BYO What?

By Mark Ray
device or smartphone, e-reader, or any other personal computing device. How is this different from 1:1? 1:1 models presume that all students have devices at most times in the instructional day, often with a district-provided device or product and specific expectations of use and integration into the curriculum. In many 1:1 implementations, devices are purchased by the district and checked out to students. In some 1:1 models, parents are expected to purchase devices for their children. In BYOD, there may be instances in which all or most students have devices in a given classroom, but that is not an assumption. Parent, teacher, and student choice define when and, more importantly, if PCDs are used at school. In addition, not one but a variety of personal computing devices may be used as part of individual, small group, or large group instruction. BYOD or BYOT stands for Bring Your Own Device (or Technology). For many educators it is an acronym that may sound vaguely familiar. As an educational idea, it may lead to more questions than answers. Like some other districts and schools, Vancouver Public Schools has been exploring the use of BYOD as one of many strategies to promote 21st century skills, foster entrepreneurial teaching and learning, and increase engagement in the classroom. Vancouver Public Schools is by no means the first district to dabble in BYOD, but as a public school district with nearly 21,000 students, our exploration of wireless access for students represents a significant shift in philosophy and policy, not to mention strategic investments and changes to our network infrastructure. Here are some questions and answers based on what weve learned so far. What does BYOD stand for? Bring Your Own Device is a program where staff and What is a PCD? A PCD is a personally owned laptop, netbook, tablet computer, mobile students can bring their personal computing devices (PCDs) on campus and connect them to a district wireless network that provides filtered Internet access. During the 2011-12 school year, this program was piloted at two high schools and one middle school with the goal of informing district decision-making for educational technology integration. As a result of its success, wireless has expanded to all K-12 sites, with BYOD implementations at all secondary schools in fall 2012. Are teachers required to implement the use of personal computing devices in their instruction? No. Some teachers opted to be part of a district pilot to serve as test beds for learning about BYOD. In these classrooms there was an expectation of increased instructional Can a teacher require students to have a personal computing device in their class? Teachers cannot require students to have devices, nor expect their use for any given class. Are teachers or students required to bring devices to school? No.

In BYOD a variety of personal computing devices may be used as part of individual, small group, or large group instruction.
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use of personal computing devices. This pilot provided proof of concept and led to a broader implementation of BYOD in the district. It has also helped inform decision-making regarding the use of PCDs as educational tools. The pilot model is being replicated as the project expands to other schools. Small teams of teachers will serve as first adopters at each site and be provided additional support. Nevertheless, all teachers are encouraged to do their own explorations and use BYOD as they see fit. What about board and district approval for such use? In anticipation of the BYOD and wireless pilots, existing policy and guidelines were reviewed and modified to allow personal computing devices to be used in an approved instructional setting. A policy review of other districts with similar programs was done to inform and modify guidelines and policies. What is the level of technical support provided? Aside from providing filtered Internet access, BYOD was not actively supported by district personnel or the IT help desk. In general, teachers and district staff are not expected to provide troubleshooting or technical assistance to users. Given the number and variety of possible devices that might be used in schools, expert support for users would be difficult, if not impossible. To date, most users have been able to access and use the wireless networks without difficulty. Additionally, because the devices are personal, students and teachers already have expertise in their operation and use. Was anything done with respect to digital citizenship with students? A digital social contract was developed by students to focus on the responsibilities that come with BYOD. Several schools have used the digital social contract as a means for framing the project and instructing students on acceptable and appropriate use of technology in schools. Individual schools and teachers developed additional lessons and guidelines to help students connect BYOD to digital citizenship learning. Are students at a disadvantage if they dont have a personal computing device for use at school? No. The district instructional
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A digital social contract is one means for framing the project and instructing students on acceptable and appropriate use of technology in schools.
program and curriculum remains the same. The district continues to purchase basic and supplementary textbooks, support materials, computers, and software to support student learning. Who decides when students can use their devices? When students are under a teachers supervision, that teacher has complete and final say on the use of PCDs for either the entire class or individuals in that classroom. The school may have developed specific guidelines for common spaces outside of classrooms. Are any spaces designated Wi-Fi lounges for access to the network? School libraries may be designated as locations where users who are not part of scheduled classes can use personal computing devices subject to district approved policy and guidelines. Buildings can opt to designate other areas as anytime spaces as well. Different buildings have adopted different approaches and policies regarding access beyond the classroom. What network or software access do users have with their own devices? Students and teachers are only provided districtfiltered Internet access. Users do not have access to district-purchased software or network storage. Students and teachers are free to purchase and use apps, resources, or cloud storage of their own choosing so long as they adhere to technology ethics and acceptable use policies. In this respect, access will be similar to the wireless access in hotels and cafs. Are there recommended devices for students or teachers? No. Because BYOD is not intended as a 1:1 initiative and the district offers no formal support for personally owned devices, it is up to students and teachers to choose the devices they wish to What if a personal computing device is stolen or lost at school? Users bring devices at their own risk and choice. Loss or damage of personal computing devices by students and/or teachers is not covered by the district or school. Our surveys have shown that concerns about theft or loss of devices by students was cited as one of the main reasons they did not bring the devices to school or use them in the classroom. Interestingly,
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use at school. Interestingly, our surveys have shown that smartphones and non-phone handhelds like iPod Touch or Android devices were far more likely to be used in BYOD classrooms than laptops or tablets. Are students and teachers still bound to district technology ethics policies and guidelines if they bring 3G/4G devices to use at school? Yes. District policies clearly specify that users must follow acceptable use guidelines regardless of ownership of the device or the network that they use. Students and teachers are encouraged, but not required, to use the district wireless network. Can a teacher opt to restrict the use of personal computing devices in their classroom or specify which type of devices can be used? Yes. At this point in the implementation, teachers define when and where personal computing devices are used in their respective classrooms. Many teachers develop classroom protocols that specify when devices can be out and used and when they need to be stowed. Teachers could conceivably allow the use of laptops and tablet computers rather than cell phones. Are cell phones and smartphones considered personal computing devices? Yes. Some teachers have made it a point to encourage students to use their phones for just-in-time research and informal polling using Poll Everywhere.

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due to the absence of lockers in most schools, this issue appears to be a greater barrier to widespread technology use than filtering or district policy. Was there staff development in the use of personal computing devices? Compared to other technology pilots, BYOD adopted a hands-off approach to support and staff development. Even among the specified pilot participants, teachers were encouraged to explore the use of devices in the classroom on their own. As the pilot expands to all secondary schools, instructional technology facilitators will work with core teacher teams at each site to plan and support instruction with personal computing devices. There will remain an attempt to encourage students and teachers to be entrepreneurial in their use of personal technologies in the classroom and to promote exploration and experimentation. Teacher participation in the initial pilot has already provided examples of best practices, recommended classroom management, instructional integration, and other useful information. That guidance will help inform how we support teachers and students in the coming year. What was the biggest surprise? The sky didnt fall. Despite a fear of the unknown by many, there were no significant disciplinary, media, or educational cataclysms. Because choice was central to the projectand since teachers controlled if, when, and where BYOD fit into their instructionit was something that educators could explore in a safe way on their own timeline. What did you learn from teachers? Teachers indicated that the most significant impact to the classroom environment was less connected with wireless access or the What did you learn from students? Students surprised us in two ways. Despite assumptions that digitally native students are naturally innovative in their thinking about how to use technology, an initial focus group with juniors and seniors revealed some traditional ideas about how they would work differently in BYOD classrooms. Note-taking, research, and word processing were identified by many as likely uses. Few students considered using their devices as creative tools for video or audio production, leveraging personal apps, or using the network to connect, collaborate, and communicate with one another. Another surprise was that students were very aware of the social and practical implications of the program. In the same focus group, issues of equity and safety/security were raised even before the project began. Mark Ray is the manager of Instructional Technology and Library Services at Skyview High School in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached at mark. ray@vansd.org. ability to use personal devices, and more about the change in culture that occurred for students and teachers. The physical and philosophical shift toward owning and personalizing the use of technology in the classroom conveyed a sense of opportunity, exploration, and innovation. What will you do differently based on what youve learned so far? As we go to scale with BYOD, we will expand our professional development and integration support based both on what weve learned and the rapidly emerging body of best practices. We plan to implement a digital professional learning community to connect teachers who are exploring BYOD to allow sharing of insights, lessons, and best practices. This will add an additional layer of support and reinforce the entrepreneurial goals of the project. As we move BYOD to schools with higher levels of poverty, we will be looking at a variety of ways to ensure students have access to technology. We are studying the feasibility of purchasing devices for students on free or reduced lunch. Additionally, schools may allow devices to be checked out from the library. In the end, we are learning that while BYOD removes some barriers, it reveals others. And the lessons have only begun.

Despite a fear of the unknown by many, there were no significant disciplinary, media, or educational cataclysms when BYOD was implemented.

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