Why BYOx?
BYOx is a program where students use a personally owned digital
device within the MacGregor SHS network. The "x" stands for the
laptop (device) and all associated network resources it accesses.
Research from the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) has
identified Digital Literacy as a high demand enterprise skill for the future.
The MacGregor BYOx program will help equipping our students with those vital
digital skills. A laptop will help making learning a part of each student's
life, linking learning at school with learning at home. BYOx will also allow
our teachers to use different resources to meet different learning needs.
A dedicated group of MacGregor teachers continues to
research new resources and to build an evidence based strategic plan for the
use of Information Technology (IT) at MacGregor.
What does it involve?
The BYOx program is for families that may already have an
appropriate device. A good laptop is an investment that will serve your child
for at least 3-5 years. We recommend a Windows laptop to maximise your learning
experience in the Education Queensland IT environment. However, we will
continue to support students with devices purchased under a previous program.
A successful enrolment at MacGregor SHS requires students to
connect every day to the school network with a suitable device. We have an
equity program in place to assist families who need extra support and encourage
families to work with us to provide their student with quality digital access
as soon as possible, preferably at the start of the year. Refer to the
information and forms in the Links section of this page to join the BYOx
Program, and to apply for an equity laptop.
Please be aware that there are also some challenges with
BYOx.
The school provides access to Microsoft Office for all
students and some Adobe programs to students that require them. However,
additional subject specific software will need to be purchased by families.
This will vary depending on subject selections.
IT Technicians will not be able to diagnose or repair BYO
devices apart from issues with connecting to the school network. It is possible
some devices may not connect to the network - please refer to the BYOx Handbook
for list of supported devices. Repairs and warranty claims will need to be
handled by families.
Given the highly dynamic school environment, it is strongly
recommended that accidental damage protection (ADP) is purchased for your
valuable device.
Simple steps to onboard your device from home
Parent Fact Sheet
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Windows Devices
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iOS devices
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MacOS devices | |
Follow relevant resources above to onboard your device (i.e. to prepare it to work nicely with the school network). Once done, your device will be able to connect to the school network when it is brought to the school. A compact BYOx app is then needed for connecting to the our printers and network storage drives. The app
can be found in the MACGlink Student Portal. Please save this app in an easily accessable location on your device.
BYOx software and resources
BYOx software and resources can be found in the student
portal known as the MACGlink. You can also access support information along
with useful tips and instructions at this location. Your EQ credential is
required.
The best way to get to MACGlink is by typing the following
address (case-insensitive) directly into your browser address bar:
tinyURL.com/MACGlink
Microsoft OneDrive
First introduced in 2019, OneDrive is an online data storage
location dedicated and secured for Education Queensland schools. OneDrive
allows students to save their files securely in the Microsoft cloud
infrastructure. Students can access their data using any device, giving
unprecedented flexibility to complete learning tasks as they move between
school and home.
Microsoft Office
All Queensland state school students can download free
copies of the latest Microsoft Office to their personal home computers and
mobile devices. Your Office subscription lasts for as long as you are a
Queensland state school student. Students will need to use their school email
address to sign in.
For PC and Mac, visit Office Portal, login using your school
email address, click through to install and follow the onscreen process.
If you have trouble, please refer to the instructions on how
to download and install Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus to your personal home
computers running Windows (PDF, 734KB) or Mac (PDF, 1MB).
Adobe CC
MacGregor SHS has purchased licenses for Adobe Creative
Cloud software. Some of our subjects require this suite of applications.
Teachers will inform students if they need to install this software onto their
laptop. Detailed instructions are located on MACGlink to install relevant
software for your subjects. Do not purchase the products during the
installation.
ReadCloud
In order to reduce the weight of student's bags, the school
is introducing electronic textbooks (eTexts) using an Australian provider, ReadCloud.
This innovation will be a significant improvement in your student's learning
experience. We will introduce the eTexts in a staged fashion so that we do not
overwhelm our staff and students.
TechConnect
The MacGregor IT support team are available at TechConnect
in F Block to answer any BYOx questions and to assist with software and
connection problems. Don't hesitate to visit if you need assistance or advice.
Vendor Portals for Purchasing BYOx
We have worked with a number of vendors to develop BYOx device portals that offer high quality, fit-for-purpose and affordable devices.
The motivation for these portals was to make the process of choosing and buying a BYOx device easier for parents, and to give parents the peace of mind that these devices are backed by reliable vendors, a 3-year warranty with next-business-day onsite service, and the option to purchase Accidental Damage insurance.
Disclaimers:
- The Device Portal websites referred to above contain information and content supplied by above third party vendors. MacGregor State High School is not associated or affiliated with any third party vendors.
- MacGregor State High School is not responsible for the content, products or services offered through vendors' website.
- The availability of these portals does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by MacGregor State High School of any particular vendor, model, brand, product or service.
- MacGregor State High School is not a party to any transactions undertaken through these websites. Any transaction is purely between your chosen vendor and yourself, and you are advised to read the disclosure statements and terms and conditions from the vendor that you have selected.
- Your chosen vendor should be contacted directly for all enquiries, including sales support, after-sales and technical support, warranty and insurance claims.