What is BYOD?
“BYOD” Bring Your Own Device. The conversations parents are having over the sideline cheers at soccer games and backyard birthday parties are taking a sharp turn from the lite and benign niceties, to impactful questions like, “Does your child own a tablet or smartphone as a learning tool?”
This conceptual reality scares many parents, teachers and administrators. If a child has their own device there is a perception of loss of control and exposure. No longer are the parents and teachers manning their posts as the child’s “gatekeeper.”
Change is always frightening and uncomfortable but some schools are up for this challenge. BYOD can be successfully implemented with the appropriate planning and safeguards put in place.
Does your child have a device? Would you provide them one for education?
Excellent article! My initial thought revolves around monitoring the device to be used appropriately and the access all students would have to this idea. I understand that there are programs for less than privileged kids, but even with costs at any level, I wonder will certain kids be left out.
However, I was in the age bracket when college accounting courses had to face the question of bringing hand held calculators to class. Change can be tough, but very worthwhile
I feel as educators we must embrace the use of technology. Yes, we must have appropriate monitoring and must make sure all students have access to equally capable tools. I am not an engineer, but I’m sure some of our wizards could accomplish this. We are all on a learning curve with technological devices. The speed with which technology continues to evovle simply proves that we must teach students how to learn, but not necessarily a specific platform or device. By the time we learn something specific it is obsolete! We cannot even begin to comprehend the technological capabilities students today will have in the near and far future. Let’s give them every opportunity to learn how to learn so they can successfully navigate future devices and programming.