school procedures.
Each student is responsible for maintaining the security of their school ICT accounts. These ICT accounts include Google G Suite (formerly known as Google Apps), GC Net (our Learning Management System) and their network/Wi Fi login account. The student is responsible for ensuring that strong passwords (at least 8 characters is recommended) are set up for all ICT accounts. Students are responsible for ensuring these passwords are not known to others. Additionally, each student is liable for any inappropriate activity that occurs on any school provided ICT account.