BYOD

For the age group that I work with (high school students), I am in favor of a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. Most high school students have their own mobile devices, whether it be a smart phone, an iPod touch, or a tablet. Furthermore, they are old enough to use their devices responsibly. I can also see a BYOD policy working for middle school students. However, I would expect it to be a challenge to implement with elementary school students. Younger children do not all have mobile devices, and more parental concerns may arise if younger children are using mobile devices at school.

Implementing a BYOD policy has a lot of pros. A BYOD policy “is a way for schools to integrate technology with little to no budgetary concerns” (SNHU, 2014). Furthermore, technology and electronics are not going anywhere. Therefore, we might as well use them to enhance our students’ education. “Students could become more engaged in academics because their favorite toys are linked to what they do in school” (Fingal, 2012). One other small, but significant, advantage is that in many instances it is easier to have students simply use their personal devices as opposed to going to a computer lab or signing out and wheeling a laptop cart to your room.

However, there are “concerns that schools must consider prior to implementing a BYOD policy” (SNHU, 2014). Some questions to consider include “will the school have enough bandwidth,” “can the school’s filtering system work on all devices,” and “who is responsible for the personal devices brought to school” (SNHU, 2014). In addition to these logistics, certain expectations and policies would have to be put in place. Students would be expected to use their devices solely for educational purposes. For the policy to be effective, there would have to be strict guidelines and consistent consequences. Depending on the severity of the violation, and the amount of times the student has violated the rules, students may have their mobile devices confiscated for a class period, a school day, or until a parent or guardian comes to retrieve it. Students may also lose technology privileges altogether if warranted.  

While it may seem like implementing a BYOD policy has a lot of cons, I believe it is still worth it. In fact, I wouldn’t even consider all of the above concerns cons. I believe that a well-planned policy could be very successful, as long as students, staff, and parents are provided with training on responsible technology use and on the policy itself. The school administrators would have to inform parents of the new policy. They could send home documentation, put it on the school website, and/or hold an informational assembly. The responsibility for training staff and students would fall on the technology integration specialist. “Professional development surrounding the policy, along with creating an authorized use policy for students, should be the technology integration specialist’s main focus” (SNHU, 2014). The training and acceptable use policy should “address negative behaviors that are sometimes associated with these technologies, including the use of technology tools in bullying, along with self-destructive behavior and poor decision-making” (Nagel, 2012). Staff training should also include effective ways that teachers can use mobile devices in the classroom. As long as all concerns are addressed and proper training is provided beforehand, and the acceptable use policy is accurately revised, then a BYOD policy could have a real positive impact on a school.

References

Nagel, D. (2012). Banning is Not the Answer to Mobile and Social Tools in Schools. The Journal. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/04/11/banning-is-not-the-answer-to-mobile-and-social-tools-in-schools.aspx.

Fingal, D. (2012). Is BYOD the Answer to Our Problems or the Worse Idea Ever? Learning & Leading with Technology. Retrieved from http://technologycourses.wiki. mtnbrook.k12.al.us/file/view/BYODSolutionoProblem.pdf.

SNHU. (2014). EDU 641 Module Seven Overview – Personal Learning Devices. Retrieved from https://bb.snhu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-4766931-dt-content-rid-9925262_1/courses/EDU-641-15TW2-MASTER/EDU-641-14TW4-MASTER/edu_641_module7_overview.pdf.