Offered at WISH Middle and WISH Academy High, our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program allows students the flexibility of using a personal device in place of a school-issued Chromebook.

Eligible devices

The program is only available for personal Chromebooks, MacBooks, and Windows laptops. iPads and other tablets are not acceptable devices for this program due to compatibility and functionality limitations.

Requirements and Setup

To ensure compatibility with school systems, personal devices must have Google Chrome installed, along with a few secure testing applications. These minimal installations ensure that students can access the same tools and resources as those using school-issued Chromebooks. Instructions for installing testing applications will be sent out throughout the school year.

Troubleshooting

Beyond the basic setup for the above required software, WISH is unable to offer hardware or software support or troubleshooting for personal devices.

Program guidelines

While personal devices offer more capabilities and access to a wider range of programs than a school-issued Chromebook, students in the BYOD program must follow specific guidelines. One guideline is that the only software students may use while at school is Google Chrome and any basic system-level apps (e.g. the system file manager). Students must refrain from using any other applications unless permitted by their teacher. Violations of these program requirements, school-wide technology policies, or other behavior-related issues may result in BYOD privileges being revoked.

Internet usage and content filtering

WISH utilizes GoGuardian as both an internet filter to limit what parts of the internet students can access and help keep them on task, as well as for monitoring students' browsing history. GoGuardian is implemented via a Google Chrome extension that is automatically installed to the Google Chrome profile attached to their school account. If that account is removed from Chrome, GoGuardian leaves with it.

To clarify, GoGuardian is active on personal devices only while students are browsing Google Chrome and properly signed into the profile associated with their school account. In any other situation — if a student opens a window for another Chrome profile, uses a web browser other than Google Chrome, uses any other application on their computer to access the internet — GoGuardian is not active, will not filter the content they see, and will not monitor their history. It is ultimately up to parents to discuss internet safety with their children, as well as to install any on-device filtering/monitoring software.

Joining the BYOD program

Students can join the BYOD program at any time during the school year up to spring break. Students can express their interest in participating by submitting a ticket to the help center. This will begin the approval process, which starts with a program agreement form sent to the student's family. Once that form is completed, our IT Manager will meet with the student to discuss the rules of the program and the next steps, including collecting the student's school-issued Chromebook and charging cord, connecting the student’s personal device to the school network, and applying a BYOD program label to the lid.