Bring Your Own Device

Blogging with his personal device.

Should students be able to bring their own devices to school or should they be left at home?  It is a question that is always coming up.

I like having my students bring their own devices.  I see the benefits to watching them complete their assigned tasks on their own devices.  They take ownership of the device as well as show engagement in the activity.  It is very powerful for them to be able to express their thinking and learning on their own tool of choice.

I know that there is a fear with opening the classroom up to students bringing their own devices.  Many questions come up and procedures need to be in place.  Some of these questions are:

Are they allowed to play games?
Will their device distract them from paying attention and finishing work?
How do you keep their device safe?
How do you protect them from seeing inappropriate material?
Will they spend their day texting their friends?
How will their device help them in their school work?
Who will be responsible for their device?
Will they stop doing paper and pencil work?

Before we allowed devices to be brought to school we came up with a Personal Device Protocol.  We sent home this protocol for parents and students to read and sign.  Then we allowed personal devices to come to school.  It was a learning experience as the devices started arriving.  I had to figure out what grade ones and twos could do with their own devices.  Did they have the same apps as I had on our iPads? Would they be able to use their own device to show their learning?  Would their device be a distraction?  Would they just want to play games during class time?  In the beginning, the first devices that came to school, spent quite a bit of time in the cupboard while we learned how to use the iPads and figured out classroom expectations and rules.  As I got more used to the devices coming they started to stay out more and more and soon became part of the students classroom tools.

Some of the devices that come to school have the favourite apps Draw and Tell, Scribble Press, QR Reader and KidBlog on them.  That makes it easier when they are working on their blogs.  My students, who bring their own devices can read books on them, take pictures, make blog posts, participate in TodaysMeet, and do research.  Yes, I noticed that some do text during class time.  But they are texting their classmates about school work.  The first time I saw the texting I was about to stop it when I realized that they are writing.  Why stop them from writing.  They are practising their writing skills and they don't even know it so I didn't put an end to it.  My students take good care of their own devices.  We have a laptop cart in our room that also holds the classroom iPads.  The students can also put their devices in the cart.  Their devices are locked up at lunch and recess.

Using the personal device to look at flowers and draw them.

How do you feel about students bringing their own devices to school?