IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 1

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BY
ALLISON KIRBY
UNIVERSITY OF SAINT MARY

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 2

Introduction:
Technology has a vast presence in our society and schools. Thus the
question for many school districts is how to implement technology into
our classrooms. One way school districts have implemented technology in
schools is through a program called BYOD (Bring your own device). BYOD
is a way for schools to increase access to vital technology without the
costly burden of purchasing a device for every student.
De Soto school district implemented BYOD at the beginning of last years
school year, August 2014. The school district has the Internet set up for
BYOD staff and BYOD students; however, after conducting a needs
assessment the results show that the BYOD plan was not effectively used
in the classrooms at Horizon Elementary. After analyzing the results,
almost every teacher stated they did not use BYOD because of the lack of
planning and lack of professional development (Appendix A). Thus this
BYOD technology plan for the De Soto school district is going to start from
scratch because of the lack of planning in the first school year.
If BYOD was implemented effectively in the classroom it would help
support educations Four Cs of the 21st century: communication,
creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. By implementing BYOD it will
impact the learning of students by shifting the roles. Teachers move
toward the role of a facilitator while the students take more ownership in
their own learning. BYOD allows students to be key providers to their own
learning development. Additionally, BYOD will give students an example
of how their future workplaces might work. BYOD will allow students to
create their own learning environments based on their individual needs
and learning styles.
Goals and Objectives:
De Soto school district hopes to provide students with unique and
powerful ways to enhance their learning in all subject areas by using
BYOD. De Soto school districts goal is to support the use of technology for
the purpose of strengthening and supporting the learning environment for
each student. BYOD will be able to personalize the students learning by
exploring their own interests, working at their own pace, and collaborating
with others on projects through technology. Moreover, BYOD can help
students have their own voice in their learning, gain real-life experience,
explore their own interests on assignments, and achieve communication
between peers, experts and other outside the community.
There are many opportunities to use technology in the curriculum
especially in elementary schools. BYOD can be used in every subject and
every grade. Teachers will create a companion website that each student
will have access to through their mobile devices. These sites will include

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discussion forums, daily objectives, electronic textbooks or articles, notes,
videos, audio clips, presentation, assignments, calendar and assessments.
De Soto districts hopes to see many academic improvements due to the
individualized learn environment that will be presented to the students to
help achieve deeper thinking and achieve an individualized learning plan
for each students.
Existing Resources:
De Soto school district has already developed the physical infrastructure.
De Soto has a protective wireless infrastructure that provides a
segmented student network separate from teachers and administrators.
There are built-in procedures that protect students information and there
are built-in monitoring procedures to ensure that students, teachers and
administrators are the only ones allowed to access the network.
De Soto also has a team in place that meets regularly to support teachers
with BYOD. The superintendent has put a team together that has the
resources to assist students, teachers and administrators on BYOD. The
team consists off technology specialists that support BYOD, Board of
Directors, and assistant principals. This team is responsible for
professional Development, discussion boards, and keeping the systems
updated.
De Soto school district has a cart of 40 laptops for each grade level. These
laptops are used for students that do not have a device that they can
bring to school. The laptops are available whenever the teacher reserves
them. These laptops are compatible with all mobile devices thus students
and teachers can collaborate.
The above resources will support De Sotos goals and objectives because
it will allow all students to have a device at school that they can use to
create their individualized learning environments. These resources will
allow students and teachers to keep their information private due to the
security built-in on the networks. These resources will allow teachers to
reach out to the BYOD team when they are having trouble with their
devices or networks. Thus all of these resources are critical in the success
of implementing BYOD.
New Resources:
De Soto school district needs to create a portal or a one stop shop for
students, staff and parents where they can access the resources. The
district needs to create a portal that is easy to access on mobile devices,
display the most popular resources, and a place to post announcements,
messages or questions.

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De Soto school district needs to develop an acceptable use policy. This
policy is to help with classroom management with the difference devices
and activities. This policy states when it is appropriate to use the device,
policies on social networking and messaging. Moreover, teachers need to
create their own companion page that that has all the resources that
students need to use their mobile device at school. This page would
need to be accessed through mobile devices.
De Soto school district will need to provide on-going professional
development. The staff will need extensive training throughout the year
for implementing the program and procedures on a daily basis. This will
be very important to how successful BYOD will be in the teachers
classroom.
BYOD Timeline for Implementation
The BYOD technology plan for the De Soto school district was discussed
and passed by the Board during the 2013-2014 school year. It was
implemented into the schools starting fall 2014. Since BYOD is already
enacted into the schools the technology plan will last nine months.
In August 2015, the school will hold several optional staff meetings to
discuss BYOD, including concern, potential benefits, curricular uses,
classroom management ideas, and more. These meetings will be held
during professional development at the beginning of the year before
school starts. During these meetings we will ask teachers from each grade
to sign up for the pilot program. The pilot program will ask the teachers
to incorporate student technology several times over the course of the
month. Students personal device will be limited to teachers participating
in the pilot program. The teachers in the pilot program will then become
the technology expert for that grade level and will help the other teachers
when BYOD is open to the whole school.
The first day of school, August 18th, 2015, the staff will administer a BYOD
survey to the parents of the students at Horizon Elementary School. This
survey will access if the parents are willing to allow their child to bring a
mobile device to school for educational purposes (Appendix B).
Additionally, on the first day of school the teachers that are participating
in the pilot program will send home a BYOD Pilot Permission Form
(Appendix C).
During the pilot program the technology team will continue to develop the
BYOD program and will and complete a BYOD student policy book
(Appendix D). Additionally, Horizon Elementary has meetings before
school every other Friday. During these meetings the teachers in the pilot
program will discuss how they are using BYOD in the classroom. They will

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discuss the positives, negatives and the best ways to implement the
program into the classroom.
After the pilot program is completed in September, Horizon Elementary
School will hold various professional development sessions during the
months of September, October, November and December. This
professional development programs will consist of the teachers who were
in the pilot program, articles on activities that involve BYOD, and
professional technology teams. During these months, professional
development will be hosted after school once a week. The teachers will be
able to have discussion forms during these times as well as learn how to
use BYOD in the classrooms. By end of these months teachers will become
experts on how to use BYOD in the classroom.
December 2015 the school will announce to the staff and students that
BYOD will become school wide. The school will present the student code of
conduct to the parents via email ( Appendix D). The parents will then be
able to come to a question and answer session during the month of
December. The parents will give their children permission to use their
mobile devices in the school for educational purposes. Additionally, during
the month of December BYOD information will be presented to the
students along with the student code of conduct. The students will then
set up their mobile devices with the network at the school.
When the students come back from Holiday break in January 2016, BYOD
will begin. During the month of January there will be various meetings
held to discuss how the BYOD program is doing in the classroom, how the
school district can better provide resources and how we can improve the
program. During the last months of school there will be professional
development with the BYOD team as well as with the teachers that went
through the pilot program. In addition to professional development, the
BYOD team will have a forum where teachers can ask questions or discuss
how to use it in the classroom. At the end of the school year, May 2016,
the school district will administer an end of the year BYOD survey to
evaluate the uses, successes and challenges of the BYOD program
(Appendix E).
Professional Development/Resources/ How to use in the
classroom
There are many resources that can help teachers be creative with BYOD
and help teachers with classroom management. These resources will be
used in the professional development throughout the year. Many of the
resources are held in the schools live binder
(http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=1749235). The articles in the
live binder will help implement BYOD into the classroom through videos
and articles. The articles and videos will discuss how to use BYOD in the

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 6

classroom, how to use BYOD in every subject, how to individualize and
differentiate lessons for individual students and classroom management.
Teachers will be able to send articles to the BYOD team to go up on the
live binder. This live binder is to be used as a resource for the teachers.
However, a few important resources are listed below. The below articles
will be the title names with the rest of the article in the Appendixs.
How Teachers Make Cell Phones Work in the Classroom by Tina
Barseghian (Appendix F)
The Epic BYOD Tool chest (51 Tools You Can Use Now) by Vicki Davis
(Appendix G)
Classroom Management Tips for BYOD (Appendix H)
Smartphones: From Toy to Tool by Edutopia (Appendix I)
Maintenance:
There will not be a lot of maintenance because the mobile devices will
belong to the students. After setting the mobile devices up on the school
network there should be no problem. However, in the classroom there will
be charge stations to make sure that the devices are charged. Thus the
maintenance on the charge station will to ensure that the chargers work.
Additionally, the other maintenance will be the network maintenance. The
network is already up and running but will need monthly updates.
Costs and Funding
There will not be many expenses because the network is already installed
and because the school district already has extra laptops for the students
that dont bring mobile devices to school. Thus most of the cost will go to
hiring technology experts to make sure the network is updated and
working properly.
Assessment:
At the end of the school year the school district will administer a survey
that evaluates the effectiveness of implementation, negatives of BYOD,
effectiveness of resources, and things that the district could improve on.
(Appendix E). After the results of the survey are in, the school district will
evaluate the results and make changes for the coming year to improve
the BYOD plan.

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Appendix A

Power SWOT Analysis

My school implemented BYOD (Bring your own device) in our school:
however, it was not utilized in our school. Thus I did a need assessment
on the effectiveness of the implementation of BYOD in the classroom.

Strength:

BYOD is already set up at the school. There is a WIFI network just for
BYOD for staff and BYOD for students.
Most of the teachers were very excited about the new BYOD plan
and were willing to learn how to use it.
Some teachers did outside research on how to use BYOD in the
classroom

Weaknesses:

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Biggest weakness that was expressed was that there was not
professional development on how to implement BYOD in the
classroom.
Not all students have access to a personal device

Teachers struggled with finding resources that they could use in the

classroom that fit with the curriculum.

Some teachers expressed that they did not have enough time to get
comfortable with the technology before school started.
There are so many different devices the students could bring in how
will the teacher teach a instructional lesson with different devices
that may or may not be compatible with each other

Opportunity:

This plan if implemented correctly can allow students to learn with

technology
It can allow individuality for each students learning needs
Allow differentially instruction to research every students learning
style.
This plan can save the district money by not having to buy all new
devices. The district would only have to set up professional
development classes that help the teachers implement BYOD
effectively in the classroom.

Threats:

One threat is making sure that all teachers are comfortable with the
devices and how to use it in the classroom
Keeping students on task and not allowing them to get on their
personal apps during instructional time
Students could take picture of other students have cyber bully other
students

Appendix B
1. Do you own a mobile device that you would allow your student to
bring to school for educational purposes?
2. If you currently have an Elementary School student, what kind of
mobile device would you allow your child to bring to school for
educational purposes?

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 9

3. On the positive side, what benefits do you see from students being
able to bring in and use their own technology in school?
4. On the negative side, what concerns, problems and issues d you see
related to students bringing in their own technology to school?
5. Any other comments or concerns?

Appendix C
Dear Parent/Guardian and Student:
Horizon Elementary school would like to run a pilot program, beginning
August, 2015 and ending September, 2015, where students may bring their
computing devices to school. The purpose of the pilot is to investigate the
educational benefit of allowing students to bring in and use their own
technology in class. Their own technology could include laptops, smart
phones, tablets, eReaders, and Internet-capable media players. This is

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 10

voluntary; students do not have to bring their device to school.
Other arrangements will be made for students to experience the
lesson in the classroom.
Horizon Elementary school needs to experience students bring their devices
to school for use in the classroom, collect data, and begin developing long
range, strategic plans accommodating personal computing devices in the
classroom. Accomplishing these goals, students may bring their devices to
school:
Some teachers will participate in the pilot. Those teachers will specify
when technology can be taken to class based on the lesson or activity
used. This could include such things as research, writing papers,
making presentations, taking polls, and more.
Students may only bring in and use their technology devices on days
teachers specifically instruct them to and may only do this in that
particular classroom.
Students may not use their personal technology devices on any
other days or in any other areas of the school building.
Student use of personal technology devices is limited to classrooms
participating in the pilot.
School rules concerning electronic devices will continue to be enforced
in all areas of the school except classrooms of those teachers
participating in the pilot.
Student must have De Soto School district Acceptable Use Policy
signed and on file with the High School.
Students will be responsible for the safe-keeping of any technology
brought to school. Therefore, when the device is not being taken to
class, it should be safely secured in the students locker. In no way will
Horizon Elementary School assume responsibility for lost or stolen
devices.
Students, you need to complete the bottom of this form, consenting that you
will abide by the guidelines set forth above. Parents, by signing the bottom of
this form, you consent that your child may bring their technology to school
for use in the classroom. Parents and students recognize the student has sole
responsibility for the safekeeping of any device brought to school for this
pilot. Also, students agree to abide by Hoovers Student Handbook
concerning the use of any technology, outside the pilot classroom. Return the
completed consent form to the teacher.
_______________________________________
As parent/guardian of the student named below, I consent for my child to
bring her/his Internet-connected device for instructional use in school. By
doing so, I understand that my child is responsible for the security and
safe keeping of that device, and Horizon Elementary School will not be
held liable for loss or damage.
Date:
(Students printed name)
(Parent printed name).
.

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 11

(Students Signature)

(Parent signature) .

.
Appendix D
Bring Your Own Device Pilot - Student Policy
Electronic Devices
Use of certain electronic devices is permitted in Hoover High School as
described below. Electronic devices are classified as disruptive, nondisruptive, and mobile phone devices. Permissibility of each type of
electronic device is described as follows:
Disruptive Electronic Devices
1. Recording devices, radios, pagers, laser pointers, and other
electronic devices are deemed distracting to the educational
environment. As such, these devices are not permitted in any
area of Hoover High School, including the courtyard.
2. The misuse of permissible electronic devices in a manner distracting
to other students or school personnel is not allowed. The misuse of
electronic devices includes, but is not limited to:
a. Use of any electronic device in a classroom or other area of
Hoover High School not authorized by school personnel.
b. Violation of the North Canton City Schools Acceptable Use
Policy.
c. Listening to video or audio without headphones or earbuds.
d. Use of headphones/earbuds at a volume level where others
can hear.
Non-disruptive Devices
1. Non-disruptive devices are defined as electronic devices primarily
used for educational purposes.
2. The categories of non-disrupted devices are (a) laptops, (b)
netbooks, (c) tablets, (d) eReaders, and (e) audio players (MP3
players).
3. These devices may be used:
a. during classroom instruction and in the Media Center as
permitted and directed by school personnel.
b. in study hall, privilege period, and lunch as permitted and
directed by school personnel.
Mobile Phones
1. Use of mobile phones for any voice or text communication is not
permitted during school hours.
2. Mobile phones may be used as directed by school personnel.
Otherwise, mobile phones must be turned off or muted during
school hours.
3. Mobile phones may possess advanced functions including Internet
access, eReader, and video/audio functions. These functions may
be used during study hall, lunch period, and privilege period. Use of
these functions during classroom instruction is at the discretion of
school personnel.

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Consequences for inappropriate use of electronic devices
Violation of the appropriate use of electronic devices, as described above,
(1) may result in detentions, Saturday detention, In School Suspension, or
Out of School Suspension; and (2) student may be required to turn the
device over to school personnel and the student and/or parent may pick
up the device from the Attendance Office at the end of the school day.
Internet Connection
Wireless Internet connection will be provided by the North Canton City
Schools for students to connect their devices to the Internet. Students
must have a completed Acceptable Use Policy signed and on file at
Hoover High School. Additionally, students may connect to the Internet
using their Internet provider. In this case, the student and family will be
responsible for any Internet connection expense.
Lost or Damaged Device
Hoover High School assumes no responsibility for theft, loss, or damage of
an electronic device brought to school. Students bring these devices to
Hoover High School at their own risk.
Transporting Devices
Use of bags and cases to transport electronic devices to and from Hoover
High School is encouraged. Students may use laptop bags to carry
portable computers to and from class. However, the bags may not be
used to carry books.

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 13

Appendix E
1. If you have students, how often has BYOD technology been
used in your class / setting?
i.
Daily
ii.
Several times per week
iii.
Once a week
iv.
Several times per month
v.
Once a month
vi.
Several times per year
vii.
Never
2. If you have had students use their BYOD technology, please
list specific educational things they have done with their
devices in school (whether at your request or on their own
initiative).
3. If you have had students use their BYOD technology, please
indicate the amount of student devices typically available for
use.
i.
Every student usually has a device.
ii. Enough students usually have a device that they can
share or complete the activity with the devices
available.
iii.
Not enough students usually have a device for them
to be able to properly complete the activity.
4. Please list any specific classroom management issues, and if
possible what you have done to address these.
5. In your opinion, what have been the positives / benefits of the
BYOD project?
6. In your opinion, what have been the negatives / challenges of
the BYOD project?

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7. What improvements would you suggest for the future of the

BYOD project?
8. That additional professional development sessions would you
like to see offered to assist with the BYOD project?

Appendix F

How Teachers Make Cell Phones Work in the Classroom

By Tina BarseghianMAY 10, 2012
SHARE

A.P. Chemistry students use their cell phones to answer their teacher's
question.When we talk about using cell phones in class, were not just
talking about using cell phones in class.The idea of mobile learning

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 15

touches on just about every subject that any technology addresses: social
media, digital citizenship, content-knowledge versus skill-building,
Internet filtering and safety laws, teaching techniques, bring-your-owndevice policies, school budgets. At its core, the issues associated with
mobile learning get to the very fundamentals of what happens in class
everyday. At their best, cell phones and mobile devices seamlessly
facilitate what students and teachers already do in thriving, inspiring
classrooms. Students communicate and collaborate with each other and
the teacher. They apply facts and information theyve found to formulate
or back up their ideas. They create projects to deepen their
understanding, association with, and presentation of ideas.
In the most ideal class settings, mobile devices disappear into the
background, like markers and whiteboards, pencil and paper not
because theyre not being used, but because theyre simply tools, a
means to an end. The end can be any number of things: to gauge
student understanding of a concept, to capture notes and ideas to be
used and studied later, to calculate, to communicate, to express ideas.
WHEN IT WORKS
In Ramsey Musallams A.P. Chemistry class at Sacred Heart Cathedral
Preparatory in San Francisco, cell phones are a natural extension of the
way he communicates with his students. As soon as kids walk in,
Musallam sends out a text blast through Remind101, asking them a
challenge question thats related to the days lesson. First person to tell
me the units on K for a second order reaction gets chocolate, he types
and sends off. His students know he does this regularly, so theyre
constantly anticipating the question during the day, in and out of class.
Sure, thats kind of cute, he says, admitting that it can be seen as
gimmicky. But more importantly, in my mind thats saying, Youre
carrying around something that I can contact you with. Its a fun ways to
stay motivated in our day, which can be pretty dry sometimes. Its a
chance to think about what were learning outside the context of state
testing.I want it to be as rich and as visual as possible. I want
them to see things, not just know it.Once the class settles in and
things are rolling along, the steady hum gets louder when kids are excited
or working together, then quieter again when theyre working out
problems on their individual little whiteboards (to be clear, these are not
digital). Musallam constantly walks around, sending out directives Write
the answer on your table! I want you guys to come up with an answer
now, and text it in, Whats the ridonculous choice out of all these
answers here?Students work in groups, and when they have a question,
they call him over. He arrives with iPad in hand and records his voice and
his writing on the iPad, which he immediately uploads to the class website
so other students can benefit from the explanations instantaneously.
(This, by the way, is another form of flipped teaching, he says.)This way,

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 16

if I need to explain a common question, everyone can access it, he says.
I dont have to repeat myself going from group to group. But rather than
stop what everybody else is doing so he can explain a concept, students
can watch the video he just created if they need to. Ill just tell them to
look at the online tutorials to find out about common questions, he says.

Ramsey Musallam considers the online poll reflecting his students'

answers.During class, he asks students to take a multiple-choice quiz and
send in their answers through a poll on their cell phones. The students
votes are immediately displayed on the projector thats hooked up to
Musallams laptop.This is key, Musallam says, because seeing the answers
that get the most votes makes a big impression on his students. If they
all held up note cards that said their answers A,B,C or D the visual of
the distractors [the wrong answers] wouldnt be as powerful, he says.
And this makes the experience more immediate. I want it to be as rich
and as visual as possible. I want them to see things, not just know
it.Musallam can list a litany of reasons why and how mobile devices spice
things up in class. The data integration wouldnt be as rich, the
experience wouldnt be as dynamic, the cognitive load is higher, he says.
But even though all but one of his students have cell phones and use
them for polling and instantaneous quizzing, its clear that they would be
just as rapt in the classroom activities without them; theyre not
necessarily fixated on the fact that theyre using cell phones or that
theyre seeing instantaneous results of their polls. Their eyes and ears are
on him.What makes Musallams class an interesting case study is that his
teaching practice is based on a specific technique: he incorporates peerinstruction and inquiry-based learning, mirroring Harvard professor Eric
Mazur. The videos and polls just help support that.Im using it in the
context of peer instruction, which is research based. You get anonymous

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 17

feedback, which is great, and kids see all that information condensed, he
says. Sometimes its just cute and fun and that wears off. But much more
often, its more efficient and meaningful, and it makes the classroom feel
like a bigger place. Seventh-grade history teacher James Sanders, who
teaches at Kipp San Francisco Bay Academy, makes the analogy of the
cell phone as a tool being used in a modern-day shop class: It makes
things a lot easier.
As Mussallam writes on the iPad, it's being shown on the projector. Though
every student in his history class has a Google Chromebook, only 60
percent have what he calls smarter phones, and many have iPod
Touches. So he has students work in groups of three or four.
Using Socrative, an app that shows real-time poll results for both multiplechoice and short-answer quizzes, he challenges his students at the end of
class to answer specific questions in order to get a broad look at whether
they understood the concepts discussed that day. But with subjective
topics like world history, and a challenge like Write one or two sentences
why the Aztec Empire fell, how can students convey a deep, meaningful
understanding in just a couple of sentences?
Writing concise paragraphs explaining complex concepts is incredibly
powerful, Sanders says, adding that the class also works on research
papers and projects around historical characters in addition to these short
polls.The tool also allows students to read each others responses, which
allows for a deeper level of analysis, he says. I can ask them to write
their answers on paper, submit it, review it myself, and then choose one
or two to highlight in class, but the idea of having these tools is that it
augments our skills as teachers. To be able to ask a question of 30
students and get response instantaneously just speeds up the learning
process, rather than waiting for individual students to respond.
IS IT WORTHWHILE?
But for every teacher whos able to seamlessly integrate cell phones and
other mobile devices, theres another who doesnt see the transformation
as easily. Paul Barnwell, who now teaches English and digital media at
Fern Creek Traditional High School in Louisville, Kentucky, decided to stop
using cell phones in class after giving it a go with an eighth-grade class.
Barnwell bucked the schools policy and used Poll Everywhere for both
multiple-choice and open-ended exit poll questions. About three-quarters
of the students had cell phones at the time.
Writing concise paragraphs explaining complex concepts is
incredibly powerful.
The kids were pumped up to use their taboo devices, he says. After a
few trials, they quickly understood how to submit their answers, and the
engagement factor was high since their responses popped up onto the
projected screen.

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 18

But he was uneasy with excluding those who didnt have a phone or the
ability to text. And, he said, some of the class clowns took advantage of
the anonymity of the polling to text inappropriate statements.I decided it
wasnt worth the time or the hassle, he says.Barnwell doesnt like the
idea of letting students Tweet information to a common address and
hasnt found an application that promotes efficient best practice yet.
But Im also not seeking it out, he says, adding that because hes got 10
desktop computers in his current class, students can use them for
research projects and looking up facts online.Barnwell hasnt given up
completely on cell phones, though. If I can plan a lesson to ensure that
high-level thinking is encouraged and greater participation, I might try
phones again, he says. As far as polling and other simple uses, I see
little benefit at this point. I cant stand how most teenagers thoughtlessly
and even belligerently use Twitter.
TEACHING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP
Its not uncommon for kids to use cell phones for inappropriate behavior
at school. But some believe that when students misuse the devices at
school, teachers must step in.Its our responsibility as educators to teach
kids how to interact with the world, Sanders says. Those interpersonal
human conversations are incredibly valuable.

Cell phones are just another tool, like pen and paper.
At Sacred Heart, where Ramsey Musallam teaches, the schools cell phone
policy is shifting, as they try to sort out their social policies.Right now,
kids cant use cell phones unless a teacher instructs them, but thats
evolving, says principal Gary Cannon. But if kids are using them to take
pictures, theyre not reprimanded by faculty. The staff fully recognizes
that the cell phone is just a tool. Twitter and texting are just tools used to
say or do what might happen in the hallways and dining halls
regardless.The challenge is giving them a sense of a digital footprint,
Cannon says. For Musallam, thats all part of how he sees his job as an
educator.Im here to serve my students, he says. If we can leverage
cell phones in a way thats meaningful, Im going to do it.

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 19

Appendix G
The Epic BYOD Toolchest (51 Tools You Can Use Now)
JUNE 10, 2014

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 20

Image credit: Thinkstock

You've got every device under the sun in front of you. Now what apps are
you going to use? Here are the apps or app categories that I recommend
you test for your school. There are lots of apps, and these are just my
opinion based on what I've used with my students or successfully tested.
Formative Assessment

Socrative: My all-time favorite app for formative assessment runs on

everything. It cut my time teaching binary numbers from five to three
days just because I didn't move forward until everyone "got it."

Google Forms: Yes, you can create self-grading Google Forms for
this.

Kaizena: This tool integrates with just about any platform and was
listed on my 15 Best Google Add-Ons. It really helps you provide rocksolid, multisensory feedback on student work.
Screencasting and Capturing What Happens in Class
If you're going to share and interact with your students in the electronic
and physical spaces (as you should), you must learn how to screencast.

Screencastomatic: This is my go-to app. It's free, but I pay a few

dollars for the pro service because I love it, it gives advanced editing
features, and I can download to Dropbox. You can see that my YouTube
tutorials are recorded with this.

Camtasia: This app is high quality, and the price shows it. But I
highly recommend Camtasia if you can afford it.

Explain Everything: This app, available from iTunes and Google Play,
remains a top tablet app in the U.S. It's perfect for math screencasting.

Swivl: It's a robotic stand for your iPad, iPhone, or Droid. When you
use the iOS app, Swivl will film and capture everything. It can also
follow you without an app, so you could set another device on record

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and then just put it in the stand. Swivl lets you record speeches, or
helps you evaluate your own teaching. Having a Swivl in your
classroom changes everything. You just put the controller in your
pocket or around your neck, and it follows and records you (mic in
controller). I've been demoing this for two weeks and can focus on
teaching rather than recording.
Content-Sharing Platforms
Your school is bricks and clicks. You have a physical presence in your
classroom and a digital podium through your content-sharing platform.
You need a way to share your digital instruction, and kids need to know
where to look.

Sophia: Nudged along by my friend Todd Nesloney, I use Sophia for

my computer applications instruction and am very pleased with the
results.

Haiku Learning: This is the full content management system that I'm
trying to get our school to adopt. It's multiplatform and robust, which
makes it a great fit for our BYOD environment.
There are many other apps like Moodle, Canvas, and Coursesites. The
point is that you should have one in a BYOD environment.
Assessment Aids
If you absolutely must do multiple choice (and if multiple choice is all you
do, be warned that you're missing out), spend as little time as possible
grading. These apps literally make it a snap. You create the quiz, students
bubble in the answer, and you snap a picture on your mobile device,
which is your own personal Scantron. If you're going to do multiple choice,
at least give themimmediate feedback. There's no excuse.
All three of these apps -- Quick Key, Grade Ninja, and WISE -- are available
on iTunes and Google Play, but there are more.
Electronic Note Taking
There are two frontrunners in this category, in my opinion. No one else
comes even close:

Evernote: With a school subscription, you can share notes schoolwide. It also does well recognizing handwritten and scanned notes.

One Note: If you're a Microsoft shop and have admins supporting

you, they can configure some very cool sharing abilities in this robust
note-taking app -- the only synchronous note-taking app that works.
Expression
Students need multiple ways to share and express themselves,
particularly verbally and with pictures. This is part of transliteracy.

Voicethread: This incredible tool helps younger students build their

eportfolios.

I love Brad Wilson's Write About This and Tell About This iOS apps
for kids of all ages.

Thinglink: Educators who work with special needs kids swear by

what a great tool this is. It's web-based, but they also have apps. A
must-use!

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Cloud Syncing

Dropbox: If you shoot video on devices and need to get it onto your
computers, Dropbox is exsential. I use it to make my classroom as
paperless as possible.

One Drive: This is the tool that goes with Word, Excel, and
PowerPoint. I require my students to sign up for it over the summer. It's
so great because they can open their documents in free versions of
those Microsoft programs when they're away from home.

Google Drive: This sync tool, underlying all of the Google suite, is a
must for the collaborative classroom. We also use this as we edit
our wevideoswith partners in Iowa.
Graphic Design and Infographics

Canva: For graphic designs of all kind. I used this tool to redesign
the header on my blog and promote my school's events.

The infographic makers of choice these days

include Easel.ly, Visual.ly,Infogr.am, and Glogster.
Color Selection

Color Schemer: You may not have time to go into color wheels and
such, but students need to know that certain colors go well together. I
cut out all the time it takes to pick colors by teaching them to use this
handy online app, and then teaching them to find and enter the hex
number for colors in any app they use.
Presentations
I rarely assign one specific software program for presentations. These are
my top six that I recommend to students. I expect them to know how to
move their presentation slides between these programs. When they are
doing a massive online presentation like they recently did for Gamifi-ed,
some may create slides in Keynote and others in Haiku Deck, but they all
have to export and insert their slides into the group Google Presentation
file the day before we present.

Haiku Deck: This is one of my favorite presentation programs for

kids because of its tight integration with Creative Commons photos.
They're easy to share and run -- wow! And there's a new version for the
web.

PowerPoint: Integrate with One Drive, and it's perfect for those kids
who will edit on multiple devices. This tool is a plus in a PC-heavy
environment.

Keynote: Works with iCloud and picked by students who use Mac
and iOS devices.

Prezi: This online presentation tool also has apps to create very
interesting presentations that really start off as a mind map.

Google Presentations: If we're presenting online as a class, this is

our go-to app. It's the easiest way to edit together. Just know that once
you're in presentation mode, students can't change slides.

Slideshare: An excellent platform for sharing presentations and

embedding them in the class website or wiki.

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Blogging
A student without a personal blog is a student without a voice. Blogging is
an essential form of 21st century communication that lets them interact
with audience and peers. While I presently use Ning with my eighth
graders, I've used all of these powerful blogging tools at one time or
another.

Edmodo: This gives you blogging, sharing, and assessment, plus the
extensive libraries of assignments that you can join and share with
other educators. Even if you don't use Edmodo with students, it's worth
joining just to be part of the massively useful educator communities. If
you're collaborating between classrooms, Edmodo is one of the easiest
ways to do it.

Kidblogs: This platform lies on top of the familiar, easy-to-use

Blogger platform and is set up especially for schools.

Edublogs: This blogging platform uses Wordpress in a powerful way,

with each student linked to the teacher's blog and to each other. You
have lots of privacy settings, and you get a very professional look.

Ning: Ning looks like a social media site because it is. I have a
private Ning network that I use to teach my students blogging just
because it's so easy and flexible, and feels like Facebook.

Wordpress: Many schools are setting up their own self-hosted

Wordpress. It's easier than ever and gives you lots of flexibility for
sharing.
Written Expression

Dragon: They have an app on every platform, and some are free. I
teach my students to dictate to Dragon and paste into their other apps.

Microsoft Word: Microsoft's recent addition to the iPad has bumped

Word back up on my list for collaborative writing. While you'll need a
school-wide subscription to edit on the iPad, you can always use One
Drive Online for iPad editing if necessary. Students will have to sign up
for the free account at home, as Microsoft only lets three people per
day sign up at one location.

Google Docs/Drive: Students should know how to collaboratively

edit. Make sure they understand the difference between commenting
and chatting, though other collaborators won't see the chat, and it isn't
saved.

Wikispaces: Wikis are a fundamentally new, vitally important tool for

knowledge collection as a group. My favorite is Wikispaces, although
there are those who love PBwiki. (To see what I mean, go to Gamified for a project that my students did with teachers in Alaska.)
Link Sharing

MentorMob: Think of educational playlists. Lots of Tech Coaches use

MentorMob to share with staff.

Symbaloo: I see this used heavily with elementary teachers who set
it as the start screen for kids. It has large buttons that will take kids to
websites.

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LiveBinders: When my son was in fourth grade, I used this to create
a study platform for sharing material with other parents.

Google Spreadsheets: See Annie Cushing's Must-Have Tools for the

power of sharing links in this way.

Diigo: Diigo is my must-use social bookmarking tool (I even use it

to post to my blog). Students share research in groups (you don't need
an email to sign up), and you can link it to blogs and other sources that
automatically pull from this.

Flipboard: While just on the iPad (for now), this platform is a great
way to create a digital magazine of resources for your staff.
These are just some of the many tools available for a BYOD Environment.
As you're implementing BYOD, learn more about the SAMR model so that
you an get past substitution into true redefinition of what you're doing in
your classroom.
What did I leave out? Share your must-have BYOD tools in the comments
so that we can learn together.

Appendix H
Classroom Management Tips for BYOD

The days of standing in the front of the class are over! In order to know what
your students are looking at, you must move around your classroom.
Classrooms can be set up to make this easier on you, but I will be honest
there are a few things that are still a struggle...
1.
Small classrooms make it hard to walk around every desk to see if
students are on task.
2.
Small mobile devices (such as phones and ipods) make it hard to
actually SEE what is on the device.
3.
Classroom layouts sometimes makes it less feasible to wander the
classroom while teaching.
What helps? Below are a few suggestions to help you monitor usage in the
classroom.
Five Classroom Management Strategies for a "Bring Your Own Device"
Environment:
1.
Think about changing classroom desk set up or changing it during
usage of devices to match the landscape to the activity so that you can move
around your classroom for conferencing with individual students and
"eyeballing" technology usage.
2.
To make sure you can see what students are doing on their devices,
require that they be kept flat or only slightly elevated. If students are at desks
or tables, devices should not be placed in their laps. All phones can be
required to be on desks during class and in "Airplane Mode."

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 25

3.
When you want your students\\\' complete attention, require them to
place devices face down.
4.
Use consistent "key phrases" to control usage issues in the classroom.
(i.e. - "face down," "hands on your heads/reach for the stars," "Shut down, 5
minute warning," "100% eyes")
5.
Admit to your students that this is a very fluid, evolving process and
new to you as a teacher but that you are willing to accept and adapt
technology usage as a tool in the classroom. Also let them know that because
this is new, there may be new rules and usages brought into your classroom
environment as the year progresses and they have a responsibility to follow
the guidelines.

Appendix I
Smartphones: From Toy to Tool
I talked to a number of teachers around the country to see how they're
addressing this challenge.
A Powerful Participation Tool
Mettler finds smartphones helpful to encourage participation in class. He
observes, "Kids are shy or ashamed to ask questions because no one
wants to look like an idiot. So they text me their questions. Eventually
they become comfortable with not knowing something and they stick their
hands up to ask a question." One place he's found smartphones to be
invaluable are his outdoor classes. "I really like to take my class outside
when I can. It breaks things up, and it can really bring things to life for my
students."
Example
In a recent unit on cultural diffusion and physical geography, students
spent the morning visiting the mountains (aluminum bleachers in the
football field) and the desert (baseball diamonds). Everyone used their
smartphone for note taking, either typing or using a voice recording app
to dictate. Mettler's motivation for incorporating their phones is simple: "I
want my kids to enjoy my classes. If they're stressed, they're not learning.
This way, they get to use their phone, which they love. And I have a
roomful of eager, engaged kids. Plus I don't have to deal with loose or
blowing paper or forgotten pens."

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 26

Batavia High School students use smartphones for note taking during an
outdoor class segment.
Photo credit: Jeremy Mettler
Mettler also encourages his kids to use their phone for taking pictures of
class assignments or lecture images. He notes, "I want them to have
different options to access information. This is just another tool in their
tool belt."
Enhanced Literary Units
Meredith Tabscott teaches high school English at Granite City (Illinois)
High School. She uses smartphones with literary units. "I choose a
particular piece of literature, The Grapes of Wrath or Lord of the Flies, for
instance, and create a Google+ community for my class. The students use
smartphones to access and participate in that community."
Example
During their unit on The Grapes of Wrath, the students need to
understand the difference between Hoovervilles and Government Camps.
Tabscott asks her class to read excerpts from the novel demonstrating
differences, using their smartphones for research. Then they post pictures
of Hoovervilles and Government Camps in Google+ for discussion.
Cooperative Learning Through Apps
Jessyca Matthews, another high school English teacher, employs apps in
her classroom, incorporating phones into weekly lessons. "My students
work in groups. It's easier to manage from a logistics perspective, and
students who don't own smartphones aren't singled out," she explains.
Example
In a recent study of the novel The Great Gatsby, groups of students
became movie producers for a week, using apps such as iMovie and
Videolicious. They created a movie, movie trailer, or some other visual
representation of the novel, demonstrating their understanding of the
narrative and key themes. The project concluded with the "JMatty

IMPLEMENTATION OF BYOD INTO HORIZON ELEMENTARY 27

Awards," modeled after the Academy Awards -- students voted for Best
Actor/Actress, Supporting Actor/Actress, Musical Score, and Picture. One
project that combined technology, creativity, collaboration, and critical
thinking to deliver it ended up spanning far beyond the in-class lesson.
Keeping the Focus
Keeping students focused on the task at hand can be challenging. When
she notices students doing something else on their phone, Tabscott often
says, "I see you typing, and I look forward to seeing what you have to say
about. . ." And she will, because she sees who posts in Google+ and
responds to surveys in her forums.
Mettler also builds breaks into his class because, as he says, "If they know
a break is coming up, they're less likely to use the phone for personal stuff
during class time. Plus the breaks are good for the brain." Matthews
spends a lot of time walking around during smartphone units, because, as
she notes, "Once you give ownership and responsibility to someone, they
tend to want to please you in doing the job correctly. If a person isn't
using the smart phone for the right reason, the other team members will
usually say something."
Tips for Getting Started
Tabscott, Mettler, and Matthews suggest that you follow these steps to
begin incorporating smartphones into classroom activities.
1. Get Comfortable With Your Smartphone
We all know that smartphones can be used for more than making calls
and texting. Spend some time learning how, from basic browser usage to
downloading apps, from note-taking functionality to editing photos and
videos. Your comfort level will set the tone for your students.
2. Start With a Conversation
Meet with school administrators and parents to discuss your plans and
address concerns. Solicit input from students -- how would they use
smartphones in class?
3. Rules of Engagement
Develop, with the help of your students, an agreement or contract
governing the rules for smartphone usage in class. Clearly outline
consequences if the agreement is broken.
4. Set Expectations
Accept that there are going to be times when students are off task, just
like when they talk in class.
5. Periodic Check-Ins
This is uncharted territory for everyone. Monitor the progress of your
students and revise the agreement as necessary.
Technology is changing. Our knowledge of how the brain learns is growing,
and information is freely accessible. Let's meet our students where they
are, and together, let's use all of the tools we have to understand the
information and employ it to meet our collective needs.