Information Technology Update – July 14, 2016

Online Safety Parent Information Evening

On July 25 there will be an Online Safety Parent Information Evening at 7:00 pm in the College Pavilion -“ please mark this night in your calendar. All parents are invited to attend this information session where respected educator and online safety authority Mr Ray Nasher will present information on the latest trends in internet use, online behaviour and strategies we as parents can use to help support our children in the safe and responsible use of the internet and devices. Ray will also be presenting to the students and the staff on the day.

Ray has provided us with a summary of what he intends to cover at the Information Evening:

-Young people are active users and contributors to an open and collaborative online culture. Online networking is an integral part of their social life. They have access to information, they maintain relationships with family, and engage in creative content production.

These new modes of communication can be also used to exploit the uninitiated or for young people to access dangerous or inappropriate content. Parental involvement remains a critical influence in ensuring that teenagers practice responsible digital citizenship and engage in online activities safely.

Join us for an information evening for parents about the challenges of helping young people enjoy the benefits of being online, whilst also avoiding the risks.-

Ray Nashar is a Parent, Teacher, Digital Content Producer and EdTech Consultant. He has worked with numerous cultural and educational institutions of various types across Australia and abroad. As an extension of his work in the education sector, Ray has also co-authored iBooks and iTunes U courses for Disney Interactive, the Australian Football League Players’ Association (AFLPA), Telstra, the University of New South Wales and Cyber Safe Kids.

iPad Setup Requirements Semester 2

In an effort to help support our boys more in the positive use of their iPads and easier compliance with the -Protocols for using my ICT Device Responsibly for Learning-, which they all agreed to at the start of the year, and in consultation with College Leadership, we have decided to institute some changes in the setup of the student iPads to begin at the start of Term 3. These changes will be simple for the boys to comply with and will greatly support them with the positive and educational use of the iPads in and outside the classroom.

Essentially we will be asking the boys to make sure their iPads are setup with the following:

• The 5^th row of apps that appear at the bottom on every screen are made up of only the most frequently used apps during the school day (NOT games, messaging, music or social media)

• Inappropriate content – Ensure that personal content on the iPad is appropriate at all times and remember that storage space for school related content is a priority. Any inappropriate images/videos /memes that you have stored on your iPad either in your Camera Roll or other apps are to be deleted.

• That -‘Black listed’ apps are deleted permanently including Snapchat, Instagram, Kik and Tumblr

• That any Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are deleted permanently (used to get around the College web filter). Check iPad Settings/General/VPN

• Hidden Files: Use of the iPad is to be completely transparent, therefore any app that is designed to hide photos, videos, text messages, documents etc. are to be deleted from your iPad permanently. This includes, but not limited to apps such as Lock Photos, Private Photo, iVault, Secret Calculator, Album Lock and The Vault. The best way to check for these apps is to view the full list of apps installed on the iPad in Settings at the bottom of the left hand side.

All students have been emailed these changes which gave them the holidays to tidy up their iPads and set them up in the manner required. You can see the attachment the boys were emailed outlining these requirements on the iPad Parent Support page at http://ipads.stpats.vic.edu.au/term-3-2016-setup-requirements.html

Starting in Week 3, we plan to run a series of -‘Random Checks’ on iPads in classrooms to check with student’s compliance with the requested changes. These checks will be done in class by teachers on a small number of boy’s iPads chosen at random. These checks will occur in an ongoing manner while the College feels they are needed to help support the boys.

Your support in assisting the boys with this would be greatly appreciated.

Mark Holland

Director of ICT