YOU HAVE THE POWER!

BYODs limits are your imagination. The App Store

for Apple devices as well as the Google Play store
are littered with thousands of programs worth
checking out. Dont be afraid to experiment!
Students will continue to bring devices to class.
Teachers who take the time to try out new things
might be rewarded with student engagement.
Educators should Bring Their Own Device, too, and
participate with their students.

Bring
Your
Own
Device

References
Nielsen, L. (2011, November 9). 7 myths about byod debunked.
The Journal. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/
2011/11/09/7-byod-myths.aspx

How to go from iOMess to iOYes!

A Factsheet for Teachers

Quillen, I. (2013). Parents want kids to use

mobile devices in schools. MindShift.
Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/
mindshift/2013/05/parents-want-kids-to-use- mobiledevices-in-schools/
Richtel, M. (2013, March 22). Digitally aided education,
using the students own technology. New York
Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/
2013/03/23/technology/in-some-schools-studentsbring-their-own-technology.html?
pagewanted=1&emc=eta1

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BYOD Explained

DEVICES

Before we can delve into the many ways that BYOD

can be used, we have to define it! BYOD is an
acronym that stands for Bring Your Own Device.
BYOD programs allow students to bring their mobile
technology to use at school. We already know that a
majority of students bring their smartphones to
school (Quillen, 2013).
BYOD programs embrace technology by allowing it
be a living and breathing part of the classroom. Lab
time is often at a premium. BYOD brings the lab into
the teachers classroom, allowing them to
seamlessly instruct their lesson. Technology savvy
educators will seek out the best ways to incorporate
BYOD into their curriculum. Not to worry, this
factsheet has some ideas to get you going!

Devices can take many shapes. Anything that

can access the Internet in some shape or form
can be considered a device.Typically they will be
either smartphones or tablets. Examples that
teachers may be familiar with are the iOS family
of products (iPad, iPhone, iPod), Android phones
like the Samsung Galaxy series, and the
Amazon Fire tablet series.

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Q: Am I going to need to do a lot of professional development?

CONCERNS
Rightfully, teachers may have concerns about BYOD at their
schools. If an educator is not familiar with the concept,
skepticism may be prevalent. BYOD is not a new idea. It has
been around in some form since at least 2008, when it was
enacted by a Georgia school system (Richtel, 2013). Many
other districts have since gone on to adopt the system and
make it part of their own. How a teachers district or school
adopts the program will be unique to that division.

Teachers need not worry about learning every little thing about
their students devices. Educators should avail themselves of
the opportunity to learn as much as possible to make the most
of the BYOD program. However, students work as their own
teachers when dealing with problems of technological difficulty
(Nielsen, 2011). BYOD encourages critical thinking, problem
solving, and academic exploration!

Q: Will students try to go unapproved sites?

BYOD does not mean that students will take advantage of
the technology. Schools can put in place firewalls to prevent
search terms and websites they may deem offensive or
inappropriate. If students attempt to blur the line, it can lead
to a teaching moment (Nielsen, 2011). Educators should
detail logical consequences to student misbehavior,
allowing them to explain why certain actions can lead to
negative results.

Q: Will this deepen the digital divide?

BYOD does not create a deeper rift in the disparaging
digital divide. In fact, BYOD creates a supply and demand
chain with school resources that gives students more
access (Nielsen, 2011). Students bring their devices to
school, meaning that school computers are free. When
these devices are free, this means students who lack
access at home can use them. Teachers may still express
problems with status symbol attainment affecting the
psychologies of students who do not have the means to
bring a device to school.
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Q: Will my students get distracted?

Attention span issues aside, this will not happen. Teachers
must create lessons that engage their students. No matter
the platform, student engagement keeps students on task
and in class. When teachers correctly use the BYOD
program to their advantage, behavior problems are
minimized (Nielsen, 2011). Teachers should look at BYOD
as an ally, not an enemy.

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APPS

LESSONS

Podcasts
Use Vine to create stories
The popular six-second loop app can
be used to help students create. After
giving students a topic, have them
create the most unique loop possible
in a given time frame. Vine challenges students to
work within a given set of parameters, and then
defying those dimensions.

Teachers can create their own podcasts

with lessons and upload them to the cloud.
Students who have missed class days can
catch up by downloading the podcast. An
archive is stored automatically in the cloud.
Google Drive

Use Google Maps to lead to research

Google Maps is a program available on
every platform for free. Get students to
route out a historical, literary, or personal
path. Then, get students to write about
important landmarks along the way. Students can
combine Google Maps with other apps to make a
unique research project.

Poll Everywhere to direct the lesson

Students can use Poll Everywhere, a
free-to-use response software. Create a
question with different news stories as
options. Using the app, students choose their favorite.
Discussion will then center around the chosen topic.

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Storing class documents for instant access is

easy with Google Drive. Students can get
anything from class, anywhere, with Google
Drive. Teachers can determine access for certain
documents as well as allow editing and sharing.

Twitter
Tweets can be used for more than personal
feelings. Teachers can set up a classroom Twitter
for assignments and reminders. Students can
access it from anywhere in the world, as long as
they are near the Internet. Using Twitter accounts set up for
the classroom, students can ask the teacher questions.
Educators can respond in real time to provide answers to
students about selected topics.

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