American International School Hong Kong

BYOT Requirements

As a student in the middle & high school, you are expected to bring with you technology that will help you succeed in your learning. This section lists the minimum requirements for technology you will need in every class. 
For every class, students should have access to:

  1. A wifi device that has a 9-inch screen, a physical keyboard, and runs Chrome Browser for Desktop;

  2. A wifi device that is a handheld / mobile device, that can record video and sound.

  3. Earphones / headphones
Every device that students bring should:
  • Have Wi-Fi (5GHz band 802.11n or 802.11ac)

  • Have 6+ hours advertised battery life, and be fully-charged and ready for use everyday.

  • Has a modern web browser and can access Eaglenet and Google Apps 

  • Be clearly labelled with your name and have appropriate protective casing

  • Be lightweight enough to bring to and from school

  • Be under the full responsibility of the student to care for and operate

Ideas for BYOT readiness
Below are some suggestions for BYOT. Each "idea" fulfils the AIS BYOT requirements above. Note that you are not limited to following one of these ideas - just make sure the technology you bring fulfils the requirements listed above.
The difference between the ideas include: 
  • the size and weight of devices
  • the number of devices a student would need to bring
  • specific features and functionality in the devices, including software and operating systems
  • cost
An iPad? A Chromebook? A Macbook? A Windows PC? A tablet or a phone?
Meet some students and find out what devices they have chosen to use in high school. 
 

Idea 1:
Chromebook + smartphone

The Google Chromebook is light, fast and affordable. Add a wifi mobile device, such as a smartphone, iPad or iPod touch, and you are BYOT ready!
The Google-based Chromebook is great value and hassle-free - the quickest way to make the most of the AIS Google for Education experience. Login with your student account and you have access to all your files, mail and learning.
Lightweight and with good battery life, the Chromebook generally depends on an internet connection and apps run within the Chrome browser. While you won't get Microsoft Office or Adobe to run on here, the growing Chrome app store is filled with modern solutions to almost every problem.
 

Idea 2:
MacBook Air + iPad

Taking a Macbook Air (or other lightweight Intel i5 processor laptop) and adding a tablet or smartphone for handheld capabilities, makes for a powerful, complete BYOT solution for technology-immersed learning.
The more traditional and popular operating systems, most people have a preference for using either Mac OS X or Microsoft Windows. Both platforms offer flexible, powerful applications for productivity, information access, creativity, communication and collaboration. The i5 Intel processor (or equivalent) is the standard for computing, but with this usually comes more weight and more power consumption, plus more complicated software environments. A tablet compliments well for mobile situations, as well as providing an extra screen for eTextbooks, complimentary apps and research while working on the laptop.

Idea 3:
Surface Pro 3 + keyboard

The Surface Pro 3 packages the full power and capabilities of a Windows laptop in a 12-inch tablet form. Include the keyboard accessory and have an all-in-one-device BYOT solution. 
Image credit: Scott Akerman
Running full Windows 8.1 Pro with support for USB and microSD cards, the Surface Pro 3 has the additional touch screen and pen inputs that provide further opportunities for note-taking, creativity and ease-of-use. This may be one of the bigger handheld devices around, but the Surface Pro 3 meets all the BYOT requirements when the keyboard accessory is added, packing power and versatility into a convenient, lightweight single-device solution.

The "little brother" of the Surface Pro 3, the Surface 3 offers a more affordable option with a smaller screen and less processing power.

Do I meet the Requirements? Interactive Checklist

Use this requirements checklist tool to go through each of your BYOT devices and see if you meet the BYOT requirements.

Directions:
Currently the tool is made using Google Spreadsheets - it will make a copy for you clicking on the button below. Open the copy you have made and enter in the name of each device you are planning to bring for BYOT. Scroll through and answer the questions to see whether your devices meet the BYOT requirements.