BYOD - Must have a purpose and goal
I attended the Victoria Spring School Board Conference hosted by TASB and Region 3 ESC this week and heard Michael Kuhrt, Superintendent of Dayton ISD, speak about their BYOD experience. His presentation made me reflect on my own BYOD experience on a high school campus. Here are 5 "Ah-ha" moments for me:
1. Infrastructure is important - As exciting as kids using their devices in the classroom can be, without wireless connectivity and proper bandwidth there will be more frustration than learning going on. Dayton ISD started their BYOD initiative by giving students permission to use their devices during lunch. The district quickly realized that they needed more bandwidth. I think this is a great idea for getting a snapshot of whether the current infrastructure can handle increased traffic.
2. Devices are not a pacifier - If you want students to have their devices so they work quieter and cause less disruption in class, shame on you! Adopting more technology in classrooms is about engagement and increasing learning opportunities. Mobile devices should not be used without a strong educational objective. Classroom Management 101 says that structure and expectation by the teachers is necessary for running a productive learning environment. Saying, "Ok, guys, you have free time on your cell phones for the next 15 minutes" flies in the face of good class structure.
3. Get your goals, policies, and timelines in writing - Adopting a BYOD initiative is a process. You can't come in one day and say let's go BYOD today. Months of planning and discussions with all stakeholders is required. Talk to the school board, administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Update your Acceptable Use Policy to reflect the changes in student expectation. Get all of your ducks in a row before implementation in classrooms. Even better, pilot it in a few areas so that policies and expectations can be fine tuned before going school wide.
4. Are your teachers ready for it? - For some teachers, letting students used devices for instructional purposes in classes is exactly what they need. But for other teachers, they just aren't ready for it! Provide as much professional development as possible. What kind of devices? How to I plan lessons for many different devices? What do I do if not all of my students have access to devices? Guide teachers to find answers to these questions. It may also be helpful to buddy up teachers that are tech-savvy with teachers that need more assistance.
5. There will always be someone that messes it up! - Adopting a BYOD initiative is a learning experience for everyone. I can tell you now that there will be some students who break the rules. They will do something like tweeting or texting in class or posting to their personal Facebook page. If those activities violate your policy, treat it as a discipline referral. It would be no different than punishing a student for writing on a wall at the school. There is always some part of any population that doesn't want to follow guidelines, laws, and expectations. Don't take the learning opportunity away from all students because a few can't handle. If issues continue to arise, look at what is causing them. Do we need more direction from teachers? Do we need more training? Do expectations need to be tweaked? Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
I love the BYOD idea. I would be lost without my devices. Our students are growing up in the same world and are constantly tethered to a device. Let's show them how to learn at school with the powerful computer they already have in their backpack, pockets or purse. Educate them to be responsible device users and open up the world of learning opportunities in your classroom by adopting student devices.
1. Infrastructure is important - As exciting as kids using their devices in the classroom can be, without wireless connectivity and proper bandwidth there will be more frustration than learning going on. Dayton ISD started their BYOD initiative by giving students permission to use their devices during lunch. The district quickly realized that they needed more bandwidth. I think this is a great idea for getting a snapshot of whether the current infrastructure can handle increased traffic.
2. Devices are not a pacifier - If you want students to have their devices so they work quieter and cause less disruption in class, shame on you! Adopting more technology in classrooms is about engagement and increasing learning opportunities. Mobile devices should not be used without a strong educational objective. Classroom Management 101 says that structure and expectation by the teachers is necessary for running a productive learning environment. Saying, "Ok, guys, you have free time on your cell phones for the next 15 minutes" flies in the face of good class structure.
3. Get your goals, policies, and timelines in writing - Adopting a BYOD initiative is a process. You can't come in one day and say let's go BYOD today. Months of planning and discussions with all stakeholders is required. Talk to the school board, administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Update your Acceptable Use Policy to reflect the changes in student expectation. Get all of your ducks in a row before implementation in classrooms. Even better, pilot it in a few areas so that policies and expectations can be fine tuned before going school wide.
4. Are your teachers ready for it? - For some teachers, letting students used devices for instructional purposes in classes is exactly what they need. But for other teachers, they just aren't ready for it! Provide as much professional development as possible. What kind of devices? How to I plan lessons for many different devices? What do I do if not all of my students have access to devices? Guide teachers to find answers to these questions. It may also be helpful to buddy up teachers that are tech-savvy with teachers that need more assistance.
5. There will always be someone that messes it up! - Adopting a BYOD initiative is a learning experience for everyone. I can tell you now that there will be some students who break the rules. They will do something like tweeting or texting in class or posting to their personal Facebook page. If those activities violate your policy, treat it as a discipline referral. It would be no different than punishing a student for writing on a wall at the school. There is always some part of any population that doesn't want to follow guidelines, laws, and expectations. Don't take the learning opportunity away from all students because a few can't handle. If issues continue to arise, look at what is causing them. Do we need more direction from teachers? Do we need more training? Do expectations need to be tweaked? Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
I love the BYOD idea. I would be lost without my devices. Our students are growing up in the same world and are constantly tethered to a device. Let's show them how to learn at school with the powerful computer they already have in their backpack, pockets or purse. Educate them to be responsible device users and open up the world of learning opportunities in your classroom by adopting student devices.
.png)
Comments
Post a Comment