I've been following 'dangerously irrelevant' for a while now, and a recent post caught my eye discussing how teachers are struggling to keep pace with technology, and what to do with BYOD should it be implemented in a school. Specifically, the following comment I thought summed it up beautifully:
"I am in the same boat – I just presented to our school board last night about BYOD, and the need to have a district-supported program so that our infrastructure can be upgraded handle the increased demands.
BYOD has the potential to provide for personalization of learning environments, curriculum that meets 21st century demands, student access to relevant, emerging technologies that enhance the educational experience – while also meeting the demands of the new Common Core state standards. However, potential does not automatically equal reality.
In the past, the integration of technology in to the classroom was seen as something extra for those who had the time, knowledge, money, and patience to take it on. However, workforce demands, and Common Core standards, require students to be as proficient with technology as they are with a pencil. Playing games and posting status updates on Facebook is not how our students will become savvy; it’s being able to select and use the proper tool for the task at hand. Teachers need a lot of training and support to make this shift. The biggest training aspect is letting teachers know that they don’t have to know how to use all the technology tools out there. Instead, their job is to provide the learning opportunity, and let the students navigate the experience. This lends itself nicely to the idea of personalized learning because students, after being told to create a presentation on an element of the periodic table, can choose which tool best fits their need. A student with an iPod may choose to use StoryRobe, a digital app, to create a story-like video, whereas an iPad user may use iMovie, or VoiceThread…all while a laptop user is creating a Prezi or website.
We know this transformation won’t happen overnight. It takes time and support, which will be offered through curriculum development teams creating, modeling and sharing lessons. Workshops and discussions will be scheduled to also help teachers navigate these new opportunities.
Our plan is to start small – let the teachers who have been asking for it have it. We’ll document their journey; provide a lot of time for reflection, modification, failure, and success. We have to let them know that failure is part of the process.
With CCSS forcing change anyway, it is a great time to “throw it all out” like someone said earlier and start anew.
I hope you find success. Please keep sharing your journey with us!"
I'm hoping that, should my school adopt a BYOD policy, it will take heed of the above. Start slow, start small, get the teachers involved, comfortable and trained, and go from there.
In addition, the key questions from the following powerpoint would need to be answered fully.
http://independenthead.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/mobile-device-strategy-for-schools.html