BYOT school plan, expectations and consequences.

The Ball’s Bluff Elementary School community has been selected to participate in an exciting new initiative in Loudoun County Public Schools: Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT). 

Through this initiative we seek to support effective teaching and learning strategies, as our staff and students utilize their own devices to foster collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity.  Staff will receive ongoing professional development before and during the implementation process.  Students will continue to receive education from the Common Sense Digital Citizenship curriculum, a guide that helps students navigate successfully though a connected world.  Additionally, our staff will present and remind students about the guidelines for student use of technology in BYOT environments. 

Families who choose to participate in the BYOT program are responsible for providing devices that will connect and access the school’s wireless network.  Technical guidelines are available on the LCPS BYOT webpage at www.lcps.org/BYOT.  If your student does not have a device to bring to school or the device they own is not meant for travel, they will not be excluded from instruction in the BYOT setting.  In that case, students will have the opportunity to use a school-issued device. 

We began the implementation of BYOT on September 1st, 2016 in grades 3, 4, and 5. We are asking students to provide their own headphones or earbuds and they are to have their devices charged each day.   Students will be responsible for the security of their personal devices.   LCPS and/or Ball’s Bluff Elementary will not be responsible for loss, damage, or theft of any personal electronic device.  Teachers will determine when the use of technology is appropriate for instruction in their classrooms.  

Our school is ready for this new path of instruction.  As early as next school year, BYOT will become the norm in LCPS.  We believe the impact in our classrooms will be positive immediately, and we do not want to miss the instructional opportunities BYOT will provide for our students. 

Digital Citizenship-Common Sense Media

This Fall our students will be receiving lessons on Digital Citizenship. 

• Media Balance & Well Being
• Privacy & Security
• Digital Footprint & Identity
• Relationships & Communication
• Cyberbullying, Digital Drama & Hate Speech
• News & Media Literacy

Each class, K-5, will have a curriculum they must follow. You can find those lessons here. (Common Sense Education can also be accessed through LCPSgo.) The lessons may be delivered in the classroom or Makerspace Lab. 

As our longer breaks approach, kids will be drawn to the screen for videos, gaming and social media. How much is too much? How much is OK? On this page you will find a variety of articles, videos and blogs to help you make the best decisions for your family. 

 Do you want to continue the learning, download the Family Media Contract and discuss the best use for devices in your family, time allowed, who is safe to talk to, etc. 

You  can learn more at Common Sense Media.