BYOD, Bring Your Own Device in the K-12 Classroom

Amanda Minter
TLED 617
Old Dominion University

We live in a world rampant with choice. Individuals are free to choose what works best
in nearly any given situation; this includes technology. It is estimated that there are nearly 1
billion smartphones in use across the world (EdTech, 2012). Its ubiquitousness allows
individuals to scan the news, stream movies, make dinner reservations, or even video chat with a
friend in Japan. Its pervasive use should be no different when applied to education.
As educators we practice the art of reinvention. Each year we receive a new group of
students with a new set of strengths, needs, and skills. We adjust according to those students.
Currently, over 60% of student from the ages of 9 to 18 own their own mobile digital device.
Nearly 75% of those students access social media from their devices. Additionally, those same
students spend no less than 3 hours a day, texting, web browsing, and using downloaded apps on
their mobile devices (Ed Tech, 2012). This trend has influenced schools around the world to
implement a bring-your-own device (BYOD) policy to enhance teaching and learning.
The use of mobile devices in an educational environment is a shift in education
pedagogy. More schools are moving away from paper and pencil and physical textbooks into
virtual classrooms and digital textbooks. The use of student owned mobile devices in the
classroom not only provides the school system with an economical solution to implementing
technology in schools, but it also provides are more personal 21st century learning experience.
Teachers will also have the ability to deliver information in and out of the classroom and in
multiple formats. This allows students to learn in a way that is unique to their individual styles.
Appealing to a students individual learning style, strengths, and needs ultimately appeals to
their educational success. Additionally, by allowing students to use devices with which they are
already familiar, learning becomes the focus not the novelty of using a new piece of technology.
Planning and Implementation

It is important to note that before any teaching and learning can occur, there must be
policies and procedures put into place prior to implementation. Unfortunately, many school
systems started a BYOD initiative without the proper planning which resulted in failure within
their first year. One way to implement polices is for a school system to institute a contract for
both parents and students to review and sign. Often this contract is connected to school bylaws
or code of conduct. The Copernicus Project, a BYOD initiative in a suburban Minneapolis
school system implemented a BYOD project successfully in three schools in 2010 by carefully
planning and instituting procedures prior to the launch. According the project, the most
valuable principle is established administrative support. This includes communication with
parents, support and training for the classroom teacher, and handling and disciplinary issues
(Nelson, 2012).

Since then the project has expanded to include most schools in the division.

As each school adopts a BYOD culture, these policies and procedures are in place prior to
initiation.
Another part of the policies is to ensure that all stakeholders are properly informed of the
BYOD purpose: learning. It is equally important to make sure that the policies of the BYPOD
do not underpin that purpose. Legally, schools systems must adhere to Children's Internet
Protection Act (CIPA) and any other state mandated legislation. However, the school filters
should not block any resource that would contribute to the learning process, collaboration and
creativity. These would include any social media, YouTube and Web 2.0 tools. Filters that block
these tools and resources reduce the usefulness of a device and inhibit a students exploration and
learning. This type of situation would render a BYOD policy useless and student success stifled.

Engagement

While educators know students need to be tech savvy when they enter the workforce, the
challenge has always been the ability to provide devices and keep students engaged. The
motivating factor behind using BYOD is that students use their preferred devices to engage in
educational content. For the student, this brings a multitude of benefits including increased
technological knowledge and skills, the lack of learning curves needed to use a device that is not
their own, a sense of ownership in their learning experience, and collaboration on projects. But
perhaps the greatest benefit to students is that they can learn at their own pace by accessing
content outside of the classroom on their own devices whenever and wherever it suits them
(Cavanaugh, 2013, p.26). This shift in structure allows a teacher to accommodate student
strengths, weaknesses, in addition to adhering to student Individualized Education Plans (IEP),
504s. This type of mobile learning environment and mobile learning experiences also allows a
teacher to expand and enrich student knowledge by providing access to resources that are not
normally available in the traditional classroom setting. For example, after reading one of
Shakespeares plays, a student can live stream a play being performed at The Globe Theater in
England.
Some might claim that the BYOD movement is a fad. That is merely a ploy to grab a
students attention. However, teachers are using mobile devices in the classroom for much more
than an attention getter. In fact, schools are using mobile devices as a tool of assessment.
Teachers can identify an at risk students much more rapidly with the technology tool. Teachers
assess a students knowledge, gather at data, and push remediation activities, questions and
quizzes onto students mobile devices. All of this is done with the individual in mind. The

teacher carefully selects web tools and resources to achieve success. Learning applications help
a teacher create and use data to improve student learning and succeed. This real time data gives
teachers greater control and the ability to discern whether or not a student is engaged in content.
A teacher then can improve student engagement by using class data and tailoring learning
experiences based on that information and student interests. For instance, using a classroom
platform such as Goggle class allows a teacher to assess material, facilitate collaboration, share
and receive information, and chat with students all with the purpose of monitoring and
improving individual student growth.
Project Tomorrow is an education initiative aimed at preparing students to be tomorrows
innovators in the fields of science, math, and technology. Making Learning Mobile ( a program
within Project Tomorrow) program supports the implementation of mobile devices within the K12 educational setting. According to their Mobile 3.0 report, administrators, teachers, and
students agree that using mobile devices in schools can increase student engagement, help
prepare students for the world of work, improve communications, and personalize instruction for
each student. (Neal, 2016, p.3). Additionally, a recent poll of educational leaders revealed that
they are most excited about opportunities to facilitate student engagement, extend teaching and
learning environments, and promote a happy and productive staff through BYOD (Cristoland &
Gimbert, 2013). In fact, most case studies completed on BYOD show that students who are
given the ability to their own mobile device in school are more motivated and eager to learn.
(Bruder, 2014, p.17). Regardless of how the devices is used, it is clear that a BYOD culture will
certainly engage and hold student in their education.

Individualization

As BYOD programs have grown increasingly popular, schools must cope with the wide
range of digital devices tools being brought in and the skill level of each student regarding
technology. Some of those efforts focus on choosing technology platforms and classroom
strategies that will accommodate each individual student well. Aaron Turpin is the Executive
Director of Technology for Hall County, GA which has a BYOD program. He stated that their
philosophy is to build on whatever a student brings (Peasgood, 2015). Their goal is to build an
educational environment that allows students to use the myriad of resources and applications to
their own individual needs: For students, learning to use the right tool for the right purpose is a
life skill (Peasgood, 2015).
Educators in mobile learning environments can monitor individual progress and develop
methods to accommodate different learning styles and needs. According to the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): On a case-by-case basis, the use of school-purchased
assistive technology devices in a child's home or in other settings is required if the child's IEP
Team determines that the child needs access to those devices in order to receive FAPE.
(USDOE, 2004). A BYOD program would eliminate the need for multiple resources in the
home and school. However, it would still provide to legally required assistance needed for that
student to be successful. Students with accommodations such as visual, hearing or written
comprehension challenges can be supported through the use of applications that use assistive
technology. In fact many applications have been developed for the purpose of accommodating
diverse students. As a result, these apps provide students with an equitable education and
promote success.

Collaboration Best Practices

By nature A BYOD program is a daunting task. Even with the proper policies and
procedures in place, there is a lot of gray area for teachers. There are several things that
educators can do to not only ensure a smooth implementation of the program, but also to ensure
students success. The first is to create a collaborative learning environment. A BYOD program
is by nature collaborative. The sheer number of stakeholders needed to implement a BYOD
requires a collaborative process. In their article Bring Your Own Device, Stonebaker and
Robertshaw claim that the most successful mobile learning environments involve close
collaboration and a shared vision between key stakeholders: teachers, administrators, IT staff,
learners, and parents (2014, p.65). However, collaboration needs to extend beyond planning.
In their article Together We Can, Padget and Steck emphasize the importance of
collaboration to meet the needs of students in the ever increasing social and technological
educational setting: The goal of our collaboration model is to stay focused on quality teaching
and learning (2012, p.27). By melding the collaboration process with a BYOD policy, the
learning responsibility shifts. The teacher becomes more of a facilitator. In collaborative
learning experiences, students are problem solving, thinking critically, and creating. This alone
places students at the highest point of Blooms Taxonomy and therefore, there is a greater chance
of student success.
Concerns
With BYOD, there are no hardware and maintenance costs for schools and students can
work with the tools they need and prefer. However, not all learners can afford to purchase their
own devices. In his article BYOD: Worst Idea of the 21st Century Gary Stager argued that it

enshrines inequity (2011). Most schools combat this possible inequity by adopting a BYOD
and 1:1 hybrid. This means that the school supplies any student without a device purchased by
the school. In some instances these devices are checked out to the student for the school year.
The student is then responsible for bringing the device to and from school, and becoming
familiar with the device like their school counterparts. This puts these students on par with their
counterparts who own their devices.
One of the major concerns voiced by parents was cyberbullying. If a BYOD program is
to be successful, students should have access to all collaborative and engaging digital tools.
Unfortunately, these tools are also a breeding ground for social interaction risks. While
educational cyber games, streaming videos, and social networking should not be blocked in order
to provide the best learning experience, it is still important that these types of situations are
monitored. Most school systems found this was easily accomplished by fostering a culture of
trust and appropriateness, and having violations reinforced by the BYOD contract and school
rules.
There are final concerns for a BYOD program is the quality of resources used and the
equitable access to those resources. Minorly, it important to make sure students can access the
same resource on the variety of devices. The greater issue is when students access information
on their own. Teachers must think differently than when providing information in the traditional
classroom. Instead they must become guides. We must empower our students to ask questions
about the resources they are using and the information they are accessing. This allows them to
take charge of their own learning no matter the device they are using.
Conclusion

They have the devices. They have the access. Schools must grasp that opportunity to use
the surge of individually owned technology to not only cover curriculum but to teach students
how to be lifelong learners using the tools they have on hand. The devices become more than
tool to text a friend or play a game. The device now has power.
BYOD provides the power and opportunity for students to explore, ask questions, use the
real-world tools, and share information in an authentic way. In the traditional model of classes
going to the computer lab for technology, the focus is on the novelty of using technology not the
material. With student owned devices, the technology is a mere tool to access to information
whenever and wherever they need it. Their learning is linked to the content through their
technology.

Resources
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http://www.netgear.com/images/Netgear-whitepaper-BYOD_070113_tcm18-77080.pdf

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