Originally Posted By michael yates on July 8, 2018
I’m guessing most of you do not speak the language, but you can understand the meaning of this sign (which is prominently displayed all over my school). No Phones Allowed!
Now I understand why this is the case, but after learning about BYOD, Screen Casting and other Mobile technologies that can be used to aid learners and teachers it is quite hard to accept. Unless you are in a very well resourced public school board, or a private/international school there is little chance that you will get school provided mobile devices. In these cases a BYOD policy (the country I live in almost everyone has a phone, in some cases multiple mobile devices!) could be the only option for providing students a more rich and active learning environment. So my questions for others are as follows:
1)Does or Did your school ban mobile devices? If they no longer do how did you (or someone) convince them of the benefits of students bringing their own mobile devices?
2) Does your school have a BYOD policy? If so, what is a two sentence summary of the “terms of use”?
3) Do you agree with BYOD policies? If not, why? If so, why?
I have to admit I am a wee bit envious of the activities some of you are doing in your schools, as a highly technical person I would really love the opportunity to do more than bring students to the computer lab every second week.
Thank you.
First off, I would like to answer the questions from the post.
1) Yes they do for students, although I have been known to break it. Previously, students were allowed to bring their devices to class, at the teacher’s discretion, they could use it for tech purposes, such as research, as a tool or for listening to music. However, this year it was argued that we have enough Chromebooks that students would no longer need their own device, which we do have a lot, but I do feel that the technology of a Chromebook is quite inferior to that of an iPhone.
2) No we do not.
3) Yes I do, but I do believe that schools need to have devices for students who do not have a device, whether it is some way for them to borrow the device or slowly purchase the device. Another concern would be the different abilities of the devices from student to student.
With being at three different schools I have heard a lot of discussions about banning devices and personally I have some issues with banning them. First off, as I stated in my first response, the technology is quite often better in the students’ devices. Trying to record a movie on a Chromebook can be quite problematic compared to an Apple device. Secondly, if a student has a device then there could be more technology to share within the school, especially with the younger students. My current school is a pre-K to 9 school and we have enough Chromebooks for 6-9, but then the elementary students would be left without tech and they too should be getting to use it. With most of our grade 9s having a device, that would free up almost 90 Chromebooks. Finally, with a ban on devices who is responsible for the discipline? At my current and previous school, if a student was using a device inappropriately, the teacher was expected to take the device away and then take it to the office, my concern is who is responsible if the device is dropped or stolen (I know of some teachers who have put the student’s device in their desk, because if they are taken to the office then a parent must retrieve them). With many of these devices being close to $1000, this is not a responsibility I want.
Yes, students may use their own devices to text or post inappropriate things, but as a teacher who embraces technology, I take it as my responsibility to supervise the classroom and teach the students the appropriate uses of their devices. I am curious of what other people’s feelings are towards student devices in a classroom?