eSchool News » How to make BYOD work for your schools » Print Posted By Laura Devaney On October 29, 2012 @ 1:41 pm In Featured Superintendent's Center,IT Management,Mobile and Handheld Technologies,One-to-one,Policy,Registration Required,Superintendent's Center,Top News | Comments Disabled One of the largest challenges in a BYOD initiative is meeting the needs of students who don’t own a mobile device, or who don’t have internet access at home. “Bring your own device” (BYOD) initiatives are relatively new in education, cropping up in the last few years as schools—under tight budget constraints—seek ways to leverage student-owned devices for learning. Supporters of the BYOD movement say students are instantly more attentive and better behaved when they are encouraged to use their own mobile devices in the classroom, but educators face a number of challenges in making BYOD work in their schools. For instance, what if some students don’t bring a smart phone, laptop, or tablet computer of their own? A ‘coalition of the willing’ George C.
Digital citizenship reality check: Notes from Nairobi's IGF Asked how they’d rank “digital citizenship” on a scale of 1 to 10 – with 10 representing “very relevant and meaningful” – a youth panel from Egypt, the US, and UK ranging in age from 15 to 22 gave it a 1, two 3′s, a 5, a 6, and an 8. This was in a workshop yesterday involving young people and adults representing the Internet industry, governments, and nonprofit youth organizations from Egypt, New Zealand, the UK, and the US at the Internet Governance Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. The subject we were discussing was whether digital citizenship is relevant and meaningful to youth around the world, including developing countries. The British teen who gave it a 1 said it “sounds distant and abstract,” and people shouldn’t distinguish between citizenship and digital citizenship anyway. Another UK teen said, “Maybe ‘participant’ is a better word than ‘citizen’.” Aspects of digital citizenship Consensus a ways off Other highlights & takeaways Related links
The Contraband of Some Schools is The Disruptive Innovation of Others with BYOT (Bring Your Own Tech) While cities like the one where The Innovative Educator works view student owned devices as contraband, I have found one of the most exciting disruptions to traditional teaching practices to be extending to students the invitation to “Bring Your Own Technology” (BYOT). Last year, Forsyth County Schools in Georgia modified their technology guidelines to do just that! They permitted students to bring their personal technology devices to school to assist in their learning. Forsyth County Schools has always pursued the use of technology to improve educational opportunities. The district’s vision for classroom technology after-all is “to engage students in asking questions and choosing tools to facilitate real world problem solving.” Our Beginnings Forsyth County Schools began its venture by implementing a BYOT wifi network in every school. Fundamental Changes As the teachers began to introduce BYOT into their classrooms, some fundamental changes began to occur. Going Viral Equity Issues
Let the Learning Begin: Handheld Devices 3…2…1…Happy New Year everyone! At this time of year people are making plans to be more helpful and kind to others, to get fit, to lose weight, to be more organized, etc. These plans are part of how we see the year unfolding - good old New Year’s Resolutions. During a year where parents have had to contribute toward field trips for the first time and conversations of “pay to play” have circulated, placing the financial responsibility of BYOT on parents has become a hot topic. As part of our vision, we want students to develop “digital fluency”. When we approached this topic, the committee’s discussion sounded like this: “If students have to watch a video clip on a handheld device, they will not like it – it is too small for them.” Determined to get to the bottom of this, I asked my students a few questions and had them make some choices. Based on this conversation, I have told my students that they may bring their phones/touches to class every day. About Renee
Student Safety in the Age of Facebook Online Safety | In Print Student Safety in the Age of Facebook By Margo Pierce03/02/12 "If one life is saved, then it's worth it." That is the clichéd argument frequently used to justify banning electronic communications, websites, and other forms of technology in schools. The common belief is that these prohibitions will prevent, among other things, the sexual assault of minors or suicides related to cyberbullying. But that argument can be turned on its head and also applied to unfettered access. In 2001, the federal Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) tied funding for reduced-rate internet access for schools and libraries to a number of mandates. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are certainly riding strong waves of popularity at the moment, and already they have caused significant changes in the ways and means by which students and adults communicate with one another. "As long as there's been technology, the concern is, 'How are we protecting kids?'"
Why Your School Should Consider a BYOD Initiative Fulfilling students’ digital expectations and increasing their participation in classroom activities are just two of the benefits that schools with “bring your own device” programs are reaping. Schools are working hard to provide their students with technology-enhanced learning, but at the moment they’re falling short. CDW•G’s 2011 21st Century Classroom Report found that 86 percent of students use technology more outside of school than they do in class. A major reason is access. Although many schools provide notebook carts and computer labs, students often have to leave the classroom and go to another part of the school to use a computer or share time with other students. A “bring your own device” (BYOD) initiative overcomes this access hurdle, much as one-to-one computing programs do, but without the capital costs associated with purchasing the technology or the need to refresh, support and train users. Schools that have embraced BYOD are enjoying other benefits as well:
Bring Your Own Device Prompts School Infrastructure Investments WASHINGTON, D.C. — Many of the nation's school districts still don't have the bandwidth needed to support mobile devices used by students. IT leaders have no idea how much bandwidth usage will grow once students bring their own devices to school for learning, said Bailey Mitchell, chief technology and information officer of Georgia's Forsyth County Schools, one of the leaders in the bring-your-own-device movement. "They do not have adequate infrastructure to enable an environment where potentially every other or every student has a device," said Mitchell, who is also the board chairman of the Consortium of School Networking. Mitchell's comments came during the consortium's annual conference in early March. Just from the end of last year to this year, the number of devices that access Forsyth County Schools network has jumped from about 10,000 to 19,000. While broadband may seem like a no-brainer, school districts need more broadband than they have now to support student devices.
The Innovative Educator tries to change the mind of an administrator who “thinks” he disagrees with my stance on friending students online When George Swain read my Tweet, “Told the mayor on his Facebook page, he was inappropriate for judging teachers who friend students he replied with this: georgeswain @InnovativeEdu Very interesting issue! I think I disagree with you. See my post to your blog. Thanks for getting me thinking this morning. What I’m optimistic about is that George said, “I ‘think’ I disagree with you.” and he thanked me for getting him thinking. A thoughtful comment indeed. @George Swain, I’d like to know what you perceive as the dangers for an educator open to connecting with students in whichever environment they exist...online or offline. So, George, I’m dying to know.