BYOD

According to techradar.com, BYOD is an acronym that stands for Bring Your Own Device. This basically means a school (or company) can have employees and students bring and use their own personal laptops, tablets and/or smartphones. There are several pros and cons of implementing BYOD. Below is a chart I created to outline these pros and cons:

PROS	CONS
Increase in student participation	Devices clashing with security
Student-driven learning	Cost for school to integrate and support diverse range of devices
Personalized instruction	Distraction in the classroom

Based on these pros and cons, I feel that if smartphones are here to stay, the only way to manage BYOD in the classroom is if a BYOD policy is in place. The IT department within the school will need to secure the data of the devices and eliminate any way that a device can be a potential risk of unsecure data. For example, running a full risk assessment that included anti-malware, encryption, passcodes, remote wipe and preventing jailbreaking.

In the past, I have interned at a private school, and students were allowed to bring their own cell phones. However, the cell phones had to have the schools network installed on the phone so that the IT department could track every text message sent for safety and security reasons. There were rules as to when the students could use their cell phones during class time. I liked how that was set up at the school and I agreed with the way they did things there.

I strongly feel that if students do not use mobile devices for activities beyond entertainment (such as learning), they will not be prepared for the world of work in the future. Technology is expanding every day, and if we aren’t implementing new technology and ways to use it in the classroom now, then students will not be up-to-date when they are in the real world.

Unfortunately for lower performing schools, teachers are battling a persistent student culture of disengagement (according to kqed.org). Teachers have found great ways to use mobile devices and students have their own. However, this is not enough to have success with BYOD. Angela Crawford, and AP English teacher at BC Rain High School in Mobile, AL (a low income school) suggests teachers build a circle of trust with their students. Building respect in the classroom takes time, but when this is achieved students will be open to new ways of learning. Classroom management is also something that Crawford suggested.

Teachers can build their professional development by implementing BYOD. Staff training is an essential tool for this to happen. This can also encourage the teachers own personal interest in technology and using it in the classroom!