As I work with classrooms throughout Tabb I am quite pleased to see the myriad of ways that teachers are incorporating BYOT into their instruction. From carefully planned activities, to a casual way to take notes, everyone has their own plan in mind. The transition to having students bring their own devices should not be a difficult one. Most of us realize that they have been doing so all along, so why not harness that resource for instruction?
I recently attended a session where there was much talk about gauging the instructional effectiveness of BYOT. How can we measure the impact on instruction? (A quantitative study of this magnitude would be a huge undertaking.) It struck me afterwards that we were going about it wrong. Technology has had a definitive impact on instruction. Our society has changed so drastically that there is no real way around not utilizing it. It is like an extension of self for learners of today. To question the effectiveness of BYOT is similar to questioning the effectiveness of using technology itself. With BYOT we are not really using a novel approach but merely changing the ownership of the device.
If you spend some time reading current articles about how the workplace is changing you may see that the concept of BYOT or BYOD is spreading out to include companies. Many IT companies are currently researching the cost effectiveness of having employees utilize their own devices at work.
As this type of practice becomes more common the discussion as to whether we should proceed with this policy will become irrelevant. Instead of questioning its direct impact maybe we should look at the indirect impact.
Allowing BYOT in our schools:
· Frees up technology resources so that more classrooms have access to them
· Allows students to stay more organized since they are able to use their own calendar and note taking functions
· Uses less paper
· May decrease the burden of repairing devices currently owned by the school
· Provides for easier access to resources for students
Just to name a few…
If you are still not sure, come see me and I’ll be happy to find ways that BYOT can lighten your load in the classroom.
Research that supports the effectiveness of techology in the classroom: http://siia.net/visionk20/pages/evidence.html
Research that supports the effectiveness of techology in the classroom: http://siia.net/visionk20/pages/evidence.html
