I've been hearing about the Bring Your Own Device movement. Students bring their own devices to use at school rather than using technology provided at school. This movement sounds good in theory, but as a teacher, it makes me anxious just thinking about using this in my own classroom. I definitely see some potential benefits. For example, students can bring in devices that they're comfortable with, and extend their learning beyond the classroom when they realize that their devices can be more than just a phone or a tablet. Additionally, schools wouldn't have to spend money to buy technology (or as much technology), which is a relief to a lot of schools experiencing budget cuts.
However, I truly believe that the risks outweigh the benefits. Here's why.
Depending on students' own equipment on learning creates too much of a variation between students with respect to their classroom experience. A student's technology might not carry the necessary features highlighted in the classroom lesson. And if a teacher decides that each student can just work with whatever features are available on their device, how is a teacher going to plan a lesson effectively? Also, what if a student brings in a device that the teacher is not familiar with? How is that teacher expected to help guide the student if they can't guide their project or help them troubleshoot? I also think that students using their own devices (especially phones), could be distracting. Imagine a student constantly being aware of every email or notification they receive while they are in class. I'm sure most will give in to the temptation and check their messages during class.
More importantly, equity between students becomes an issue. What is a student doesn't have any technology at home? Or they are too embarrassed to bring their technology because they feel like it's too old, or it's not cool? Teenagers are constantly comparing themselves to others and feel pressured to have the latest trend. Bring Your Own Device is just exacerbating that pressure. It also puts pressure on the parents who may not be able to afford that technology, but feel like they need to buy it for their child to get the most of their school experience. Can students share? Sure. But a student might be overprotective of their phone for example, and may not allow someone else to use it freely.
I think that Bring Your Own Device is an easy way for a school to remove the responsibility off of them, and leave the teachers and families to deal with it. I understand that not all schools can afford top-notch technology, but it's really not about having the newest computers. It's about what you do with the resources you do have.
Thank you for posting this perspective on the BYOD movement. I go back and forth a bit on which I favor, but I'm currently learning toward allowing personal devices in the classroom - with some guidelines. I think personal devices could be helpful for some specific lessons (not as every day tools), such as Blendspace where students could use their devices to participate in annotating, rating content, and taking quizzes. I also think personal devices could be helpful if the teacher's device being used failed for any reason during a lesson (an unlikely scenario, but possible). I also believe there is some comfort in knowing your own device and some inherent trust built allowing the use of these (again, in a limited fashion). Lastly, BYOD would need to be supplemented, I think, through the use of school computers (i.e. a laptop cart). However, I will agree there are drawbacks like those you outlined. My biggest fear is the peer discussions and inequity that could occur ("I have the latest iPhone, why are you rocking that three year old Motorola?"). Luckily, we have time to try and sort this out in the field!
ReplyDeleteI think that you make some really great points Tahani, and I too go back and forth about whether or not BYOD is a good idea. For all of the reasons you laid out, I believe that implementing BYOD in my classroom would make me anxious as well, most simply because I cannot trust myself to use a device appropriately in a classroom. Therefore, how can I ask my students to ignore all the distracting messages, emails, and allures of non-content-related websites that are bound to pop up? I agree with Matt that, in order to account for students having devices that don't necessarily do the functions necessary for a lesson, there must be supplementary device like laptops. So really, the school is not saving all that much money, if they are asked to have a computer readily available for most students. Additionally, you pointed out that hierarchies are supported because undoubtedly some students will have more advanced devices than others. Although BYOD allows you to integrate digital content into the classroom in a new and interesting way, and it makes productive use of items students generally are using now to be distracted in class, I agree that the negatives seem to outweigh the positives.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post here Tahani; I feel a little bit the way Matt does, in that I see both sides of the coin; there are enormous benefits, but also monumental downsides. To be honest, my personal leaning is somewhere towards BYODIYW (Bring Your Own Device If You Want). In other words, I do not think that public schools should drake BYOD their default solution for providing students with technology resources. That being said, if a student has a preferred resource that he or she CAN bring in to the room, and wants to use that instead, for the most part, I would be okay with that compromise. To a certain degree it is like the planners that kids have issued to them every year; You can use that one, or, if you have something else which does the same thing, you can feel free to use your own planner, just as long as you use some kind of organizer.
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