Bring Your Own Device Program

Requirements & Recommendations

Although any device will work, Xavier STRONGLY RECOMMENDS that students have laptops versus tablets. In the case of iPads, many videos and interactive activities such as simulations and review games that are embedded in etextbooks and other sites accessed by the teachers/students will not display and/or work because of the incompatibility with Flash.

Because Xavier is a Windows-based environment, it is important to note that if a student has a Mac, all assignments must be created on a platform that is compatible for the teacher to be able to view when submitted electronically. For example, a paper cannot be submitted in Pages or a presentation cannot be submitted in Keynote because those programs are specific to Mac and cannot be viewed on the teachers’ Windows-based computers. However, a student could create and share the paper using a web-based program like Google Docs without any compatibility issues. Also, if the student is doing a presentation and wants to project something directly from a Mac, the student would need to supply the appropriate adapter in order to hook up to the projection system in the classroom (adapter from Mac to VGA). 
 

HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS - RECOMMENDATION

For best results, we recommend the following:

  • CPU - Dual/Multi-Core Processor, 2GHz or higher (Intel Core i3, i5, or i7)
  • Memory - 4 GB
  • Hard Drive - 250 GB or more
  • USB - multiple USB 2.0 ports
  • Video Resolution of at least 1024x768
  • Video - Video Card with 128 MB or more
  • Wireless - 802.11g/n
  • Operating System - Windows 7 or newer or Mac OSX or newer
  • Battery - Recommend extended battery or backup battery if possible
  • Chromebooks are also an acceptable device option (recommended to have 2 GB of RAM or greater)


ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE - STRONGLY RECOMMENDED 

St. Francis Xavier High School STRONGLY recommends the use of antivirus software on all devices with up-to-date virus definitions. Below are two free options if you choose to not purchase an antivirus software. 

  • Avast! Antivirus - Avast! Home is a free antivirus program that will protect against viruses and spyware (for Windows, Mac, and Android Mobile).
  • AVG Antivirus - AVG is a popular free antivirus program that will protect against viruses and spyware (for Windows and Android Mobile).
  • Microsoft Security Essentials - Help guard against viruses, spyware, and malicious software; For Windows Vista or Windows 7 only

 

SOFTWARE CODECS AND APPS - RECOMMENDATION

St. Francis Xavier High School recommends keeping all codec software up-to-date on all devices in order to run web-based software.  These codecs include Shockwave, Flash, Java, etc.  

  • Adobe Flash Player - Many web sites use the Flash codec to process Flash media/video content. 
  • Adobe Reader - Reader is a PDF viewer. 
  • Java Runtime - Java offers many features, including secure computing, online gaming, communication, and more.

BROWSER SOFTWARE

It has been the experience of teachers and students that certain websites only work with certain browsers because of how the sites were built. Because of this, it is important that students have more than one browser installed on their device in order to troubleshoot and try a different browser in the case that they can’t view a particular site with their favorite/choice browser. You do not have to install all of the browsers listed below. The only required browser is Chrome because of the use of Google Apps for Education. In addition to having Chrome installed, your device should have at least one other browser installed as well. 

  • Chrome – REQUIREMENT - We require the installation of the Chrome browser. This browser is the best when using our Google Apps for Education domain and tools.
  • Firefox - Firefox is a popular, alternative browser that supports extensions and addons.
  • Opera - Opera is a free alternative Mac browser.

OTHER

Many courses are utilizing multimedia content during class time. Because of this, it is a requirement for students to bring headphones or ear buds to each class. It is also strongly encouraged that students have a protective carrying case or sleeve for their device to minimize any damage in the event that the device is dropped between classes, etc. 


SUPPORT

In the event of malfunction of the device, the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System IT staff are not responsible for the repair. The student owns and is ultimately responsible for the upkeep and usefulness of the device.