Students using technology to assist with problem solving exercises (Ormiston, n.d.).
There are a variety of advantages to allowing students to
bring their own device to class. Technology has become a staple of our modern
day society and it allows for a variety of educational experiences to take
place within the classroom. By allowing students to bring their own devices to
class schools with limited funding are better able to incorporate technology
into everyday lessons. Additionally, students are able to be more flexible with
their work as many activities are accessible through the internet (Peasgood,
2015). There are a variety of educational apps which allow students to acquire
knowledge through games as well as connect and collaborate with global
classrooms (Drake, Reid & Kolohon, 2014). Students are also able to learn important
transferrable 21st century skills like: being able to operate
various types of technology, being able to make responsible and ethical choices
about how they use technology, thinking critically about media, being able to
engage in international collaboration and being a digital citizen (Peasgood,
2015). There a variety of examples of projects and activities within the classroom
which become much more obtainable as a result of BYOD programs. For example international
collaboration programs like iEARN and Global School Net.org would be difficult
to implement without students having adequate access to technological devices.
School boards often provided detailed information about their BYOD initiatives and
attempt to be transparent when describing to parents, guardians and stakeholders
why it is beneficial for students. An example of school transparency is the
Halton District School Board’s Bring I.T. program that is outlined on the
school board’s website. The Peel District School Board also provides a video
describing and justifying their BYOD policy.
Although there are a lot of positive features of BYOD
programs there are also limitations. Many educators are concerned that enabling
students to bring their own devices will increase distraction. Despite software
to block certain websites, students often still find ways to use prohibited
websites (Concordia Online Education, 2012). Additionally enabling students to
bring their own technology will increase the socioeconomic divide within
schools. Low income students may experience increased bullying as a result of
not having the latest technology. Although some schools allow students to
borrow technology it is still easy to distinguish who has received school
assistance (Concordia Online Education, 2012).
Students can also be distracted by technology (Ask.com, n.d.).
As a future educator one must be able to evaluate the
positive and the negative features of new educational practices. As mentioned
in my previous blog, what works for me or when I was a student is not going to
be what is best for my future students. It is very easy to fall back upon your
own assumption, but one must push past this initial conclusion to engage
critical thinking skills. With this massive technological transformation no
teacher can attempt to ignore the importance of students’ learning how to use
and manage technology. The old and the new story must be bridged in a manner
that reflects best learning practice for students. Teachers must take into the
account the advantages and limitations of BYOD programs and find a solution
that works for all of their students. This will strongly vary depending on the
students within your class and the community’s socioeconomic status. One’s decision
on devices within the classroom cannot be made without considering their own
personal biases, the context of their classroom and background of their
students as well as relevant literature. Through reflection, teachers can begin
to understand their educational philosophies on personal devices in the classroom
within the context of their school communities, in order to provide a positive
information technology programs for all learners. This exercise is just the start of my own reflection on this topic as I embark on my teaching journey through pre service education classes!
Ask.com. (n.d.). What are the cons and pros of having
a cell phone in school?. Retieved October
7,
2015 from http://www.ask.com/technology/cons-pros-having-cell-phone-school-b085404b77c16af7
Concordia Online Education. (2012). What is BYOD
(Bring Your Own Device) and Why
Should
Teachers Care?. Retrieved October 7, 2015 from http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/tech-ed/what-is-byod-bring-your-own-device-and-why-should-teachers-care/
Drake,
S. M., Reid, J. L. and Kolohon, W. (2014). Interweaving
Curriculum and Classroom
Assessment. Don Mills: Oxford
University Press.
Global School Net.org. (n.d.). GlobalSchoolNet.org:
Linking Kids around the World!. Retrieved
October 7, 2015 from http://www.globalschoolnet.org/
Halton District School Board. (n.d.). Bring I.T.
Retrieved October 7, 2015 from
http://www.hdsb.ca/aboutus/IT/Pages/BringIT.aspx
iEARN. (n.d.). iEARN: Learning with the World, not
Just About it. Retrieved October 7, 2015
from
http://www.iearn.org/
Peasgood, S. (2015). Bring Your Own Device: The Next
Big Trend in Education. Retrieved
October
7, 2015 from http://www.cantechletter.com/2015/01/bring-device-next-big-trend-education/
Ormiston, M. (n.d.). How to Use Cell Phones as Learning
Tools. Retrieved October 7, 2015 from
http://www.teachhub.com/how-use-cell-phones-learning-tools
Peel District School Board. (n.d.). BYOD-Bring Your
Own Device. Retrieved October 7, 2015
from http://www.peelschools.org/aboutus/21stcentury/byod/Pages/default.aspx
The topic chosen is extremely relevant to all classrooms of all ages. We are living in an increasingly technological world and many of us depends on these devices- whether it be a laptop, tablet, phone, or other device - on a daily basis to assist us with tasks. Technology is amazing and can be very helpful if used for the right reasons.
ReplyDeleteWhen we were school-aged technology was only starting to become prominent in society whereas now every child seems to know their way around these devices, sometimes better than I do. Times are certainly changing and I agree that our classrooms should be evolving alongside the rapid technological advances of our society. There are many websites and apps that are purely educational and wonderful to use in your classroom. Students can use their smartphones, to an extent, to complete assignments and quizzes and receive instantaneous results. These devices can also be used for faster, more efficient research in any subject.
You briefly touched on the idea of bullying and lower SES communities. I'm wondering if students from these communities who maybe can't afford- and the school does not have the resources to afford- these devices; are they missing out? It would be interesting to see a comparison done between the achievement levels in schools who have incorporated a successful BYOD program and those who have not been able to. As you have mentioned, BYOD strongly encourages 21st century skills which are important in our modern society so are these students who are not getting the access to technology going to come out of school at a disadvantage to their peers?
There are so many positive factors of incorporating technology into a classroom, such as opportunities for student centered learning, collaboration, and global classrooms. However, this technology must be implemented very carefully in order to avoid distraction. This is an impossible task as students will always find a way to do what they are not supposed to be doing, but as a teacher it is your job to minimize these distractions to the best of your ability. As a future teacher, I'm thinking about how I will have the time to keep up to date with curriculum requirements set out for me as well as searching and incorporating educational tools through technology.
Overall I thought this blog was very well done and you touched on a lot of the major pros and cons of programs such as BYOD. I can't wait to read your next post.
Hi Rachelle,
ReplyDeleteThis was a really interesting idea. I think it would definitely get students excited about interacting in class by being able to make use of the technology they both feel comfortable and enjoy using. I think it's always important to questions rules, and to understand whether they're rules that teachers enforce because they believe they should be enforced or if it's just something that has always been restricted in the classroom.
It's definitely a "new story" way of thinking to embrace a technology that would definitely complicate the hierarchy of teacher-student interaction. Cellphones would definitely be terrifying to me as a prospective teacher, because if students are all of a sudden able to use their phones.. it's no longer a practice that you can control. You know longer have a way to patrol the bodies of the students, and they're eyes will inevitably wander down to their phones. Therefore, the prerogative will be entirely the teacher's to ensure that the lesson is interesting enough to solicit the undivided attention of the student.
If you were to have a high school classroom, would you personally implement the BYOD policy? Furthermore, what types of anxieties might you have going into a progressive classroom like this, as a substitute or student teacher?
Hey,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed how you post outlines controversial contemporary issues that teachers will face in the classroom. It seems that technology within the classroom is characterized by a dichotomous relation — it can either be a curse or a blessing. My concern about technology has to do with its epistemological and ontological affects. How will technology influence the process of learning? In my discipline, English, technology is heavily condemned for its ability to hinder learning. For example, the word program I use to type this message ensures that I don’t need to spell anything correctly because the program will automatically correct my spelling. As a result, when I have to write with pen and paper, my writing and spelling is terrible. I clearly have too many grammatical and syntactical mistakes with technology helping me, when I don’t have technology, it gets much worse. Technology increases the amount of accessible information, but this information is registered differently. Since information is always readily available to the student, the student no longer has to learn foundational concepts. What do you think the epistemological effects of technology are? And how will the increasing use of technology configure our society, the “be” in KDB? Great post!