It comes as no surprise to hear that money-strapped school districts and educational institutions are making the shift to BYOD, for students and staff alike. Schools save money by asking students to bring that new tablet they just got for Christmas or that Smartphone they had to get since everyone else in the 5th grade has one. The logic is simple: the more students that bring devices means the less schools spend on devices for students; the less schools spend on devices for students the more money the district has and/or saves, hopefully for other technology initiatives. 
What may come as a slight shock is the amount of businesses that are jumping on the BYOD-bandwagon as a real solution. Personal technology in the workplace is becoming as common as cell phones for elementary students. While money is a driving force behind this, user satisfaction also plays huge role in the BYOD shift. Why keep from organizations something that is going to make them a more productive and satisfied employee?
So BYOD - everybody is doing it. Yes schools are doing it and yes your neighbor’s company might be dabbling in it, but what if I told you the President of the United States was fully involved with BYOD in the Oval Office? Would you be surprised by that?
I partially would, seeing as I don’t know if that’s completely true. However, the Federal Government hasn't been left behind by the BYOD train - they too are looking into, allowing, and embracing BYOD by recently releasing a BYOD Toolkit for Federal Agencies. While they may have more sensitive information to worry about keeping safe than a 6th grader at your local middle school, the government is faced with the same challenges and benefits as businesses and schools alike. So next time you are sitting next to a guy who looks like he’s with the Secret Service, don’t be surprised if he is playing a little Angry Birds while waiting for his next assignment.
So you say, “what about XYZ company that hasn't gone BYOD and has no plans to?” I would guess that the company is more BYOD than you think. Find me a person that has a Smartphone and/or laptop, company owned or personally owned, that does not have both work and personal emails on that device.
You can fight the BYOD movement for now, resist all you like, sooner or later you’ll be on board whether you know it (like it) or not. BYOD - Everybody’s doing it!!
I still can't believe BYOD didn't come about sooner. Why do we need a work device and personal device? I currently already use my own device for work and it makes things but easier. I can't wait to see how BYOD will affect other jobs along with the changes we are already seeing in education.
ReplyDeleteI also see how personal and work devices are combining. My home computer is about to go. Due to having access to a work computer and a personal smart phone, I am not sure that I will replace our home desktop.
DeleteI was a bit shocked to see that the White House was going BYOD. I had this conversation with a couple of my buddies who work at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. They were unable to bring personal devices into their job sites due to security. They said that devices make it simple to copy, snap photos, or leak sensitive information. It did make me wonder how BYOD could impact certain jobs. Do companies that produce and develop products have the same policy for fear of leaking plans early? Do these companies that are embracing BYOD plan to incorporate training for employees on acceptable use?
ReplyDeleteBen, I would assume that there would definitely be an acceptable use policy for a lot of companies; especially government run companies that often times deal with sensitive and or private/classified information. I think that if someone who worked for the company wanted to leak sensitive information, not being able to bring a device wouldn't stop them. A camera or paper and pencil can definitely serve the purpose if someone wanted to do that. Will people abuse the technology if they are permitted to bring it...absolutely. Will people abuse the technology if they are NOT permitted to bring it...you can count on it. I think the real question is how are we going to deal with it when something does happen.
DeleteThe article and Christians blog post didn't come as a surprise to me. Computers in the 1980's were big, heavy, clunky devices that weren't predominantly used at work or at home; unless you worked for a computer company or something else high tech. As the functions of computers have exponentially grown over the last 30 years combined with technology that has made computers smaller and faster, it makes sense that companies would want to harness all the power that their employer can generate through their personally owned technology. And with the technology constantly changing, there is no way that companies can keep up with that growth and constantly reupdate and/or continue to purchase brand new devices every couple of years. People seem to find that the benefits of having the newest computers outway sometimes the hefty costs associated with them. Therefore, people often times purchase the newest devices with the latest technology. This is something we need to take advantage of. Companies, including schools, who don't hop on board with BYOD are doing themselves and their customers a major disservice.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of this Jay, but I will play the other side here. What do companies do about employees who may not have a device or a device that is good enough to bring to work? I would hope that the company would help to pick up a portion of that cost but I don't think the company can fully expect every employee to have a device that is up to their standards of what they need to get work done. I just think that there will always be instances where the employee's personal device does not cut it in the workplace. Although devices are always getting better and better, what we need them to do will only continue to increase as well.
Deleteto add to your argument... I agree with CHristian. Obviously my flip phone will not work well if I need to send and receive docs on the go, so the company could provide stipends to subsidize their BYOD program. However, the care and maintenance would be solely up to you. IT may cut down on IT expenditures and repair work costs, as well as staffing. The cloud and byod has really transformed our workplace, in just a few years too!
DeleteI agree that BYOD is something that other districts are going to be heading towards. I really found what you said about the cost for families interesting. I know there have been arguments made that if schools go to BYOD not all students will have devices, which is true. However, I also believe that many families will not only set aside the funds to get devices but will typically refresh their devices much more frequently than a school ever could. It amazes me the amount of students who do not have a lot of money but will have new devices that are top of the line. I’m not judging them at all but am simply pointing out that when anyone sees a value in something they are willing to make the sacrifices needed to get that item. If we can help parents and our community see the value in BYOD then they will be more likely to make those sacrifices if they believe it brings value to their child’s education.
DeleteI completely agree! Dion, your comment about the community buying into the value of BYOD is the foremost concern (both educational and in terms of dollars). After recently sending out an email about the BYOD activities we were doing in my classroom, I was surprised to see how much positive feedback I got from parents. I really think some parents thought I was letting them "play" on their devices. They didn't realize the educational value of using devices in the classroom. The possibilities are endless, and it's important that we share these possibilities with the community.
DeleteI think that BYOD is genius and I have to agree with my other cohort members that I can’t believe it has taken so long for companies and schools to do it. There are huge advantages as both a company and a school when it comes to BYOD. The main one, which Christian mentioned, is money. Ask anyone who works in administration or the financial offices of businesses or schools and they will gladly tell you how important watching money is to them. With how the economy has been the last several years and since it has not fully recovered many businesses and schools are really hurting financially and this is a very easy way to help them save a sizable amount of money. The other reason that helped me buy into BYOD was the device familiarity. While this does pose a problem for teachers and IT departments it really makes it nice for employees or students because they can bring the device that truly makes them more at ease. If productivity is what you want out of your students and employee’s then allow them to use the devices that they know best so they can get their work done more efficiently. BYOD is here and not going anywhere. If you don’t embrace it then you are just making it harder on yourself, your employees, and your finances, which to me makes absolutely no sense.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with the cost factor and the comfort level of using the devices. At what point does the device become something that can be searched for information? For instance, assuming our students are all trained well and understand the implementation of BYOD ... what if there is a scenario that involves a student threatening another student using their device... what are the rules/guidelines that are followed to investigate the situation? With our new world of 24/7 technology there is so much bullying and inappropriate things going on that our students are taking part in... where is the line between home and school???? When do we get involved if they are using BYOD and not our school owned laptops/etc.
DeleteI went to the social media meeting that BMS hosted last week and found it very informative!!!! Everyone that uses BYOD, devices, technology ... should be aware of things and knowledgeable of the legalities of certain situations. Very many of these are good kids making bad choices (impulsive or just don't see/know/fear the consequences).
First of all- the picture at the very top... my friends jumped off of that when we were in Hawaii. I said NO- I only had 1 clean pair of swimming shorts left. But they had fun.
ReplyDeleteMany businesses are going BYOD, and I understand why- 1.) cost effective 2.) comfort level with employees/students with own device
With technology becoming less and less expensive, and more integrated into our daily lives, it is inevitable, and I would be shocked if more schools did not start having BYOD programs for teachers as well. I know I would like to use my I-mac better than my HP... so why not. Security may be of issue, but unless you are working at teh CIA or NSA etc., we need not worry.
SO BYOD and enjoy.
Technology is here to stay as many of my colleagues have stated... and we do need to continually adapt to the changes it brings. I shared my last blog post with my eKIDS students and it was entertaining to see their faces when I showed them the bag phone that we had in high school! They can't seem to understand why 'we don't get it' that they all NEED their devices 24/7. BYOD is not going away, if anything, it is going to keep spreading. I do find it an interesting topic of those in the business world that do not own the needed device to do so, that possibly a stipend towards purchasing something of their own that can be used. Just as we do with our students that do not have their own, some of us have access to mini carts and/or ipods for them to use instead.
ReplyDeleteBYOD really is everywhere now!!! It's in the workplace, and now it's in schools, and it's here to stay. BYOD is the most economical, cost effective route, so why not take it? I would be curious to see where BYOD is just 5 years from now. Will students be required to have a device in the classroom? Will employees be able to do ANYTHING on their devices? When I look at just 5 years ago, when cell phones weren't even allowed in the schools, I can't imagine where we will be in just 5 years! Particularly since the economic value is the main driving force. Companies and schools cannot afford the constant purchasing of new technology. It will be interesting to see how BYOD continues to expand!
ReplyDelete