Does every school need a BYOD Policy?
I’m not sure if I can truly answer this question, but I’ll start with the challenges and benefits to a BYOD Policy in schools.
Challenges:
- Having access for devices both students’ and teachers’
- Kids find away around security walls set up—need to block access to restricted applications and sites.
- May not have large enough bandwidth to support needed services (TeachThought, 2013)
- Viruses could be passed on from student devices. (Holeywell, 2013)
- Economically disadvantaged students may not have a phone (Heick, 2015)
- Educators need to be properly trained and have specific plans for implementation
- Need to have proper and updated cyber bullying policies in place (Chadband, 2012)
Benefits:
- Students without their own devices have more access to school owned technology, because there is less competition (Holeywell, 2013)
- Offers students a way to solve problems that they are familiar with (apps, etc)
- Saves time teaching students new software
- Allows teachers to become collaborators with students in the learning process (Heick, 2015)
- Provides a chance to teach students respectful use of devices.
- Extends learning beyond the walls of the classroom
- Helps to personalize instruction
- Saves school money
- Increases engagement
- helps to make learning interactive (Wainwright, 2016)
Are electronic devices a distraction or a helpful tool? There are people on both sides of the argument. Proponents for BYOD say we must adapt our teaching methods to the way that students learn at this moment in time (Heick, 2015). They say that with the proper policies and ground rules in place BYOD can work for teachers and students. Teachers and administrators must work together to create policies that offer a safe and constructive learning environment by educating students about online safety and security (Chadband, 2012).
What do you think?
Resources
Teach Thought (2013, Dec 22). 4 Challenges that cripple your school’s BYOD program http://www.teachthought.com/uncategorized/4-challenges-can-cripple-schools-byod-program/
Chadband, Emma (2012, Jul 19). Should schools ebrace “Bring your own device?” neaToday. Retrieved from: http://neatoday.org/2012/07/19/should-schools-embrace-bring-your-own-device/
Heick, Terry (2015, Feb 6). The Brutal authenticity of BYOD. Retreived from: http://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/byod-is-shortest-path-to-student-centered-learning/
Holeywell, Ryan (2013, Sep 3). BYOD policies, growing more popular, create challenges for schools. http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-byod-policies-create-school-challenges.html
Wainwright, Ashley (2016). Top 10 benefits of BYOD in school wireless networks. Retrieved from: http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/Top-10-Benefits-of-BYOD-in-School-Wireless-Networks
akreadingteacher 
Thank you for listing out both sides of the issue. As I read all the challenges I could think of a soulution for each one. Schools should think about everything that could go wrong and find a solution for each. BYOD will be more successful if you plan for all the challenges.
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Absolutely. Thinking of what the critics would say and then planning a solution is a great way to implement and write a policy!
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I just worry about too much use, especially in the younger grades. I wonder about the effect of too much screen time on brains and social interaction. I’m curious about what statistics will show ten years from now about the effect of byod policies on students and their brains. I’d like to see a longer study of byod policies before one was put into place in my own school district.
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I agree. Daysha mentioned that she wouldn’t want devices in her primary classroom, and I’d say the same for mine. I think it is doable in the upper grades at the teacher’s discretion, though. It’s interesting that you mention the effects of screen time, because I was just discussing this with my sister in law. She works in an eye clinic and has read recent studies that point to high amounts of screen time leading to macular degeneration.
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