The struggle begins with the fact that most teachers grew up in an age that classrooms were structured around paper and pencil. Today’s teachers are struggling to break that mold. It seems like more and more teachers FEAR change, they have been conditioned to do the same thing year after year. I say, the heck with that! Those teachers need to open their eyes and see that the world around them is changing day after day due to the effects of technology. 
We are always asking the teachers of their opinions of BYOD but have we ever asked the students? Remember it is all about the STUDENTS, that is why we teach in the first place. According to Zak Hawkins, the use of his cellphone in class has actually made him less tempted to use his device at inappropriate times. I can’t wait to have my students write up a reflection on how they truly feel about BYOD in the classroom, sounds like a great end of the year activity.
Along with the reluctant teacher you get some frightened parents in regards to BYOD. To those parents I would say, educate yourself. BYOD has huge benefits to your child. BYOD encourages students to learn the 21st century skills that are necessary to be successful in today’s age.
None of us really know what the world will be like in 10 years, one thing I do know for sure is that technology willl be part of it. Although there are many uncertainties, as educators it is our job to prepare our students for whatever the future hold. So to that I say, embrace change, take a risk and BYOD!
I feel that getting the student's opinions are very important pieces of the BYOD puzzle that are commonly overlooked. This is a good thing for teachers to know and understand, especially those new to BYOD. This type of learning is new to many teachers but what they have to remember that in an education setting, it is also new for some of the students, pending on their past experiences and home life. Education needs to shift to where it's OK for there to be shared learning between the teacher and students with an understanding that just because a class/school/district goes BYOD, doesn't mean the teacher must become an overnight expert of all devices and uses of them.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Christian. If you are able to make the "shift to wehre it's OK for there to be shared learning between the teacher and students", then we open so many opportunities for our students. The world now is changing too fast for us to become experts at everything before we teach it, at least in terms of technology. We owe it to our students to adapt to the changes in the world around us, or at least show that it's OK to mess up in the process!
DeleteI thought this was a great reflection and an interesting read. I think that asking students their feelings on BYOD and what they would like to see is a very important step and one that can be overlooked. As I was reading the article, I kept thinking I want to do a project and have my students write a reflection and help me and the teachers that I co-teach find new tools that they could use with BYOD. If we are to make BYOD work for our students, then we must have teachers include students.
ReplyDeleteI also think that you brought up a good point about involving parents in the discussion about BYOD. You are going to have parents who are hesitant about having their child bring their expensive devices to school and what impact it is going to have on the child’s education. I think that parent education is a key to our success with this initiative.
Shouldn't this be a topic of conversation, BYOD or not? I think it is important to get feedback from students on whatever you are teaching. This feedback may provide some valuable insight into something you are or are not doing that could be used to reach a deeper understanding in content and learning. However with BYOD being a hot topic in education these days, I especially like that the students are being included in the decisions/direction for their own education. Personalized learning at it's best!
DeleteI agree that is personalized learning at its best!!! Feedback is awesome and needed in every facet of our job. Students and Teachers alike can learn from it!
DeleteAgreed that student and parent input is a definite pertinent step for BYOD to be successful! I
ReplyDeleteappreciate the article by Zac in addition to his teachers comments, it was very relevant to
what I have experienced so far this year with trying to implement BYOD in my own classroom.
I especially like how another viewer put it....Peg Gillard....”Teachers are not afraid of having
kids make mistakes, rather we are afraid of being held accountable for their mistakes.
Instead of using mistakes as learning opportunities and ways to teach citizenship (digital or
human interaction/behavior type) ... They are used against teachers and the educational
system."
Personally I have had several discussions with teachers that have this same perspective. I
too worry about the trust factor and have been very trusting of my students, like anything else,
they are innocent until proven guilty. I have had only a few incidents where my students have
been off task while using BYOD, as far as I know and they had had consequences for these
actions. Most times, they are good kids that make bad/poor choices; however, there are still
those fears of us being held accountable for what off task choices our students make. During
our Make Your Own Dread video, one of our points was directed to liability of the device and
accountability for actions made using it and the support from administration. As I stated
earlier, a common worry held by multiple teachers about whether they are
comfortable/confident to implement BYOD.
I too hold the perspective of students and parents in a special place and agree a successful
BYOD can not take place without them.
In your post, you mentioned "According to Zak Hawkins, the use of his cellphone in class has actually made him less tempted to use his device at inappropriate times". I have noticed this change with my students! When I first started BYOD, I had countless conversations with my students regarding acceptable social behavior and the use of BYOD. For example, students struggle with talking to someone in the eye while NOT using their devices, OR they walk and try to use their device at the same time, OR they like to tinker with devices while directions are being given. I have seen a HUGE improvement regarding these behaviors since the start of the year. When students are never placed in a situation where they have to manage their devices in a professional way, they lack the ability to do so! It is vital that we teach our kids these professional strategies/behaviors regarding BYOD.
ReplyDeleteI think that you bring up a good point that needs to be shared with all staff members. One of the things that I hear is that they will be doing things they shouldn't be doing and won't be able to focus. However, based on the reading and you experience it doesn't sound like this is true. In fact, it seems that the more responsibility we give students the more they can rise to the occasion. This is not to say that we should be naive and think that they are just going to get it right the first time. We are going to have to work with students, as you did, to see improvement.
DeleteIn my experience, students were so excited to be able to use their devices in my classroom, that they NEVER strayed from their assignments. I had one issue, and that was fixed by enforcing the rules put in place at the beginning of the BYOD initiative. As for the parents, I've said before, that most parents are just as excited for their kids as the kids are themselves, and if not, a simple discussion or explanation of the uses and benefits was enough to change their minds. As a building (I'm talking Oakdale), we need to at leasts give BYOD a try. Parents and students can see the benefits, so it's just the teachers holding us back.
ReplyDelete