I get so frustrated when I read articles that discuss the unfairness of BYOD. What they are essentially saying is that everyone shouldn't have the chance to learn to their maximum potential. We should hold students back b/c some students may not have the same access to the technology at home. That sounds like rational reasoning. Why don't we get rid of AP and level 1 classes b/c not everyone was born with the same intellectual capacity. I think that just sounds stupid.
In the first article, "Worst Idea of the 21st Century", they state that cell phones are not computers. Now, I know that this article was written in 2011, but I would have to agree to disagree with that statement. If cell phones aren't computers, then I'm not sure what are.
They also discuss that BYOD will increase teacher anxiety and that we've failed to inspire teachers to use computers for the last 30 years. Well, if I remember correctly, just until about 10 years ago were computers actually user friendly for a classroom and small enough to be mobile. 30 years ago we had humongous computers that were running on a DOS system with no internet access.
Finally, the author of the article states that, "It takes a special pitch to ask a school or school board to buy one of something for every kid." Isn't that one of the big turn-ons of BYOD; we don't have to purchase a device for every kid. We utilize the devices they already have.
The last article we read had a lot of counter points to the articles that talked about why we shouldn't have BYOD. There are plenty of reasons why we should utilize devices. One of the pushes of Oak Hills is Global Awareness and making our kids competitive in a 21st century global economy. If we don't utilize our devices and teach our students proper ways to use and harness the power of technology, then we are doing them a major disservice. As this article from Teachthought discusses, here are 10 simple reasons why we should utilize and embrace BYOD.
- BYOD is cost effective
- Embracing these tools makes education more interactive.
- BYOD makes differential instruction easier.
- Portable devices make learning a part of students' lives.
- BYOD is a manageable strategy with proper discipline rules.
- BYOD saves learning time.
- Engaged learners are better learners.
- BYOD can be used to engage experts from outside the classroom.
- BYOD is becoming the norm in the workplace.
- Some technology experts and CIOs are predicting the death of the person computer.
I think it's pretty clear that if we want to prepare our students for college and career and we want our students to be able to collaborate with others on a global scale, then BYOD is a must.
I agree with everything you bring up Jay, and then some. Oak Hills focus on global awareness/career and college readiness are just a few of the long list of reasons we find BYOD beneficial. I could barely get through the article stating BYOD was the worst idea of the 21st century. While the author brings up some somewhat valid concerns, I feel the positives immensely outweigh the potential negatives and risks associated with BYOD. The big point I feel that is being left out from this article is the change in education and way of learning by our students. Just as any business and company must adapt to what their customers need/want, we also must adapt to what our customers (students) need in the classroom. I would argue that if we do not, we are doing a disservice to them and not working towards our goal of career and college readiness.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Christian about how the article does not talk about how our students, who are in an age of connectivity and who are constantly online, have to turn everything off when they come to school. This issue has been talked about over and over again by different experts in education. In an age where our students are so used to having their devices all the time to get their information, we ask them to turn everything off so that they can go to school. No wonder some students struggle with school. We are asking them to go into a completely different world than they are comfortable in. Allowing them to keep their devices and helping them see the potential their devices have in helping them learn new content is a very powerful tool. This will help them in their future careers, as being able to find and apply information quickly is a critical skill when finding information and solving problems.
DeleteI agree that these articles were frustrating. The articles downplayed the effectiveness of BYOD and brought up a lot of negative feelings about BYOD. I am still not sure how anyone can argue that BYOD and the use of technology is not necessary in today's classroom. I do not know one professional without their own device, most likely a cellphone that they use as their computer. All educators goals should center on preparing student for their future whether that is college, a career or both. If we are going to prepare our students BYOD must be a part of our instructional practices.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! We need to prepare our kids for the 21st century, and their futures! Why refuse the inevitable? Although the points of the article were a little harsh and unrealistic, and brings to the surface the realities of these tools and their availability to our students. I wonder how we will approach these issues of inequity with the Oak Hills School District. Have we come up with a tentative plan?
DeleteAlthough I agree with all of your points, I still struggle from time to time to treat students equally that don't have their own access to devices. It is a reality, that at least one student in all of my classes doesn't have internet access at their home. Regardless of inequality, Jay is correct that we need to embrace BYOD and the advantages that many of our students have. BYOD is the best way to get a 1 to 1 device for the students in our district.
ReplyDeleteI struggle with keeping it "fair" when it comes to assigning assignments outside the classroom. It is very hard to incorporate activities the utilize technology when not every student have access to it at home. One thing have done is offered computer time before and after school so that those students can still participate in the activity.
DeleteI thought it was crazy when the author talked about how cell phones are not computers. While they are ever evolving they have more capabilities than computers did 5-10 years ago had and they are constantly getting more and more features. Take a walk downtown during the work day and see how many people are on their phones and are using it for other things than just talking. In fact there are those that argue that we are now entering post PC era where the personal computer is something that is becoming obsolete.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with what you said about how we shouldn’t wait till every student has a device. I know that in Oak Hills there are enough devices to go around for those who do not have their own. I can also tell you that when I announced to my students that BYOD was going to be coming to our school, many of them asked for one for the holidays and for their birthdays. Since being announced, there is only a very small handful of students who do not have a device. I believe that waiting for those few, instead of just allowing them to use the resources that the district already has would be a detriment to our students. Since implementing BYOD our students have become more engaged and are able to experience learning in new ways.
One thing we can do Dion, how about buying up old i pods, or second hand personal devices to rent out daily to kids??? Great addition to the genius bar. So many kids do not even use their i pods anymore, or some parents could donate tablets they are transitioning away from.. who knows?
DeleteThis is a good idea and great way to supplement for those students who don't have devices. Until we get to the point where all students bring a device, just as they would a backpack or pencil, we have to find ways to bridge that gap. Just because a device is older and probably slower, shouldn't mean it can't be used at all. When we start replacing staff laptops, we've talked about taking them and fixing them up to be reused by students.
DeleteThe "recycling and repurposing" of devices is something I think we will see a lot of over the next few years.
I too agree that these articles raise a few valid points - although the negative ("stupid" as Jay puts it) perspective puts a not so pleasant spin on the concerns. There is a concern for the inequalities of BYOD, (Ben noted) especially for those that do not have the abilities to have access to internet use at home, however, as several of you noted, most of my students have better quality devices than I have, at their middle school age. They too are attached (as Dion notes of people of the business world) to their device and have found many more extended uses for it than just a previous concept specific to a phone/communication tool. The students, as Dion stated, are very excited to be able to bring in their own tools of technology (i.e. cell phone, tablet, ipod, ipad, etc.) as they are more comfortable and proud to have them and can productively use them to learn. As we have stated many times before, with proper purpose, in addition to the knowledge & use of effective classroom management - BYOD is a great alternative for where we are as a district. We have a strong infrastructure, options for those that do not bring in their own device and as a whole we are working to prepare our students, as Claus states, for their future, whether it be college or a career. We need to embrace BYOD and the mulitple ways it can enhance our teaching so that our students can reach their full potential and be competitive within our global world.
ReplyDeleteThe Death of the personal computer... wow. Its true. Its the only logical advancement. Think about it, technology does not stay stagnant. It is always moving, always changing. BYOD is truly a major push, especially with school funding and pragmatic spending on the rise. Parents can see it as an investment. Honestly, consider that parents are willing to spend $400 on a playstation, yet they wont front the bill for a laptop for their kid? Or an Ipad for school? As a coach, I have watched parents spend thousands of dollars on select soccer and volleyball programs so little Susie can get a $2,000 grant to Otterbein, yet we won't invest in our kids education. Companies should really market this idea- buy "_____ insert name brand____" personal device for your kids' education.
ReplyDeleteGreat points. Your comments about what parents are willing to spend money on really hit home. I am not sure if parents see the connection between devices and educational advantages. Once that becomes more apparent, I think many will be more on-board.
DeleteI couldn't agree more with Jay. Not every student has access to adequate clothing food and shelter, so does that mean we take away clothing, food, and shelter from the kids that have it? To be fair? Or, do we fill in the gaps and attempt to meet the needs of every kid? Of course, we try to do what's best for every kid and at least try to meet their needs! Although BYOD is not nearly as much of a necessity, we should at least attempt to approach BYOD in the same fashion. Fill in the gaps. Why completely rule out the possibility to enrich the education of our students?
ReplyDelete"Fair isn't always equal!" Rick Wormeli I agree that Jay and Kara have great points about fairness.
DeleteFilling in the gaps and meeting the needs of ALL of our students has been and always will be our goal...although it is sometimes very hard to attain. BYOD is a way to enable us as one teacher, to reach more students than before by allowing us to address individual needs and also to differentiate by use of technology as our assistant/special teams coaches. We are the Coaches and our students are now becoming not only the players but also our play makers as well!
BYOD should never stand for Dread! I am sure that is what a lot of teachers think, who have never really entertained the idea, but this article can even turn their minds around! BYOD can engage, differentiate and motivate most learners in the classroom, and that alone, is enough to give it a try. Even the parents of my students were excited that we were trying this initiative. I have gotten so many emails from parents thanking and praising the use of technology in our class. It is an initiative well worth the effort.
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