BYOD: Bring You Own Distraction?

I do not believe that a BYOD policy is the panacea we are looking for in education’s attempt to bring learning into the 21st century.  This does not mean, however, I think we should ban the devices entirely from the classroom.  I believe teachers should play a role in teaching students how to use technology responsibly, and in order to achieve this, students should not need to leave their devices at home.  There can be many teachable moments when students use their own devices in class, like teaching students how to use smartphone apps to make flash cards or showing them the latest app for language learning.  

My fear, however, which was illustrated in the Bloggers Beat article entitled, “Is BYOD the Answer to Our Problems or the Worst Idea Ever”, is that an official BYOD policy would make it acceptable to decrease funding to our schools in the area of technology.   As Gary S. Stager states in his response to, “Should students use their own devices in the classroom?”, “BYOD contributes to the growing narrative that education is not worthy of investment…If we placate those who slash budgets by making unreasonable compromises at the expense of children, we will find even fewer resources down the road.  We must not view education as some ‘every man for himself’ enterprise that relies on children to find loose change behind the sofa cushions.”  Other similar views on the subject point to the fact that if students were allowed to bring their own devices, the learning would be relegated to the least powerful device in the class.  How could a teacher ask students to use Powerpoint if half of the class chooses to bring in smartphones?  Or how could a teacher possibly troubleshoot 25 different devices?

BYOD is great for quick clicker activities and looking up information, but definitely not for activities that delve into the deeper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.  To echo my opening statement, classrooms should be open to BYOD, but it should not be the mandate.  In order for this to work, the school must first have a dedicated student wireless that is separate from what teachers or the public may have access to. I also believe that this should begin, at the earliest, in middle school when students are really getting into their devices and is a critical time to teach responsible use.  This does not mean that students should have devices on their desks at all times.  The expectation would be that students ask permission to use their device, or the teacher has given the class to use devices for a certain project.  Perhaps students are working on a poster and they want to use their cell phone to look up facts and bring up pictures to model their drawings on.  Maybe other students are using a class computer to put together a presentation, but they want to take pictures with their phone to include in the project. The teacher should model this type of use, and show how technology can be used to further learning.  Likewise, the teacher should have their phone out of sight when not being used for such purposes, as should the students.  

A lot of opponents to this policy believe that BYOD could lead to distractions, but I do not believe that needs to be the case.  Any teacher with solid classroom management skills can put procedures in place to ensure students are using their devices appropriately.  For example, the teacher could create a , “Dock your device!”, protocol, and all students would put their devices face down in the upper corner of their desk while the teacher demonstrates something or needs their attention. Any student that touches their device during this time would lose the privilege of using it in class.  Guidelines need to be strict, and follow through is absolutely necessary.  To turn a blind eye to under the desk texting can be detrimental to a functional BYOD classroom.

In summary, schools should be responsible for providing technology that enables students to fulfill the ISTE standards.  Student devices can be used to supplement this curriculum, but their use needs to be modeled and not mandated.  With this type of classroom, teachers can encourage students to use their personal devices for things other than social media and texting.  It allows students to show critical thinking skills and problem solve while under the guidance of their teacher.  If the devices are not being used appropriately, there must be consequences and follow through.  Using devices in class teaches students how to optimize their use in the real world. BYOD, however, is not the solution to creating that golden 1:1 ratio of student to computer.  And yes, student to computer.  Phones and tablets do not have the full functionality and opportunity for creativity that a computer has to offer.

Sources

Fingal, D. (2012, February 1). Is BYOD the Answer to Our Problems or the Worst Idea Ever? Learning and Leading with Technology, 5-8. 

Budget Matrix, Blooms, and Technology Integration

Blooms Taxonomy is a great road map for the gradual release for responsibility to our students.  Ultimately, we want our students to be able to engage in learning processes through which they are responsible for their own learning.  They are the ones investigating and discovering knowledge, while simultaneously teaching and assisting their peers.  Blooms helps us to take our students from simple tasks such as labeling, identifying, and locating, to more complex learning processes such as solving, analyzing, and creating.  

Imagine two different assessments.  One asks the students, “To where did Lois and Clark travel?” and gives the students some multiple choice options.  A second assessment states, “Using Google Maps, plot out the different places Lois and Clark traveled to.  Drop at least 5 different pins, and explain what happened in those areas during their journey.  Use pictures, text or video to tell the story of their journey.  Now, which one of these assessments best tells the teacher if the students have learned about Lois and Clark?  

In today’s classroom, these feats of creation are no longer that-  feats.  They are actually tasks that with thoughtful planning, can be completed in a few class periods.  The ease of which students can complete these assignments, of course, is dependent on the technology configuration of the classroom.  Let’s take a look at how different classroom configurations can allow for students to reach the deeper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

If a classroom setup has only one computer and a projector, this does not lend well to deep Bloom’s level.  This set up allows for teacher direct instruction, where the teacher presents and the students listen.  This set up could lend itself for student presentations as well, but the creation of those presentations could not be done in a classroom with one computer.  In order for students to reach deeper into blooms, they will need to engage in using technology themselves.

If a classroom has a small group of computers, perhaps 10 or so, this will better lend itself to the creation of student knowledge.  At least with this configuration, students can work together to research and create projects.  Working with peers is a very important part of the learning process, and this configuration lends itself well to said group work.  The drawback of this configuration is that it would not allow a teacher to necessarily assess the skills of one particular student, if students were only to engage in group work.

More ideal situations arise when classrooms have access to a computer cart, or a computer lab.  This allows for 1:1 access of devices, which allows each students to unleash their own individual potential.  In my own experience, I have found that one drawback a chromebook would have over a computer in a lab is that one would need to make sure the wireless connection was strong and in working order.  Chromebooks also work off of apps, meaning that traditional software cannot be installed onto them.  Depending on the program being used, the lab could be a more ideal set up.  If working on more traditional assignments, such as papers or presentations, a Chromebook is perfect because it allows students access to all of the different Google Apps for Education.  Chromebooks are also an extremely cost effective solution, allowing students to have a 1:1 environment for only a fraction of the cost of iMacs in a lab.

Lastly, there is the BYOD configuration.  I’ve always been a proponent of this idea, but after completing the budget matrix assignment, I am not sure if it is the best solution to a school’s technology issues.  While this configuration occurs at no cost to the schools (besides having a dedicated student wireless network), the variety of devices students could bring in is just too varied.  I feel that BYOD is great for apps like Kahoot or Socrative, where assessments are made to work on any device.  When it comes to project creation, such as presentations and essays, it is very exhausting to type on smaller devices.  Once would need at least a tablet.  As students get older, they are more likely to have a laptop, which would make a BYOD policy more effective.  At the younger grades, however, when students are more likely to have tablets and smartphones, BYOD may be limited to fun activities like Kahoot or completing digital exit tickets.  Having these technologies in school could also help students by allowing them to take pictures of homework assignments, or complete other similar small tasks.

After evaluating the different configurations, I believe that having Chromebooks is a great, cost effective way to get technology into the hands of every students.  These inexpensive laptops allows students to use all of the Google Apps, which cover a lot of the processes that students engage in at school (writing essays, creating presentations and spreadsheets, and much much more).  As these computers gain more popularity, I have no doubt that their already pretty well stocked app store will continue to grow with educational apps and games for students of all ages.