EDET 678 Emerging
Technologies
Week 9 Blog
Essential
question: Does every school need a “BYOD” policy?
Many
students own cell phones, tablets, or computers and they use these devices on a
regular basis. In school and in workplaces, it can be an advantage of using
your own devices because there isn’t a learning curve of technology that needs
to be overcome. Students are already proficient in working with their devices
and often their devices are more advanced than what the school can provide for
students. (Heick, 2012) Some schools find that having a BYOD policy provides
better opportunities for students who don’t have devices because the school’s
devices are freed up for them. Another positive aspect of having a BYOD policy at
schools is that students are using actual tools that might be used outside of
school to learn and problem solve. This creates are more authentic learning
experience for students.
There seem
to be many negative aspects of letting students bring their own devices to
school that schools must consider before adopting a BYOD policy. At the
classroom level, teachers will need to work with many different types of
technology in every day work with students. When giving directions to a whole
classroom on how to get to a website or what steps to take in completing a
classroom activity, the teacher needs to consider the various devices and
different types of software that each student might have. These devices might
make teaching complicated. (Quetti, 2015) The technology department of the
schools will need to create a very well defined network for students and their
devices so that all devices are being used appropriately for school use.
SO the
question is whether or not a school should have a BYOD policy. I think each
school should answer the question with all the interested parties if they will
accept students bringing their own device instead of using a school provided
device. After this is decided, then the school should talk about the details of
the process and rules of students bringing their own devices. I find that
having BYOD in school is too complicated but in some schools it is a great
opportunity for students.
Resources:
Heick, T. (2012).
The brutal authenticity of BYOD.
Teachtought. Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/byod-is-shortest-path-to-student-centered-learning/
Holeywell, R.
(2013). BYOD policies, growing more
popular, create challenges for schools: Governing The States and
Localities. Retrieved from http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-byod-policies-create-school-challenges.html
Quetti, R.
(2015). BYOD: The challenges, how it can
succeed in the classroom. Tech Decisions. Retrieved from https://techdecisions.co/mobility/byod-the-challenges-it-presents-and-how-you-can-overcome-them/3/
What would you like to do in your school?
ReplyDeleteWe have a one-to-one device so I don't think it is necessary to have students bring their own devices. If a student does want to use their own, I like our policy that they would need to "donate" their device and the school would put some student restrictions on it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the point you make about how it would be difficult for teachers to try to give instruction while students work with many different devices. I hadn't really thought about that before, but BYOD, like many other things, puts the responsibility back on the individual teacher rather than the educational system.
ReplyDeleteWhile it may be a complicated problem, ignoring it won't make it go away. Each district, and school, will need to address it sooner or later.
ReplyDelete