My Take on BYOD

My Take on BYOD

I am for BYOD and would fully support it, in any classroom.  As I see it there are some very great benefits to this trend:

• Students who used mobile tech devices tend to have better reading comprehension scores than students who used print versions of the same text
• Students will learn to use technologies and develop skills that they will need later in life when they join the workforce
• Potential cost savings for districts because fewer school-owned devices are needed
• BYOD supports independent learning
• Students can purchase eBooks instead of print versions

With that being said, there are some downsides or risks that could take place:

• Students could forget their device charger at home and be without its use
• Security risks to schools’ computer networks
• Teachers may have to deal with troubleshooting tech issues instead of teaching
• Parents may not be able to afford mobile devices or may not be willing to pay for them
• Cyber-bullying could occur more often in schools

However, In my mind the benefits clearly out weight the risks.  The following is a fantastic 1-hour webinar that looks at  How to Survive and Thrive in a 1 - 1 BYOD Classroom. 

The following article have many great suggestions for planning BYOD, its implementation, and on-going considerations. 

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in Schools – Considerations