You raise an interesting point about how students are using technology. I believe that it is the responsibility of all teachers to engage in conversations with each other and with students about how to appropriately use technology. Like every other thing they learn, children need guidance and support from the adults in their lives. We can't wait for rigid policies to be put into place because we are already in the technological era; we can't plan the same way we would for something that is being anticipated. As agents of change, students and teachers ought to find ways to work together to find mutually beneficial ways to use technology in the best ways possible. Don't fear change; embrace it. Our teaching needs to be proactive, not reactive. Technology is here, students and teachers are using it, and so, we need to co-construct the criteria for hire it will be used to enhance programming. Having a zero tolerance policy about using devices in the classroom as we await some random usage policies to be created is nothing but limiting opportunities for growth for our future leaders.
I completely agree. I enjoyed your article and the walk down memory lane! We have certainly seen a lot of change in terms of how we have used technology in our classrooms over the years. We need to support and embrace students using different types of devices. We need to have those conversations that we sometimes fear about internet safety and things that are, or are not appropriate to be looking at on the internet. Many of our students will not have these conversations at home, and so we are very much responsible to be role models and educators. There is no direction to move other than forward... I mean, what else would we do, go back to using overhead projectors? um, no thanks!
I am glad we are moving towards an increased technologically based education system. I wish that the infrastructure was completed and tested prior to its introduction. When introducing a change like this people are looking for major things to go wrong.
I am all for the BYOD, but privacy must be paramount.
Coming from a school with no permanent technology in the classroom (the computer was on a cart that needed to be signed out each time you wanted to use it)to a school that has a computer with a projector and document camera all in one, has made the ability to incorporate technology that much easier. Although I teach a younger grade, they are very comfortable working with computers, and often access the internet (with their parent's permission) at home. Having a class website, students not only get to browse websites that have been selected and approved by their teachers, they are also able to keep up with missed work, provided teachers update the site. In this day and age, there will always be some individuals who are hesitant to allow younger students to access computers and the internet, but because it is so readily available, isn't it better if we prepare them by educating them? If students are going to access the internet anyway, we as teachers must educate them on topics such as internet safety. Not using technology in the classroom is not going to stop students from using technology.
I am absolutely positive about this. Of course, we as educators, need to create new spaces for thinking of literacy in terms of the multi-modal nature of texts that students read, use and produce. Current action supporting the use of computers in the classroom has been overwhelmingly optimistic. Many students find the computer a positive and liberating approach to learning. Students today think of themselves as programmers, as interface designers when they read and generate texts on the computer. They interweave such modes as written texts, sounds, animation, and video to enhance their assignments. We need not worry about the high-tech newest generation - they are different but they are fine. Young people no longer have to venture into the outside world to be exposed to it as the current communication has become increasingly participatory. All we need to focus on is the need to be strategic and systematic in creating conditions to enhance instructional practice and continuously improve acquisition of literacy skills. Together, we must join the technology-rich world of today's learners!
You bring up some interesting arguments with concerns about BYOD as well as its inevitability. Throughout most of the paper you bring up various cautionary arguments about implementing BYOD, such as the board's ability to provide infrastructure and training, health concerns, and appropriate use by students, yet you conclude that this policy will "inevitably increase students access to education, promote improved learning" as well as being cost effective for new technology and other materials.
The "Field of Dreams" line "if you build it they will come" really is an interesting way to think about how open wifi networks at schools can build learning communities. However, with several students already bringing devices to school and using 3G/4G cellular networks for data perhaps the board's situation is better described by the later whisper from the movie: "Go the distance." Schools are going down the path of having students bringing technology to school whether they like it or not, the time has come to embrace and direct the use of these devices.
I was a bit surprised to see you give leeway to the supposed health concerns around wifi. How do you read "there is no convincing scientific evidence" of RF signals causing cancer as a signal to be cautious? For the better part, so called health concerns with wifi just seem to be a case of uninformed groups or individuals getting way too much attention from media since it creates controversy. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/cons/wifi/index-eng.php
I do agree with you that there's lots of work to be done in establishing BYOD within school climate and to set a tone, culture and expectations around appropriate use and respecting the privacy of others. In many respects, bringing smartphones and tablets to school isn't any different than allowing students to bring geometry sets to school: When a student brings a compass to school they can use it for drawing circles and inscribing the marks for an equilateral triange, etc, and schools allowing them doesn't endorse the idea of using a compass to perforate as many sheets of a Math textbook as possible or carve words into desks. In the same way, allowing the bringing of devices to school for accessing learning materials at the appropriate time means just that: Use the right application for a given class, BYOD doesn't mean that the school endorses playing Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja during Social Studies.
Your paper raises a lot of interesting points that I'm sure are of concern to many individuals throughout the school board (parents and students included). Although I'm all for technology and it has definitely made our lives much easier-- (to the point where when it isn't working, we are fretting trying to figure out what to do!) the implications of BYOD may have some negative effects, particulary in the beginning. The biggest concern for me is the inappropriate use of the devices. I am already seeing this happening (on the playground, in the halls, in the washrooms). Clear guidelines MUST be sent out by school boards around the usage of these devices. I think it would be more productive to have iPADS in each classroom, in which the parental controls should be set to high. We all grew up just fine without all this technology stuff, and I would like to think of most of us as educated individuals. yes, technology is a HUGE component of our lives and of our world, however, it does not need to be the central and most important teaching tool.
If students and parents are aware of the risks involved in bringing devices to school I am all for it. There are many awesome apps for andriod and ipad/phone etc. that students would greatly benefit from using in Phys-ed class. They could easily apply these apps to their lives outside of school which is my greater goalfor their learning.
How would the BYOD affect students whose families cannot afford them devices? Does it point a sore thumb at those who are less priviledged? Many students I know do not even have an operating printer at home; data plans are much more costly than printer cartridges. Since September I've also observed that 50% of my students do not own a phone device. BYOD has more repercussions than the board anticipate (in addition to issues mentioned earlier).
I also agree with this comment. How would the board filter which schools get technology in their classrooms? Would the schools provide USBs for those students in low income families?
Hi Kevin, There is a growing student, educator and parent interest in digital learning and our board is beginning to address that interest with innovative ways to use technology in and out of the classroom. I believe the future of technology has the ability to deliver truly individualized instruction and to support and reinforce the efforts of educators. I am looking forward to having more insights into the future of personalized learning and how it will transform learning in elementary schools.
I understand the concerns with security and appropriateness around what students will choose to do with this newfound 'power' to have devices like cellphones with recording capabilities out in the open. But I think that technology needs to be treated like any other tool. You teach and you emphasize safety and appropriate behaviour, just as you would in a woodworking class with students using a bandsaw. Students will always have opportunities to misbehave with whatever objects are around them - even a simple sheet of paper. They need to develop that self regulation and moral compass within themselves to make good decisions - a skill that will serve them well in many aspects of life. I think it's that Digital Citizenship aspect, especially digital etiquette, that we as teachers must really strive to instill in our students.
I feel there are benefits and disadvantges to bringing technology in the classroom. I feel the biggest concern is students surfing the web and not staying on task. Consequences can be laid out at the beginning of the year and reinforced throughout the year. But this is subjective. I feel that trust has to be established between the teacher and the students. The pros are students can communicate from other students in other countries as part of a social studies unit through skype; books will not get lost or damaged; there is a wider variety on the web; students with special needs have a variety of assistive technology, and much more. In the 6 years that Kevin has taught, technology has advanced dramatically, so I can only imagine what our classrooms will be like in another 6 years. With so many changes, I think we all have to learn to adjust so that things work for the benefit for all of us - as teachers and students.
You raise an interesting point about how students are using technology. I believe that it is the responsibility of all teachers to engage in conversations with each other and with students about how to appropriately use technology. Like every other thing they learn, children need guidance and support from the adults in their lives. We can't wait for rigid policies to be put into place because we are already in the technological era; we can't plan the same way we would for something that is being anticipated. As agents of change, students and teachers ought to find ways to work together to find mutually beneficial ways to use technology in the best ways possible. Don't fear change; embrace it. Our teaching needs to be proactive, not reactive. Technology is here, students and teachers are using it, and so, we need to co-construct the criteria for hire it will be used to enhance programming. Having a zero tolerance policy about using devices in the classroom as we await some random usage policies to be created is nothing but limiting opportunities for growth for our future leaders.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. I enjoyed your article and the walk down memory lane! We have certainly seen a lot of change in terms of how we have used technology in our classrooms over the years. We need to support and embrace students using different types of devices. We need to have those conversations that we sometimes fear about internet safety and things that are, or are not appropriate to be looking at on the internet. Many of our students will not have these conversations at home, and so we are very much responsible to be role models and educators. There is no direction to move other than forward... I mean, what else would we do, go back to using overhead projectors? um, no thanks!
ReplyDeleteI am glad we are moving towards an increased technologically based education system. I wish that the infrastructure was completed and tested prior to its introduction. When introducing a change like this people are looking for major things to go wrong.
ReplyDeleteI am all for the BYOD, but privacy must be paramount.
Coming from a school with no permanent technology in the classroom (the computer was on a cart that needed to be signed out each time you wanted to use it)to a school that has a computer with a projector and document camera all in one, has made the ability to incorporate technology that much easier. Although I teach a younger grade, they are very comfortable working with computers, and often access the internet (with their parent's permission) at home. Having a class website, students not only get to browse websites that have been selected and approved by their teachers, they are also able to keep up with missed work, provided teachers update the site. In this day and age, there will always be some individuals who are hesitant to allow younger students to access computers and the internet, but because it is so readily available, isn't it better if we prepare them by educating them? If students are going to access the internet anyway, we as teachers must educate them on topics such as internet safety. Not using technology in the classroom is not going to stop students from using technology.
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely positive about this. Of course, we as educators, need to create new spaces for thinking of literacy in terms of the multi-modal nature of texts that students read, use and produce. Current action supporting the use of computers in the classroom has been overwhelmingly optimistic. Many students find the computer a positive and liberating approach to learning. Students today think of themselves as programmers, as interface designers when they read and generate texts on the computer. They interweave such modes as written texts, sounds, animation, and video to enhance their assignments. We need not worry about the high-tech newest generation - they are different but they are fine. Young people no longer have to venture into the outside world to be exposed to it as the current communication has become increasingly participatory. All we need to focus on is the need to be strategic and systematic in creating conditions to enhance instructional practice and continuously improve acquisition of literacy skills. Together, we must join the technology-rich world of today's learners!
ReplyDeleteHey Kevin.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up some interesting arguments with concerns about BYOD as well as its inevitability. Throughout most of the paper you bring up various cautionary arguments about implementing BYOD, such as the board's ability to provide infrastructure and training, health concerns, and appropriate use by students, yet you conclude that this policy will "inevitably increase students access to education, promote improved learning" as well as being cost effective for new technology and other materials.
The "Field of Dreams" line "if you build it they will come" really is an interesting way to think about how open wifi networks at schools can build learning communities. However, with several students already bringing devices to school and using 3G/4G cellular networks for data perhaps the board's situation is better described by the later whisper from the movie: "Go the distance." Schools are going down the path of having students bringing technology to school whether they like it or not, the time has come to embrace and direct the use of these devices.
I was a bit surprised to see you give leeway to the supposed health concerns around wifi. How do you read "there is no convincing scientific evidence" of RF signals causing cancer as a signal to be cautious? For the better part, so called health concerns with wifi just seem to be a case of uninformed groups or individuals getting way too much attention from media since it creates controversy. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/cons/wifi/index-eng.php
I do agree with you that there's lots of work to be done in establishing BYOD within school climate and to set a tone, culture and expectations around appropriate use and respecting the privacy of others. In many respects, bringing smartphones and tablets to school isn't any different than allowing students to bring geometry sets to school: When a student brings a compass to school they can use it for drawing circles and inscribing the marks for an equilateral triange, etc, and schools allowing them doesn't endorse the idea of using a compass to perforate as many sheets of a Math textbook as possible or carve words into desks. In the same way, allowing the bringing of devices to school for accessing learning materials at the appropriate time means just that: Use the right application for a given class, BYOD doesn't mean that the school endorses playing Angry Birds or Fruit Ninja during Social Studies.
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteYour paper raises a lot of interesting points that I'm sure are of concern to many individuals throughout the school board (parents and students included). Although I'm all for technology and it has definitely made our lives much easier-- (to the point where when it isn't working, we are fretting trying to figure out what to do!) the implications of BYOD may have some negative effects, particulary in the beginning. The biggest concern for me is the inappropriate use of the devices. I am already seeing this happening (on the playground, in the halls, in the washrooms). Clear guidelines MUST be sent out by school boards around the usage of these devices. I think it would be more productive to have iPADS in each classroom, in which the parental controls should be set to high. We all grew up just fine without all this technology stuff, and I would like to think of most of us as educated individuals. yes, technology is a HUGE component of our lives and of our world, however, it does not need to be the central and most important teaching tool.
To add to this, how would these very expensive devices be stored? Who will be responsible if they are lost/damaged/stolen?! Certainly not us teachers!
ReplyDeleteIf students and parents are aware of the risks involved in bringing devices to school I am all for it. There are many awesome apps for andriod and ipad/phone etc. that students would greatly benefit from using in Phys-ed class. They could easily apply these apps to their lives outside of school which is my greater goalfor their learning.
ReplyDeleteHow would the BYOD affect students whose families cannot afford them devices? Does it point a sore thumb at those who are less priviledged? Many students I know do not even have an operating printer at home; data plans are much more costly than printer cartridges. Since September I've also observed that 50% of my students do not own a phone device. BYOD has more repercussions than the board anticipate (in addition to issues mentioned earlier).
ReplyDeleteI also agree with this comment. How would the board filter which schools get technology in their classrooms? Would the schools provide USBs for those students in low income families?
DeleteHi Kevin, There is a growing student, educator and parent interest in digital learning and our board is beginning to address that interest with innovative ways to use technology in and out of the classroom. I believe the future of technology has the ability to deliver truly individualized instruction and to support and reinforce the efforts of educators. I am looking forward to having more insights into the future of personalized learning and how it will transform learning in elementary schools.
ReplyDeleteI understand the concerns with security and appropriateness around what students will choose to do with this newfound 'power' to have devices like cellphones with recording capabilities out in the open. But I think that technology needs to be treated like any other tool. You teach and you emphasize safety and appropriate behaviour, just as you would in a woodworking class with students using a bandsaw. Students will always have opportunities to misbehave with whatever objects are around them - even a simple sheet of paper. They need to develop that self regulation and moral compass within themselves to make good decisions - a skill that will serve them well in many aspects of life. I think it's that Digital Citizenship aspect, especially digital etiquette, that we as teachers must really strive to instill in our students.
ReplyDeleteI feel there are benefits and disadvantges to bringing technology in the classroom. I feel the biggest concern is students surfing the web and not staying on task. Consequences can be laid out at the beginning of the year and reinforced throughout the year. But this is subjective. I feel that trust has to be established between the teacher and the students. The pros are students can communicate from other students in other countries as part of a social studies unit through skype; books will not get lost or damaged; there is a wider variety on the web; students with special needs have a variety of assistive technology, and much more. In the 6 years that Kevin has taught, technology has advanced dramatically, so I can only imagine what our classrooms will be like in another 6 years. With so many changes, I think we all have to learn to adjust so that things work for the benefit for all of us - as teachers and students.
ReplyDelete