BYOD - A QUICK GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

Zoe Sanborn

What is BYOD?
BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device and is often called BYOT or Bring Your Own Technology. These terms are used to name programs where students bring their own personal mobile devices from home to use in the classroom. This can include call phones, tablets, iPads, iPods and personal lap top computers.

March 30, 2014

Where did these programs originate?

With the digital age upon us many schools are pushing to use one-on-one programs, where students have a personal mobile device that they use in the classroom. This allows them to use certain programs and applications that aid in teaching and help the students learn. With many of the budget cuts however, schools have not been able to find the funds to purchase enough mobile devices for every student. Educators realized that most students have mobile devices at home and began programs where students brought them to use in the classroom.

(Wainwright, 2013)

In This Guide

Pros of BYOD Concerns Useful Programs Lesson Examples

("Sharyland independent school," 2014)

Jobs in the Digital Age

No longer do accountants sit and use paper and pencil to figure out someones credit, it is all done on a computer program. Jobs today have moved into the digital age where computers and mobile devices are the new key tool. Many meetings are no longer face-to-face but over Skype. People can move around more on the job with the invention of tablets and smartphones and this has changed many job descriptions. We are training our students not only to learn in a mobile, digital world but also how they will have to function . No matter if they go to college, or what type of job they get they will have to use technology. They will have a greater understanding of different types of programs and will easily be able to transition from the school environment to the real-world.

Photo Caption

(Wainwright, 2013)

Pros of BYOD programs:

Cost Effective - Most computer labs are very expensive for schools to create and maintain. With the increasing budget cuts it is much more cost effective for schools to move to BYOD programs where students are responsible for the purchasing and maintaining there own devices.

Education is more interactive - When using mobile devices students are actively engaged in programs that is keeping their attention on the curriculum that they are learning. It has been shown that when students are not just listening to a lecture but actively participating in their learning they learn more and remember the information longer.

Makes Differentiated Instructing Easier - When the students have their own devices they can be using different programs or different levels on the same program to be learning the information. Teachers can even have the students moving at different paces if they have lectures online that help students through the material.

It allows for personalization of learning - This is tied to the point above. All students learn in different ways. If they have their own devices programed to the way they learn best, we can maximize the potential for them to learn. For example if a student learns best by color coding information he/she can already have their device programed with the color coding options available.
("Mobile devices enhances," 2013)

Project K-Nect
This is a grant funded program for schools where they purchase and provide smartphones for all their students to work in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classes. This program was started and is being tested in a few school districts in North Carolina. In NC the program started out just for Algebra 1, but has expanded into Geometry, preCalculus and Biology. Each student in these classes is issued a smart phone but to make sure they only use them for class activities the voice and text options are blocked. Students instead use the phones to record themselves, help each other, practice their skills (there is a reward system built into the program) and take quizzes. Many people were skeptical at first but the teachers say the students are doing very well with the program. The teachers have noticed an improvement in the students and say Theyre better able to articulate how they get their answers (Davis, 2010).
(Galindo, 2013)

More Pros:

Allows students to take ownership of their work - When students feel like they are creating something or they are working towards a goal they will feel a sense of ownership about their work, which will give them more incentive to do well. Saves learning time - Often teachers spend a lot of time in class answering similar questions or going over how to do certain problems. In a BYOD program teachers can post answers to common questions online and can have the students learn the basics of the lesson at home. This way they can focus on the harder parts of the lessons in class, when they are needed most. Can use other environments for learning besides classroom - For example if you are teaching about a streams ecosystem wouldnt it be much better to learn at a stream. By being able to take the mobile devices anywhere teachers can utilize different learning environments.

What about dangerous activity?!

In this digital age students are almost always connected to the web. If we dont allow students to use digital tools in school that will not stop them from using them the minute they leave. If we allow them to use mobile devices in school we open the door for communication between the students and teachers. This way the students can learn about the dangers out there on the internet and learn about good practices and policies to follow when using the web that can keep them safe. By using digital tools in school we can teach the students how to be good digital citizens.

(McGrath, 2013)

Concerns Teachers May Have:

I need to know all the programs out there and I dont think I can learn all of them - Dont worry! Teachers are not expected to learn all the knew programs that are available for students. As long as you learn the ones that you are going to be using in the classroom. The good thing is that the students know their own devices and know how to use the programs on them. If they want to use a program to help them in the classroom chances are they already know how to use it. Hard to monitor the classroom - Teachers are worried that students will use these devices to cheat and to share their information with others. According to Lisa Nielsen students are more engaged in connected classrooms and have less time to get distracted. She suggests that teachers just need to talk to their students and create a list of good practices and clear consequences in place (Nielsen, 2011). Worried not all students have access to personal devices - People are worried that by implementing the BYOD programs we will be furthering he digital divide. The truth is that many students have access to at least one mobile device. Many students who live in low-income housing still have access to a cellphone. The students who do not have access to mobile devices can use ones loaned out from the school. These will be more available if the students who do have them at home are not using them.

(Anderson, 2013)

(Davis, 2010)

Useful Programs:

Socrative - A great program where you can make fun educational games and activities. You can also make polls and survey questions.
Edmodo - A free web based program (there is also an app) where there are many class collaboration activities such as polls and quizzes. Polls.io - A very easy poll creator, where multiple polls can be made during one class. The feedback is instantaneous which can be used in the lesson plan. Remind 101 - A program to send out group text messages to remind students of important due dates, tests or quizzes coming up. Now the students can never use the excuse that they forgot again!

Neat Ideas of Non -Classroom Teaching Environments

Example Lesson Plans:

Math Teacher

Algebra 1 Lesson:

Science

Streams/Lakes/Ponds can use their devices to take measurements and record data Football fieldcan use devices to record bottle rocket activity in physics

The teacher can post a video of the key concept (for example how to use FOIL to multiple binomials) for the students to watch before they come to class. At the beginning of class the teacher can ask a few questions using Polls.io so the class can see the feedback. The teacher can then get a good idea of what areas the students are having the most trouble with and address those questions in class. After the questions are addressed the class can break up into small groups to work on their math blogs that the class has been contributing to since the beginning of the year. Today the assignment is to create a short video to upload to the blog demonstrating how to FOIL in any way that makes sense to the students. It allows the students to be creative in their descriptions and make their answers personal.

Math

Courtyard can use outdoor sundial to learn angles and measurements

History

Museum can take device with them to take notes and teacher could record a scavenger hunt/tour. The students could access that on their devices. Could bring headphones to keep it quiet.

History Teacher

The day before the teacher sends out a message via Remind 101 to all the students reminding them of their quiz the next day. In class the students take a quiz using Edmodo, which allows the teacher to easily grade the quizzes and see the class average later that day. After the students are done taking the quiz they work on a fun game in pairs on Socrative. This game takes the knowledge they learned for the quiz and applies it to the next section of the chapter which they are transitioning into today.

English

The library can take own device to use to take notes on research and can have a program to help them create bibliographies. Theatermay no be able to use the device in the theater but if they can they can film and/or take notes. Also could take survey on the bus ride home.

These are just two examples of how these technologies can be used in class. There are many creative and innovative ways to incorporate these types of applications into the classroom that can greatly benefit the students!

Sources:
Barseghian, T. (2012, May 10). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/ mindshift/2012/05/how-teachers-make-cell-phones-work-in-the-classroom/ BYOT Network. (2013, April 18). The ikea affect of byot. Retrieved from http://byotnetwork.com/page/3/ Chadband, E. (2012, July 19). Should schools embrace "bring your own device"?. neaToday. Retrieved from http://neatoday.org/2012/07/19/should-schools-embrace-bring-your-own-device/ Davis, M. (2010, March 16). Solving algebra on smartphones. Education Week . Retrieved from http:// www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/03/18/26smartphones.h29.html EDTECH. (2011, October 18). Ten unique lesson ideas for byod and byot. Retrieved fromhttp:// gettingsmart.com/2011/10/10-unique-lesson-ideas-for-byod-and-byot/ Fernandez, C. (2013, January 06). Text me the answer - byod strategies and solutions fetc 2013. Retrieved from http://fishingforedtech.com/text-me-the-answer-byod-strategies-and-solutions-fetc-2013/ Nielsen, L. (2011). 7 myths about byod debunked. the Journal , Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/ articles/2011/11/09/7-byod-myths.aspx Richtel, M. (2013, March 22). Digitally aided education, using the students' own electronic gear. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/technology/in-some-schoolsstudents-bring-their-own-technology.html?emc=eta1&_r=0 Teach Thought Staff. (2012, August 14).10 reasons byod is impossible to ignore. Retrieved from http:// www.teachthought.com/trends/10-reasons-byod-is-impossible-to-ignore/ Teach Thought Staff. (2012, December 18). 10 reasons to consider byod in education. Retrieved fromhttp://www.teachthought.com/technology/10-reasons-to-consider-byod-in-education/

Photo Credits:
Anderson, B. (2013, June 05). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://blog.eiqnetworks.com/blog/ bid/295562/BYOD-for-IT-Security-Teams-Managing-the-Risks-and-Rewards Davis, M. (2010, March 16). Solving algebra on smartphones. Education Week . Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/03/18/26smartphones.h29.html Galindo, J. (2013, November 04). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://blog.ck12.org/blog/ bid/343094/In-Support-of-Student-Owned-Technology-in-the-Classroom McGrath, S. (2013, September 12). What do you mean by a mobile optimized website?. Retrieved from http://www.squixa.com/blog/2013/09/12/what-do-you-mean-by-a-mobile-optimised-website/ Mobile devices enhances learning among pre-schoolers, study shows. (2013, December 28). The Philippine Star. Retrieved from http://www.philstar.com/telecoms/2013/12/28/1272546/mobile-devicesenhance-learning-among-pre-schoolers-study-shows Sharyland independent school district. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.sharylandisd.org/ domain/1103 Wainwright, A. (2013, January 02). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http:// www.securedgenetworks.com/secure-edge-networks-blog/bid/85564/Technology-in-the-ClassroomWhat-Students-Teachers-Really-Want Wainwright, A. (2013, March 07). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http:// www.securedgenetworks.com/secure-edge-networks-blog/bid/87244/Why-use-iPads-OtherTechnology-in-the-Classroom-as-Learning-Tools