ISB Tech Handbook

KATTENBERG 19, B-1170 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM WWW.ISB.BE

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK 2025-2026

TABLE OF CONTENTS ISB Educational Technology Philosophy

02

The Role of the School

03

The Role of the Student

03

The Role of the Parent

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How ISB Maintains a Safe Digital Learning Environment

04

Responsible Use Policy

04

Guidelines For Using Your iPad or Laptop at School

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Guidelines For Laptop Use at Home

09

If You Wish to Limit Your Child’s Internet Access at Home

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Digital Citizenship at ISB

10

Keeping Yourself Safe on Social Networks

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Artificial Intelligence at ISB

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Smartphone Use at School

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Online Accounts and Personal Data

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This handbook is updated on an annual basis to reflect the latest research and best practices in educational technology in the context of the ISB mission as reflected in the school’s approach to learning.

TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

ISB Educational Technology Philosophy At ISB, we believe that appropriate technology use is an essential component of the learning environment. During the school day, we guide and monitor the appropriate use of technology in a culture of trust and student empowerment.

All technology decisions at ISB are guided by the following principles: As an educational institution, ISB believes that teaching students the lifelong skill of using technology in responsible, productive, and healthy ways is part of its mission.

Appropriate technology use is an essential component of personalised learning environments.

Technology creates new teaching and learning opportunities that improve student understanding. It contributes to an environment in which teaching and learning are learnercentred, collaborative, and engaging.

Technology provides the means for equitable learning opportunities. Digital tools allow teachers to meet the diverse learning needs of students by adapting to individual goals and learning styles.

New technologies are opportunities to embrace new learning possibilities by empowering students. ISB is committed to educating students on safe, productive and healthy ways to adopt these new technologies.

A technology-rich learning environment requires a robust Digital Citizenship curriculum focused on responsible, balanced and informed use that is reinforced by all faculty and staff.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

The Role of the School As a learning organisation dedicated to preparing students for their future lives and careers, we take the duty of educating students to use technology in constructive, balanced, and informed ways seriously. You will read details of our commitments to our educational role in this handbook.

The role of the school is to: Ensure that we provide a safe and respectful environment in which students can use technology to enhance the learning experience.

Educate students on both the positive potential of technology while also ensuring they understand and can navigate aspects of technology that require care and vigilance.

Emphasise the need for balance, moderation, wellbeing and activities that are not screenbased.

Empower students to harness the power and potential of technology to achieve great things so that our students are using technology in the most effective and inspiring ways.

The Role of the Student We require students to understand the importance of all the points highlighted above and throughout this handbook. As learners, we expect students to demonstrate that the primary focus of technology at ISB is to enhance learning. The role of the student is to: Respect and follow the school’s technology expectations, guidelines, and policies as outlined here.

Understand that using technology at ISB is a privilege that can be lost if abused.

Demonstrate that their technology use outside of school also needs to be respectful.

Be aware that any online behaviour that is malicious or hurtful can be reported to the authorities.

The Role of the Parent As with all aspects of student learning, a positive and supportive home-school partnership is essential. While the school has the ability to maintain a safe and secure digital environment at school, we are conscious that a significant portion of student technology use takes place in the home. The role of the parent is to: Have open and ongoing conversations with your child about their technology use.

Set clear expectations for how you want technology to be used in your home.

Contact your child’s school counsellor if you have concerns about your child’s technology use.

Try to model your own technology use around your children.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

How ISB Maintains a Safe Digital Learning Environment ISB uses a variety of strategies to maintain a safe digital learning environment.

In alignment with our Technology Belief statements, we educate students on how to use technology responsibly. This includes ongoing conversations with students regarding technology use.

Faculty guide and monitor student technology use throughout lessons.

ISB’s network has a series of robust systems that ensure that students are only able to access appropriate materials while using the school network. You can see the full range of systems in place at ISB to provide a safe, digital learning environment here.

ISB’s IT department has the ability to monitor all student activity on the network to ensure proper use.

Responsible Use Policy Respect & Care for Your School Technology Device ISB provides iPads to younger students in Lower School and MacBook laptops to students in grades 5-12. Devices are school property and students are responsible for keeping them safe and in good condition.

What this looks like: Each student is responsible for his/her device, and should treat and use it responsibly and appropriately.

In the event that your device is not working properly for any reason, students must report this (plus any damage) to the IT office as soon as possible.

Students are responsible for damage, theft or loss for all loaned equipment which occurs as a result of negligence or carelessness on the part of the student (please see the insurance agreement for more information on accidental coverage).

Devices are to be kept in a secure location (i.e. locker or classroom (in ES) when not in use .

ISB provided cases and ISB identifying stickers must remain on the device. If this case is removed, the insurance coverage will be voided, and the student will be responsible for the full cost for any repair or replacement.

Students may use laptops in designated areas including classrooms, collaborative spaces, and the library.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

In the event that your device is damaged, stolen or lost: Your ISB device is insured in the event that it is lost, damaged or stolen. Please be aware of the conditions of the insurance policy. To fully meet the requirements of the insurance policy, students are required to always: Take good care of their device at all times Use the specially designed and provided protective case when carrying or transporting the device Report any damage or function issues to the IT Department within 24 hours In the case of accidental/ screen damage, the repair cost is 150 Euros/repair. The charger, cord, pen, battery, and external keyboard are not covered. Students are responsible for replacing these if they are lost or broken. Please consult the complete replace and repair price list published here.

In instances of obvious negligence, repeated or intentional damage to a computer, the insurance agreement may be considered null and void, and students will be responsible for the full cost of repair or replacement.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Ethical Technology Use Students are expected to use technology tools in a way that actively supports the ISB School Mission. We expect all ISB students to respect the privacy of other students, faculty and staff as well as other users of the Internet. Students are expected to ensure that the integrity and the reliability of the ISB network is maintained at all times.

What this looks like: Students are responsible for keeping their password private and students will not use anyone else's username & password.

Students will take responsibility for all activity on their account. Using another person’s account for any reason is prohibited.

All communications and activity on the ISB network and technology devices must be respectful of others.

Students must have consent before taking or using a photograph or video of another community member.

To maintain the integrity of the school and continued access to licensed software, students may not use the school's network, hardware or software for any purpose not authorised by ISB. If a student needs specific software for a class or learning use, the IT department will assist them. Students may not install unauthorised software on their machines.

All activity on the ISB network is monitored by designated staff to ensure appropriate use of technology resources.

In the event that a student does not meet ISB’s expectation for responsible and ethical technology use: Students may lose or have restricted network or computer privileges Serious incidents may require reporting to the Belgian authorities via SafeOnWeb, the website of the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB). The site contains useful advice, resources, guidelines and tools for reporting concerns, and is available for the general public.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Guidelines for Using Your iPad or Laptop at School 1. Your device is a learning tool, not an entertainment system.

2. Your teachers ultimately decide when you need to use technology and when you do not.

3. Teachers will confiscate devices that are not being cared for properly.

4. A student who – in any way – abuses the privilege of the device in school will lose that privilege.

5. Any student who does not respect classroom expectations with regard to technology use will be subject to disciplinary measures.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

School Trips, Activities & Athletics As general policy, students may not take their device on school trips, unless it is specifically required for the learning purposes of the trip.

Upper School students may take their laptops on sports trips if it is deemed necessary for school work purposes. Students must ensure that devices are with them or stored in secure locations.

Unless required by the school, students may not take their devices on a field trip.

For athletics or other school activities on campus (after school) your device must be securely stored in your school building or securely locked in the changing room lockers.

Students who know they may have to leave their device locked in school for security reasons should plan in advance to deal with this situation, either accessing Google Drive on a home computer or having printed work for homework, for instance.

There may be some exceptions to this policy when the school head may give permission for a student to take a device on a trip in exceptional circumstances. This will only be when the safety of the device can be guaranteed. For instance, if a student is travelling to a sports tournament and the student’s parents are also travelling with the student and can therefore safeguard the device, permission may be given. If permission is not sought, insurance is not provided.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Guidelines for Laptop Use at Home (For Parents and Students) 1. Have a conversation about your expectations in the context of your family values and agree to computer times and laptop placement. You may wish to provide some internet leisure time as part of this agreement.

2. When students are using the computer at home for educational purposes, we encourage them to attend to one task at a time. While having multiple programs open at the same time may facilitate learning, all open programs should serve the same purpose with respect to task focus.

3. Families should set up work routines within which family time, homework, play, and socialising take place at separate and distinct times. While recognizing the value and necessity of multitasking, we recommend that the potential distractive power of doing so be an ongoing family conversation.

4. We encourage a work environment at home that promotes trust, responsibility, and accountability. Given the safety and family values concerns of some internet content, we suggest student work station placement provide a direct line of sight to the laptop and ongoing family discussions about appropriate internet use. We advise that student passwords be written in a safe place and that parents have access to passwords.

5. We strongly recommend that students disable/turn off chat programs or other default communication programs while they are working on the laptops at home. At school, chat programs are used appropriately only as part of a class lesson. If used at home, chat program preferences should be set so that they are turned off during the school day.

6. You may wish to install a router with parental control options such as Netgear or TP-Link that allow you to control network access in your home. Examples of these available in Belgium are listed here.

7. A good night’s sleep is crucial for child development and learning. Try to ensure that your child is not in a position to be using a digital device after bedtime.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Digital Citizenship at ISB As a learning organisation dedicated to preparing students for their future lives and careers, we take the duty of educating students to: use technology appropriately, seeing its power as a learning tool learn to use technology in balanced and healthy ways understand issues of internet ethics, potential dangers, and privacy concerns be able to recognise bias, how algorithms work, and how social media works ISB uses the Common Sense Media DC Curriculum. This curriculum is integrated into learning activities throughout the school year, through classroom projects, library visits, Advisory, Personal Learning sessions and through dedicated learning activities that may include visiting experts in the field of digital literacy and citizenship. The ISB Digital Citizenship Curriculum can be accessed here.

Keeping Safe on Social Networks With technology use, comes an expectation of responsible use. The vast majority of ISB students use technology wisely and appropriately. We need to ensure you understand the consequences of making poor choices. In order to empower you with the freedom to use the power of technology for learning, we expect you to respect these guidelines: Using Social Networks Wisely Put everything behind password-protected walls, where only people you select can see you.

Keep your password safe and secure.

Be your own person. Don’t let anyone pressure you to be someone you aren’t.

Think carefully before you post.

Don't post anything you wouldn’t want your parents, principal or teachers to see.

Protect your privacy and your friends' privacy too. Get their okay before posting something about them or their picture online.

Never assume that you are anonymous online, even on platforms that claim to be anonymous.

Your social media profile reflects who you are; always post with your future in mind.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Reminders About Phone & Laptop Use Students are not permitted to have inappropriate images or videos on any of their devices at any time.

Any student who receives an inappropriate image should speak to their counsellor or advisor.

There will be significant disciplinary consequences for any student who shares, sends, or distributes an inappropriate image.

Sharing an inappropriate image of another student, or of yourself in an inappropriate context, is against Belgian Law and may be subject to police investigation or legal action.

The school reserves the right to monitor network activity within the school’s Google domain and school infrastructure, including laptops.

Any student who fails to use technology respectfully will have their device privileges suspended.

We trust students to use technology wisely and will actively support you as you learn.

Always speak to a trusted adult at home or school if you are worried about any online activity. We are here to support you and to help you make wise choices.

And For Parents: The school owns the laptop, but you make the rules about tech use in your home. If you do not want your child to have a laptop in their bedroom, for example, this is your decision. You provide the internet access.

We recommend to students that they complete school work before using their laptop for any social purposes. Set a clear time for when tech usage will end each day in your home.

Maintain open lines of communication and trust with your child.

Ask your child to show you what they are doing on social media. Use this as a way to begin the conversation and discuss any concerns you may have.

Kids can interact safely online. We teach them how to do this at school in the context of the technology that we use for learning.

When students make mistakes, and some do, we deal with those mistakes as learning opportunities.

Most kids simply use social networks to communicate with their friends.

Be sure that the information you are reading about teens and technology is from a credible source.

Avoid sweeping generalisations about young people, even if you hear the words, “everyone does it”.

Remember, you have the right and responsibility to make the technology use policies in your home. If your child does not follow your rules, you should apply appropriate consequences.

Always communicate directly with the school if you are worried about any online activity.

We are here to support you in confidence and with understanding. Your child’s counsellor is usually the best place to start.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Artificial Intelligence at ISB

“The use of digital technologies in education holds significant promise. When applied to education, technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and robots, have the potential to improve the quality and equity of learning, free teachers’ time to focus on their teaching and provide students with new routes to learning. These educational objectives may become a reality with the support of technology, provided that teachers and learners are given the right conditions to use such technologies.”

Opportunities, guidelines and guardrails for effective and equitable use of AI in education. OECD, 2023.

As a learning institution, it is our obligation to teach our students new literacies to navigate the ever-changing world. We believe that with mindful and intentional use of AI technology, we can personalize learning, improve feedback, and better support our students’ diverse needs. In doing so, we need to keep in mind our uniquely human competencies, grapple with the potential ethical and moral implications of AI, and keep our focus on engaging, meaningful student-centred learning. Rather than considering how we can mitigate the use of AI, we must teach students how to use it ethically and appropriately and model this use ourselves.

In the Context of Artificial Intelligence at ISB: At ISB we believe in the potential of technology as a learning tool and support the ethical use of AI. Focusing on the learning process, rather than on the final product, will help ensure that new digital tools translate into higher levels of student work and thinking.

Students need clear guidelines about what use of AI is allowed and what use is not allowed on any given learning task.

We have to make sure all use of AI at ISB is ethical. AI tools not available to people under 18 years of age can be used by adults, but teachers cannot assign their use to students.

Students should be engaged in open and honest conversations about the ethical, societal, and political issues surrounding the use of AI.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Guidelines for Students Students must always keep in mind that any piece of work assigned to them is intended to help them learn. While AI tools may assist to a certain degree when used honestly and openly, relying on AI tools to complete school work means students are not truly learning. In this way, they are effectively cheating themselves.

Students can utilise AI tools as personal tutors or learning assistants. These tools provide rapid and useful feedback, help with research tasks, and summarise complex information at their comprehension level. In some cases, using AI tools streamlines learning and maximises time spent on essential tasks. However, students should seek coaching from adults to make informed distinctions.

Teachers will provide clear guidelines regarding the permissible use of AI for learning tasks.

If students are uncertain about how to incorporate AI into an assignment, they should seek clarification from their teacher. Students can also propose ways in which AI usage might enhance their learning experience.

AI chatbots are susceptible to errors and may generate false information, particularly when citing sources or solving mathematical problems. It is essential to critically evaluate all output from a chatbot and verify facts independently.

Students should be cautious when interacting with chatbots. Many of these systems are trained based on user input. To protect privacy, students should refrain from including personally-identifiable information (such as email addresses or telephone numbers) in prompts given to an AI system.

Academic Integrity & Citing AI Sources In the same way that we cite our sources in research, we need to be clear about how we have used AI. Students must acknowledge any use of AI on a learning task. Submitting the output of an AI tool as one’s own work without acknowledgment is a violation of our academic honesty policies.

Citing Generative AI in Chicago, MLA and APA style Citing AI is an option in Noodletools High School Policy on Academic Integrity; Middle School Policy on Academic Integrity; The IB Academic Integrity Policy

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Smartphone Use at School As a school, we believe in the learning potential of technology and embrace digital learning opportunities, rather than ban them. Students can and do use phones in positive, constructive ways, including for learning, health and personal safety: checking schedules, as translation devices, e-readers, taking notes, video editing, accessing learning resources, participating in and documenting learning activities, setting medication reminders, map locations, contacting parents at the end of the school day … and we always want to ensure that these devices are used appropriately and in moderation.

We are conscious that, for some students, these devices may be distracting and we work to ensure that this is not the case during the school day. Our approaches are developmentally appropriate.

Lower School Digital devices should only be used for learning as approved by a teacher. This includes before and after school, and during break times in the collaboration spaces.

Students should not carry mobile phones to class. If it is necessary for a student to have a phone at school, it should be left in the locker or school bag throughout the day. Students should only use their phones once school has been dismissed.

Upper School Parents ultimately decide if they wish their child to have a phone in school.

Students may only use their phone in class for learning purposes as approved by the teacher.

Students may not use their phones for social media use during lessons and notifications on all devices must be turned off.

Students who do not meet expectations with regard to phone usage will be required to keep them in their lockers during the school day.

Students who struggle to manage their phone use - and this is a skill we want to help teach will have their phone stored in the Head’s office or will be required to keep them at home.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

We believe that our role as educators is to ensure the responsible and appropriate use of mobile phones, while also taking the opportunity to ensure ISB students have the skills and habits needed to thrive in an ever-changing and technological world. Contact your child’s counsellor if you need guidance on phone use.

Are students allowed to bring phones to school?

Lower School

Upper School

Yes

Yes

Yes, but…

No. Are students allowed to use their phones during the school day?

Phones must be kept in their locker or bag throughout the school day and not used.

Phones can only be used for learning purposes approved by teachers.

Social media is not used during class and all notifications must be turned off to avoid distractions.

Students unable to follow these rules are subject to escalating consequences designed to support learning of responsible use.

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TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK

Online Accounts and Personal Data When necessary for the delivery of best educational practices, ISB may approve the use of applications, online learning tools and other software which at times requires the creation of student accounts. ISB teachers may therefore create certain online accounts on behalf of the ISB students, using their email address belonging to the ISB domain.

ISB is committed to: maintaining a publicly accessible list of all apps, learning tools and software packages approved for use at the school; maintaining a centralised application process for suggested additions, maintaining a review process during which any new suggested applications or tools will: be reviewed in terms of their educational value by the Lib Tech team; be reviewed in terms of their technical implications by the IT team; and undergo a GDPR analysis and risk assessment by the DPO in terms of the processing of personal data in the context of the application or tool, which assessment will result in one of the following outcomes: not approved for use at ISB approved for use, with limitations for use or additional security measures to safeguard personal data processing approved limiting the amount of personal data shared to what is strictly necessary for the use of the application, online tool or software package to deliver its educational benefits.

ISB will process personal data of the students when creating accounts for such educational tools (including contact details and the ISB email address belonging to the student), for the purpose of providing access to these educational tools. The processing of this personal data is based on (i) the legitimate interests of ISB and of the students themselves, notably providing and receiving educational services and (ii) on the performance of the learning agreement that ISB has with the student. For more information on the processing of personal data and your rights in this respect, please consult the ISB Privacy Policy.

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Kattenberg 19, B-1170 Brussels, Belgium +32 2 661 42 11 reception@isb.be www.isb.be