We have all heard the term BYOD/BYOT and many of us have
even implemented such a program in our institutions. The thought of offsetting district
expenditures by having students supply their own devices is certainly an eye
opening thought. Can a BYOD truly exist
without a district supplied One to One option or similar district solution? It’s something I wrestle with each time I
hear of districts doing one without the other.
The two
terms BYOD and One to One are typically heard synonymously for the simple fact
that in a BYOD only environment, those students who do not have access to their
own devices will not be able to participate in online or computer based
classroom activities unless provisions are made in each classroom to ensure
every child has a device. This in itself
can pose its own challenges as certain personal devices may not be able to view
resources required by the class. Flash
based activities will not be viewable on iOS devices, etc… Most testing as of today states explicitly
that personal devices may not be used, so in this case, we must still have
enough district owned devices to tackle the growing number of online
assessments. Although BYOD can supplement
other district initiatives, I find that there are a number of
activities/situations that will still require district assets to make ends
meet. Is there a happy balance between
BYOD and district provided options? How
can we encourage BYOD, but still provide adequate resources for students who
don’t participate?
K12
marketing is a huge industry and I feel that often we are steered into
directions based on the current marketing trends. Is BYOD a trend brought on by marketing or
can it really be a reality? Personal
devices will continue to infiltrate our buildings whether in teachers or
students hands, this is a fact. These
devices certainly can be allowed onto our networks and be used for instruction if
the user so prefers. The real challenge
presents itself during the times of assessments, specialized software which
requires licensing, operating system limitations, and most importantly in my
mind, students/teachers who don’t have a personal device to use. The term has been around long enough now that
it’s not going away. What is the true
answer to a successful BYOD ONLY
program is still unanswered in my eyes…
