As an educator with a passion for teaching with technology, I found this weeks content quite interesting, specifically the readings that dealt with the issue of student personal devices in schools. While many of the articles presented opposing viewpoints and varying solutions, one thing was abundantly clear - this issue won’t be going away any time soon. Over the past eight years, I’ve witnessed the evolution of policies regarding personal devices, and have been part of many discussions searching for effective solutions to deal with them at a school level. In staying true to the spirit of this unit, I’ve broken down the issue of BYOT within schools using the metaphor of a play. The Issue: BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) In my division (Regina Catholic Schools) there is no longer a question IF student personal devices belong in schools, but instead how to ensure they are being utilized appropriately and effectively. With so many devices in our classrooms each day, the battle we face as educators is how to ensure students are using these devices responsibly and not for personal use during class time. When looking at this issue from an elementary perspective, the students involved are Grade 6-8 students as they are the only ones allowed to bring devices to school. The Main Dramatis Personae Students: Grade 6-8 students, provided they sign a “Personal Electronic Acceptable Agreement” form, are given the opportunity to bring their own personal devices to school. While side effects may trickle down to lower grades, the primary issues revolve around students at this grade level. Teachers: Tasked with finding ways to effectively utilize student technology within their classrooms and ensure they are not being used inappropriately. Administrators: Supporting teachers, and providing direction with how BYOT is utilized within their buildings Parents: Responsible for reading and signing BYOT forms that are sent home and supporting teachers if issues arise. Props The specific types of personal electronic devices allowed are typically decided by administration, but often include: phones, ipods, tablets and laptops Scene Personal devices could be found anywhere within the school setting. Some examples are classrooms, hallways, lunchrooms, playgrounds etc. Conflict The main conflict that arises as a result of BYOT in schools is ensuring students are using their personal devices to supplement their education and not for personal use. A common side effect that takes place in schools is the use of social media, specifically apps like Snapchat and Instragram. These can be a major conflicts, as students have capability to take photos and post them to their social media, both with and without the consent of other students. Not only is this a privacy concern for the school, but can also lead to other issues such as cyber-bullying. Another common side effect of BYOT is the use of texting in class. This modern day version of “note passing” can be a major issue and distraction for students. The Plot Twist: Turning Conflicts into Successes As mentioned earlier, the adoption of BYOT into schools is something I’ve experienced from the beginning of my teaching career, and as a result I’ve learned what does and doesn’t work to combat this issue effectively. Below are a few of the insights I’ve gained while embracing student devices in the classroom: 1. Education. As mentioned in many of the articles this week, a common reaction to combat inappropriate use of student devices is to simply ban them from school. This was something that was debated at many of the meetings I’ve attended and was thankfully never agreed upon. Simply banning devices is a short-sighted and reactive plan that ignores the most powerful tool we have - education. Instead of making their devices a taboo topic, we can use education and digital citizenship to teach them how to use them appropriately and responsibly. Through meaningful lessons and concepts that are reinforced throughout the year, we can turn our students into digitally literate citizens to help eliminate issues before they happen. 2. Clear Routines and Procedures. It is incredibly important to establish clear routines and procedures for the use of personal devices within the school. Taking the time to write these out, send them home and go through them with the students, ensures everyone is on the same page. It’s also very important that educators take the to review these as needed throughout the year. In my experience, some of the most common procedures revolve around when students are allowed to use their personal devices, and when they need to be put way. An example in many classrooms is the use of a double sided image of a device, one with a regular side, and one with an “X” over it. This is typically placed on the whiteboard and when the image displays the regular side, students know they are able to use their personal device. Consequently, when the “X” is facing students, they understand that their personal devices should not be out. 3. Providing Students with Specific Opportunities for Personal Use Even the most responsible students will be still be tempted to use their devices to check messages, snapchat or scroll through their Instagram account throughout the day. Heck, find me a teacher who’s never used their phone for personal reasons while they’re at work and I’d be amazed. Instead of tirelessly attempting to police this issue, providing students (who have earned the privilege) with opportunities for use, may be a more effective approach. This would involve the explanation to students that as a result of responsible use during class time, they will be allowed to use their devices during specific times throughout the day. Some of these times may include: recess, lunch, or during tech and talk breaks, provided they are using their devices appropriately. This notion of compromise was also highlighted in the in Macleans article “Should schools welcome cell phones in class?”, when exploring personal device use at recesses. The author, Michelle McQuigge, summarizes the benefits of this approach by writing, “Such an approach strikes the right balance [and] it still gives teachers the flexibility to tap into the technology for their lessons while limiting distractions among students”. 4. Outlining Clear Consequences It is also important to have clear consequences in place for students if they are not using their devices responsibly, or neglecting the terms of the “Acceptable Use Policy”. The consequences should be something that have been agreed upon beforehand by staff and are consistently applied throughout the building. An effective consequence that has been implemented in my buildings has been the “Three Strike” approach. With this approach, if a student is caught using their devices inappropriately, the device is taken away on the first offense and returned at the end of the day. If the student is caught a second time, it is taken to the office and parents are required to pick it up and have a discussion with the administration. Should the student continue the behavior a third time, the device is taken away and is no longer allowed at the school. The Bottom Line While there can most certainly be conflicts that arise due to student devices in schools, when looking at the bigger picture, the positive side effects far outweigh the negative. Through taking a proactive approach to this issue, we are enhancing learning through integration of technology into classrooms as well as providing more opportunities to educate our students in becoming responsible digital citizens.
3 Comments
Jen Resch
2/8/2019 06:49:45 am
Matt, once again I have enjoyed reading your blog post. I appreciate how you broke down the situation in the same format discussed and outlined in the unit discussion!
Reply
stephen wihak
2/13/2019 01:55:23 pm
Great analysis, Matt! As I read it, I saw a great illustration of progressive, critical teaching moving away from the traditional approaches based on command, obedience, and surveillance. As you say:
Reply
Kim Gisi
3/30/2019 08:56:57 am
I thank you for your detail breakdown of BYOT. Every school division is working on this...and policies seem to be very similar. Our school initiated a no cell phone policy at the start of this year, as last year it was disrupting classes. Once the policy was implemented, there were severe consequences for those that tested the system. As a staff we remained unified to the policy, and soon it was no longer much of an issue. Students still have access to technology in the class, when it is needed on school devices. Students have access to their technology at breaks and noon hour. From the data I have in my classroom, the students do not mind leaving them in their locker. It has taken away some of the anxiety that is associated with younger groups and technology (especially social media).
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Matt BrescianiI'm a middle years teacher in Regina, Saskatchewan, working towards a Masters Degree in Education. Archives
April 2019
Categories |