Whether you call it BYOD or BYOT we are going to institute it here at our school.
There is open wireless access in every part of the school and staff and students alike are accessing it. They are accessing it on laptops, iPads and NetBooks. They are using them to complete activities that promote higher order thinking skills. However, there is the opportunity to explore so many more learning opportunities.
Many students have devices that they could use on our wireless network but we have not exactly encouraged them to bring them to school. With the right set of expectations there is no real reason why they cannot bring them to school to use.
From anything I have experienced I do not see much difference between teaching a student to play out in the school yard and teaching a student to use technology appropriately at school, and elsewhere for that matter. Having the conversation with students about leaving a positive digital footprint early is an obvious conversation to have.
This is kind of liberating. No longer will iPods, NetBooks and iPads be hidden away like contraband in backpacks stuffed in the cloakroom.
Bring them out.
Use them.
Learn with them.
Collaborate.
Discover.
Create.
Where else can we go from here?
This is very exciting.
Are there going to be challenges and obstacles? I should hope so. This is going to be a great learning curve for everyone involved. Student, parents, teachers and administrators will all have to all make adjustments. First and foremost we are going to have to figure out how to use them in the best possible ways in the classroom. That's my job and I am looking forward to it.
Let's see what tomorrow brings.........
