BYOD

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) or BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) is gaining popularity in many schools as a way of increasing access to vital technology without the costly burden of purchasing a device for each student. It acknowledges the reality that many students — even those in relatively low-income communities — have ready access to educationally-valuable technology that, until recently, they were forced to turn off when they entered the school building.

To help you evaluate the pros, cons and logistics of bringing student-owned technology into the classroom, start with the below resources:

• Getting Started with BYOD: Today’s students are not the same learners that we were. These digital natives have grown up surrounded by computing technology as a natural part of their everyday lives. They live in a multimedia world, they constantly connect and collaborate, and they access information that is live and on-demand through mobile devices.
• Planning and Implementation Framework: Developing a successful BYOD program requires extensive planning, communication, and ongoing evaluation. Although each district is unique, with its own cultures and concerns, a well-defined framework will go a long way in helping a school initiate a BYOD program.
• Mobile Learning: the Next Wave of K-12 Education Innovation: Wireless computers—whether in the form of laptops, tablets, netbooks or other handheld devices—are everywhere. Even if IT doesn’t provide mobile devices, students, faculty and administrative staff are bringing their own tools into the school environment, and they want to know how to use them in an educational environment just like they do at home.

For checklists, presentations and more, check out the full toolkit from the K-12 Blueprint.