A bridge between formal and informal learning!
“BYOD or Bring Your Own Device is a policy that allows students to bring their own computing devices, such as smartphones, laptops, e-readers, tablets, or other mobile gadgets, to school for use on the school’s network. Sometimes, BYOD is referred to as BYOT or Bring Your Own Technology. This term is used to shift the focus away from the hardware to one that encompasses the range of resources offered by a device (Love, 2016, p. 1).”
The Need and the Audience
There are a number of reasons that schools would benefit from BYOD policies and practices. Financially, schools struggle for resources at the best of times. Making matters worse is the fact that technology is changing so rapidly that it is difficult for institutions to keep up. BYOD approaches essentially outsource acquisition of technology to the families of the students.
Some type of BYOD strategy is needed for schools to remain relevant. Smartphones, tablets, and the apps that they facilitate are a daily part of the student’s lives and therefore should be considered in any well-rounded curriculum. These devices are really a gateway to the wide world of web-based resources that are changing the face of business, communication, and education. A relevant and comprehensive BYOD program may be the answer to preparing students for success in this environment. It has already been shown that students, teachers, and employees in many industries show a preference for bringing their own device (BYOD in Schools Literature Review, 2013). A personal device is usually customized more efficiently for the user than the ones provided by the schools or place of work. Furthermore, an unprecedented number of people have access to either smartphones, tablets, or computers.
If it is accepted that some form of BYOD pedagogy is desirable or necessary in schools, then teachers need to be trained for the transition. The problem arises from the fact that the students are ‘digital natives’ and the teachers are ‘digital immigrants’. Professional development has always been an important part of teaching. As technology is changing rapidly, teachers need regular tutorials to keep ahead of the curve.
For these reasons and more we have developed this on-line tutorial to guide educators through the planning and implementation of BYOD in their schools.
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